Videos can show how to assemble a new desk, install speakers in a car, or how to knit a scarf – but what has that got to do with you, your company, and your brand? The answer is: Everything! Because companies just like yours have chosen to use videos as online marketing tactics.
Consumers are interested in watching entertaining or informative videos online and visit sites like YouTube, AOL Video and MySpace on a daily basis:
24 million YouTube Home page impressions everyday
74% of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed video online in one month
228 minutes of video were watched by the average video viewer in May 2008
Most videos being watched are news-related or comical, as shown in the chart from PEW Internet & American Life Project:
So why should you use videos? For two reasons:
Videos are another way to own first page results in Google
The interest and buzz some videos can generate will produce brand awareness, links and traffic to your site
As search engine results continue to be more inclusive of different types of media, a wider range of options are available for marketers looking to take up more of first page results. Universal search still primarily returns Web pages in the results, but depending on the search, news, images, videos and other media types may be mixed in as well. By using these mediums and making sure they’re optimized for the engines, you increase the chances of a larger brand presence in organic search results.
And since Google now owns YouTube…doesn’t it seem logical that videos submitted to YouTube may show up in Google universal results?
Videos are also a great way to increase brand awareness and buzz. An interesting video will be talked about, and as buzz spreads so does the number of links pointing to the video, and the number of people visiting your site.
In addition, YouTube and other video sites continue to develop more robust tracking and analytics tools, giving you more insight into the types of interactions occurring with your videos.
If you think your brand is a good candidate for video optimization, contact Rosetta’s Search & Media group to find out more from the experts.
