I always carry around jumper cables in the trunk of my car just in case. Just in case my battery dies, or if someone else’s battery dies and I want to help. A couple of years ago, I ran into a situation that I was 50% prepared for. I had my jumper cables. But the 50% I wasn’t prepared for was trying to figure out how to jump a hybrid. Do I connect the cables like a normal car? If so, where’s the battery? Is there more than one battery? If so, which battery do I jump? Where do the cables go? I don’t see any positive or negative terminals. I am so lost. The truth is, the hybrid car had the owner’s manual in the glove department. But, I needed answers quickly and visually…so, what did I do? I quickly searched YouTube and found a 1-minute video that told me everything I needed to know. And voila, I became an instant expert and an instant hero. Thanks, YouTube.

The other day, I was looking for a drawer organizer online. There are hundreds of them. I found the one that I liked but wasn’t sure if it was the right fit, size, or function that I was looking for…until I saw that this product had a video. A quick 45-second video that showed someone putting the organizer in a drawer and placing utensils in it to show how it would simplify and beautify my life. Yup, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks, YouTube.

Today, I watched a video on YouTube to stretch and relieve my lower back pain. Thanks, YouTube.

Do you see a pattern here? We are watching more videos online than we ever have before. In fact, we watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week, which is a 52% increase in the last two years. It’s also known that we retain around 90% of a message when we watch it in a video compared to only about 10% when we are reading it in text.

This has major implications for your business. According to research:

• 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
• 86% of people would like to see more videos from brands.
• 64% of consumers make a purchase after watching branded social videos.
• 68% of consumers prefer watching videos to learn about new products or services, as compared to articles, infographics, ebooks, and presentations.
• Consumers who end up on an e-commerce site through a user-generated video are 184% more likely to purchase and spend 45% more.
• Google shows a video thumbnail next to a search result about 26% of the time, and users are more likely to click that listing.

So, are you thinking what I am thinking? Why don’t you have a video? I honestly believe every business website should have one. For this next series, I want to go through the different types of videos you need and how they will not only help generate more business but also truly help those who are seeking a solution, build trust in your company, and clarify your product or services. Videos create higher engagement and increase traffic. It’s a win-win all the way around.

Looking forward to introducing and explaining a new video category each week. Also, I would love to hear from you on what type of video you think will best engage with your customers and ultimately, help you grow. Let’s talk about it!

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