7 key reasons to include CTAs in video marketing content

It’s no secret that video marketing content is the best way to engage today’s online audience, whether you're targeting them on YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter or Instagram. There’s no better path to inbound lead generation than engaging material that gets shared and viewed time and time again.

It’s not just a phase either. Here are some video marketing stats from HubSpot to back it up:

• 97% of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service.
• 76% say it helped them increase sales.
• 47% say it helped them reduce support queries.
• 76% say it helped them increase traffic.
• 80% of marketers say video has increased dwell time on their website.
• 95% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
• 81% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand's video.
• 69% of people have been convinced to buy a piece of software or application by watching a video.
• 85% of people say they'd like to see more video from brands in 2018. 

Also, just let this stat sink in for a second - according to FortuneLords, YouTube gets over 3 billion searches per month, and 3.25 billion hours of video content is watched on Youtube each month. over 100 hours of video content uploaded every single minute. WOW! It's larger than any other search engine.

Pretty impressive stats right?... Most of us consume the majority of our online content with video over other format as shown in the chart below:

And we want more video content going forward. As shown below:

If you’re a marketer, brand, influencer or YouTuber, it makes sense to embed a Call To Action (CTA) in your video content if you’re looking to re-engage with your audience or lead them another piece of content. You can even direct leads to an external website and capture GDPR compliant data for future marketing campaigns.

Embedded CTAs commonly used in videos include “learn more”, “like my page”, “click here”, “book now”, “watch more”, “visit website”, “download offer”, “join now” and so on.

7 reasons using CTAs in video content can drive conversions

1. We love to share

There's a misconception that people only like to share video content that features funny pranks or baby animals. That’s not actually true. If you create video content that is enjoyed by your target audience, 83% of online consumers would most likely consider sharing it with family, friends and other relevant connections.

2. Video content is on the rise

As outlined earlier, more and more consumers prefer video content over any other format. So if you have relevant CTAs placed within enticing video content, the likelihood is that consumers will engage.

3. Google and other major search engines optimise for video content

It’s common knowledge that Google and other major search engines rank video content more prominently than they rank written content. So if you have uploaded and engineered your video content to be fully SEO friendly, you can maximise on the high volume of video search and convert more opportunities.

4. Video is important for the B2B and B2C markets

Videos are vitally important for B2B marketing. Companies with dedicated channels and video marketing strategies often generate more leads and receive better conversion rates. This gives plenty of scope to drive more revenue and increase brand awareness in turn.

5. Video content builds trust

Presenting a product or service using video content can build brand trust and boost the chances of consumers converting. In fact, an overwhelming 98% of consumers say they’ve watched an explainer video, review or promo video to learn more about a product or service. We are a now in an era where we conduct plenty of independent research before making a purchase decision, and your video marketing could mean a lead choosing you over a market competitor.

6. Video appeals more to the mobile user

With the increase in mobile device and tablet usage, video content watched on a mobile device has also risen. YouTube reports that mobile video usage on its platform increases on average 100% every year.

7. We're getting lazy because we're too busy

It’s a fact, most video content consumers are busy and don’t have time to read through pieces of product information. We like to see it in action! So, make sure you capture consumer’s eyes as well as their flappy ears.

Video marketing has become more and more consumable and there’s no sign of letting up. For businesses and marketers publishing, video content is actually quite affordable, so long as you're creative, know your stuff, target your audience and don’t forget those CTAs.