Surprising Online Video Habits to Impact Your Strategy [INFOGRAPHIC]

We all know that video is essential to your digital marketing strategy in 2018, but it can be difficult to determine exactly what to focus on and how to do it.

Even for those who have incorporated video into their strategy for years, habits, tools, and trends are changing rapidly.

However, one of the most effective ways to inform your shorter-term strategy is to pull from current user habits.

Below, the infographic from Promo has some great stats collected from from “more than 500 individuals of all ages.

Participants were asked about their habits and preferences when it comes to watching online videos and while the sample size was small, it revealed some very interesting trends that remind us to always turn to data when shaping our strategies.

Video Strategy Takeaways

Publish on Multiple Platforms & Test Which One is Best for You

Of the respondents to Promo’s survey, 47% said they watch video content the most on Facebook, which isn’t surprising since they’ve updated their algorithms to show more video.

This shouldn’t deter you from publishing anywhere else, however. In fact, you should publish your content natively to multiple platforms that your audience frequents to test which is best for your organization.

Native content (publishing the raw video file on the channel you’re promoting it on, rather than pulling a YouTube link to publish on Facebook) has been proven to perform better and get more prominently placed by most algorithms, but it’s really all about the value you’re providing to users.

People are out there, watching videos on all types of platforms so figure out what works best for your users.

Your Users are Consuming More and More Video, Regularly

That one video you made two months ago isn’t enough.

Only 24% of users surveyed said they watch 0-2 videos per day - everyone else (76%) said they watch over 2 videos per day.

Longer videos with more production value are important, but if those take your team 2 months to film and publish, there’s a problem. Your potential customers are out there watching videos, and your could be one of them.

Because users are consuming more video, you need to produce more video. (Note: We can help with that!)

It’s Not Just About the Visuals

Especially on social platforms, video isn’t just about the visuals.

32% said they enjoyed voiceover alone, and 24% said they had no preference, while 24% said they prefer voiceover AND subtitles, and 20% prefer subtitles only.

Overall, 65% said they prefer to watch Facebook videos with sound on (and interestingly, more men preferred watching with sound than women.)

In addition, 44% said they read the caption above the video ‘often.’

All of this is so important to pay attention to - because your strategy for publishing goes beyond just creating great content - it’s about making the best user experience no matter where they’re watching.

So, subtitles, voiceovers, sound, and descriptions that all add value have to be part of your publishing plans.

Try More Casual Videos

An easy way to create more videos (see the takeaway just above!) is to use Stories on social media.

These ‘casual’ videos on Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook can actually increase trust with users by breaking down the pre-planned, promotional nature of most marketing materials and just embracing the imperfect side of humans.

More and more users are interacting with stories on these platforms. This quick-production video can be a simple, but effective way to get in front of your prospects more.

Videos Drive Action

More people are taking action from videos.

Now, this could either be because more content creators are figuring out how to provide relevant content to users with appropriate calls-to-action (in which case, everyone needs to catch up with their competitors!) - or - people simply like to consume more video and are more responsive to it..

Either way, users expect to take some type of action more often after a video, and now is the time for your organization to build a strategy for follow up.

Online Video Watching Habits [INFOGRAPHIC]

Key Takeaway:

Overall, these tidbits of advice can help inform elements of your video strategy. It’s important to understand user habits and adapt how you produce and publish video content because things change so rapidly.

Because there’s so much more to video strategy, take a look at IMPACT’s Video Marketing content to help with a more comprehensive approach.