How we use the web changes constantly and one of the most recent changes has been the growth in online videos. YouTube, which sees over 2 billion views a day, has largely been responsible for changing web user’s behaviour. What started as a home for the weird and whacky has itself become one of the most useful tools in web marketing and pointed the way to the future for business websites.

It’s becoming clear that web users like video content. Media websites have increasingly moved to online video – and they have been some of the main beneficiaries of Google’s recent algorithm changes which seem to indicate the vide content will play an increasing role in SEO.

So why do so few businesses use web video marketing? Here we examine some of the myths about web video marketing:

1. It’s too expensive

Like all marketing, web video marketing needs to be cost effective. It’s important to remember that good video has a much greater potential for going viral than good or even great text. Not only will it allow you to leverage the power of YouTube [now the no. 2 search engine according to some] but there is a greater chance of your video being embedded and linked by others. This not only helps build the good quality links that helps with your sites SEO, but does something much more important – gets your business, expertise and products/services noticed. How valuable is that?

Additionally, production web video marketing material is an increasingly competitive market and there are plenty of entry level companies offering great value.

2. It’s difficult to create content

You can find some great ideas about coming up with web video content, but to put it simply, if you can write about it, you can make a video about it – and often with much greater effect. If you sell products, showing how they work not only makes the benefits clearer for the customer, but actually prevents them from choosing your competitors; the customer already starts to think of your company as experts and they may start to connect with the person presenting the video – turning your business into a brand.

From ‘Meet the Team’ to product reviews, conference/exhibition videos to FAQ’s there are dozens of topics that will make great web video marketing for your business. Nobody will pretend that it doesn’t take preparation and dedication – lots of valuable things do – but the rewards for the business should be well worth it.

3. It’s too embarrassing

To coin a phrase, it’s not all about you! Seriously, there may be other people in the organisation [or family or friends] that aren’t embarrassed. Or you can feature just the product without appearing in the video yourself. One thing to remember is that most viewers are not expecting Hollywood standards. In fact, slick and smart videos are often actively disliked by viewers. Most people are looking to see real people talking honestly, giving their expertise for free.

Additionally, searching the web should deliver a wide range of existing video content that will be useable for your web video marketing. Others are likely to have already made and uploaded online reviews. Enthusiasts will have created ‘how it works’ videos. These will make great content for your website – and save your blushes

4. Videos have limited SEO value

Increasingly, search engines try to reflect what visitors’ value in websites. Search engines want to deliver users websites that provide a good experience – great copy, interactivity via social media etc and – as we have seen – online video. Therefore search engines actively prioritise those business that use online video marketing. Look yourself – next time you do a search on Google see how prominent video content is featured. Again, they are often YouTube videos. Including online video marketing will allow your business to benefit from this channel too.

There is best practice for all online videos around tags, titles, descriptions etc. to gain the most SEO benefit, but they are essentially no more difficult or indeed different to any other SEO practices.

5. It’s just for Big Businesses

Smaller businesses often feel that their customers don’t want video. The facts tell a different story – and point to a future where online video marketing plays an increasingly important role:

• More than 27.4 million UK Internet users (78% of the total UK Internet audience) viewed 3.2 billion videos online.
• 68% of people who watch online videos, will in turn, pass links for these videos onto their friends… turning them into viral traffic machines.
• More than 65% of the people who watch online videos are between the ages of 35 and 64 (and 67% of these earn middle to high incomes)
  

Already changes in mobile technology has seen a massive increase in mobile searches and related video viewing. Small business can sit back and let large brands dominate, or they can look at the facts and consider the value of web video marketing.