Growing number of professional marketers and small business owners (SMBs) who see to their own marketing are turning to the latest online video production tools and social media to develop and run their own online marketing campaigns, according to an online video marketing survey from Animoto, developer of an online video application of the same name.
The online video marketing survey included 1,000 professional marketers and 1,000 SMB owners. Animoto found that nearly 2/3 of respondents plan to incorporate online video in their marketing campaigns in the coming year, as well as to invest in talent to promote online marketing videos on social media channels.
Online Video Marketing Survey
Eighty-four percent of marketers and 55 percent of SMB owners said they have created or commissioned creation of marketing videos in the previous 12 months. In addition:
- 60 percent of marketers and more than half of SMB owners (55 percent) say video marketing is a “must-have” to stay relevant.
- 76.5 percent of professional marketers and SMB owners who have used video marketing said it had a direct impact on their business.
- 63 percent of marketers and SMB owners will increase investment in video next year.
Animoto’s market research follows in the wake of Social Media Examiner releasing its 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report last month.”Social video has become a must-have for businesses of all sizes,” Animoto CEO Brad Jefferson was quoted in a press release about the online video marketing survey.
“While professional marketers are leading the charge in terms of where and how much to invest, small business owners are not far behind. That is a testament to the growing ease and affordability of video distribution on social media platforms, as well as consumers’ inclination towards video content.”
Leading social network operators such as Facebook have made video content and optimization a top priority, Facebook marketing specialist Mari Smith pointed out. “This prioritization, paired with the rise in video consumption on nearly every social network, has made it impossible for marketers to ignore the importance of consistent video creation and promotion. Animoto’s forecast underscores that ‘social plus video’ has truly arrived.”
Facebook First
Video marketers turn to Facebook first and foremost to promote online marketing video as they invest in making use of other popular social media channels including Snapchat and Instagram. Marketers make regular use of YouTube as well as Facebook when promoting online video, while SMB owners are increasingly doing so. According to Animoto:
- Facebook is the primary platform used by SMB owners and marketers for sharing and distributing video content. Both marketers and SMB owners rate its effectiveness more than eight times higher than any other social platform.
- Of SMB owners and marketers who plan to spend money on social media in the next 12 months, two-thirds plan to promote video on Facebook, more than any other channel.
- YouTube is the second most popular platform for sharing and distributing video content for both SMB owners and marketers. The report also projects that YouTube will see the most growth in paid video promotion by SMB owners over the next year. Instagram will see the most growth for paid video promotion among professional marketers.
Marketers find themselves with the need to continually update their skills, develop new strategies, experiment with new online video tools and social media platforms and work with new talent in their search for a competitive edge, Animoto points out.
- Almost a quarter of marketers (23 percent) say they are “behind” or “way behind” competitors when it comes to video marketing, while 40 percent feel that they are just “on par.”
- Both marketers and SMB owners rate Instagram as the most impactful mobile-centric platform, though marketers are more likely than SMB owners to spend money to advertise video on Instagram in the next 12 months (27.4 percent of marketers plan to, compared to 17.4 percent of SMB owners).
- Both SMB owners and marketers also plan to invest in talent in order to be more competitive. Respondents said they view video marketing as a more desirable skill for their team in the next 12 months compared to email, design, and written marketing materials.
Image courtesy of flickr user Jerry Nihen.
