Both consumers and brands alike are using social media platforms to consume and create videos at a staggering rate. According to Cisco, a million minutes of video will be moving across the internet every second by 2021.

It’s clear that if your brand doesn’t start incorporating video in some way, you’ll be left behind. Let’s take a look at why video has become an essential part of social media. 

Marketing Trends Mimic User Trends 

The reason a video marketing strategy is suddenly so important is simple: Successful digital marketing meets users where they are. Email marketing, for example, came about when email exploded as a feature within the daily lives of most internet users.

The same thing is happening with video marketing. A study by Digital Information World shows 55 percent of social media users watch video daily. Furthermore, video will account for over 80 percent of all internet traffic by 2019.

There is a good chance competitors in your niche are already using video to reach consumers. Giving the consumer what they want is an essential part of any marketing campaign, and today’s consumer wants video.

Video Provides a Higher ROI than Other Content Formats 

Given the popularity of video among the average user, it is no surprise brands are getting a higher ROI out of their video marketing strategy than other strategies in their marketing mix. Statistics like the following prove why video is essential for social media marketing: 

• 90 percent of users have found a product video useful in making a purchase (Hubspot)
• Video can increase landing page conversions by up to 80 percent (Unbounce)
• 64 percent of people are more likely to buy a product after watching a video (Hubspot)

Many companies use videos to explain features and benefits of their products or services. Rather than depending on a salesperson to get this information in-store, users get it directly from the company—and instantly. Most consumers today compare brands and products before making a purchase. Giving as much information to the consumer, in easy to consume packaging like videos seems like a no-brainer.

Most social media sites—YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram—offer brands the option to ‘go live.’ Live Streaming is revolutionizing the way we create and consume content. All platforms allow brands and consumers to engage in real time, and creators can’t edit out mistakes. This vulnerability goes a long way in establishing trust with the consumer.

Brands are also able to give a behind-the-scenes look to consumers, creating relationships like never before.

Expiring Video Allows You to Build Trust Through ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ Content 

Today’s social media user is all about creating and consuming expiring content. Snapchat generates an average of 10 billion video views daily. Direct messages on the platform expire after two views, while posts to a user’s story expire after 24 hours. Instagram has copied this format for their version of the story feature.

A lot of brands are using expiring video to give behind-the-scenes peaks into the inner workings of their brand. For some, this means letting employees take over the company Snapchat or Instagram to showcase what their typical day looks like. Other brands use expiring video to show a product’s production process.

Now that you understand why video is essential for social media marketing, brainstorm some ways you can use these forms of video to build your own video marketing strategy.