Now, I know that most of the video ads that brands and agencies will launch for the holidays have already been shot, edited, reviewed, and approved, and they’re just waiting to be uploaded and published. But, it’s not too late to learn a few last-minute Christmas video marketing lessons from John Lewis, a chain of upmarket department stores operating throughout the United Kingdom.

For example, check out “John Lewis Christmas Advert 2016 – #BusterTheBoxer.” Uploaded to YouTube on November 10, 2016, it has generated 16.7M views, 13.8M in the first 3 days alone!

A second version of the video, “#BusterTheBoxer,” was uploaded directly to Facebook on the same day. It generated 31.6M views, 30.1M in the first 3 days after it was published. This puts #BusterTheBoxer significantly ahead of the pace set by “John Lewis Christmas Advert 2015 – #ManOnTheMoon.” Uploaded to YouTube on Nov. 6, 2015, #ManOnTheMoon generated 12.3M views in 7 days, 10.4M of those views in the first 3 days.

A second version of “John Lewis Christmas Advert 2015 – #ManOnTheMoon” was uploaded directly to Facebook on the same day generated 6.5M views in the first 7 days. So, the two versions of #BusterTheBoxer got a total of 48.3 million views over their first 7 days, compared to a total of 18.8 million views for the two versions of #ManOnTheMoon over their first 7 days.

Comparing Video Campaign Metrics

Now, video marketers already know that comparing views on YouTube and Facebook is like comparing apples and oranges. But, I’m using different metric to compare a basket of apples and oranges from last year to a basket of apples and oranges from this year. And this year’s basket of views is more than 2.5 times larger. So, whatever John Lewis is doing to get more views for its annual Christmas advert is something that other brands and their agencies will want to understand as soon as possible.

Tubular Labs, the only analytics software dedicated to giving publishers and content marketers the most comprehensive and actionable video intelligence, introduced two new metrics in 2016 – V3 (views generated in the first 3 days after upload), and V7 (view generated in the first 7 days after upload). V3 and V7 enable us to benchmark YouTube and Facebook videos from 5.3 million publishers over two important milestones, respectively. Using Tubular, you can also use V30 to compare and contrast your videos with those from competitors over their first 30 days.

But, views isn’t the only metric that matters. That’s why Tubular also introduced new metrics for engagements over the first 3, 7, and 30 days. For example, the ER3 and ER7 metrics measure a video or publisher’s engagement rate over the first 3 and 7 days, respectively, benchmarked across all content (e.g. 2.2x more engaging than average). Using Tubular’s new engagement rate metrics, the YouTube version of #BusterTheBoxer had an ER3 of 1.1 x and an ER7 of 1.4x, while the YouTube version of #ManOnTheMoon had an ER3 of 0.9 and an ER7 of 1.1x. Meanwhile, the Facebook version of #BusterTheBoxer had an ER3 of 1.6x and an ER7 of 1.7x, while the Facebook version of #ManOnTheMoon had an ER3 of 1.8x and an ER7 of 1.9x.

So, this year’s Christmas advert by John Lewis generated roughly similar cross-platform engagement over the first 3 and 7 days than last year’s one over the same period of time. Since a V7 that’s 2.5 times higher can’t be explained by a significantly higher engagement rate, this indicates that John Lewis may have put a bigger ad budget behind promoting this year’s Christmas advert. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Brands can get views organically by creating engaging content that people like, comment on, and share. Their agencies can also get views by leveraging paid video advertising to put that engaging content in front of the right audience. And in the world of online video, the target audiences are far more segmented than the ones reached by television. So, the media targeting process involves a lot more strategic choices than selecting which shows on ITV currently have the right reach and composition for your annual Christmas advert.

The Impact of Mobile on Video Marketing

In addition, mobile phones have created new ways for consumers to engage with brands, often blurring the physical and online worlds. For example, people might see your Christmas advert on TV and then go online to learn more. Or, they might watch a mobile video while they’re commuting on the London Underground (aka the Tube) that inspires them to shop when they’re back home on their laptops. Or, they might watch your annual Christmas advert online and then go into your department store to buy that Plum Space Zone II Trampoline Accessory Pack that was featured in Buster the Boxer. So, if there are some last-minute lessons worth learning from John Lewis, then one of them is this: Creating emotional content that’s even more engaging than last year’s memorable hit is hard.

So, kudos to John Lewis for creating yet another Christmas advert that’s more engaging than average. And more kudos to the company for adding “Discover Buster’s Garden in 360” this year. It enables viewers to look around and explore the 360 world of #BusterTheBoxer and his friends on their mobile, tablet or desktop devices.

Now, if viewers are watching on a mobile phone, they’ll need to have the YouTube app installed on their device to get the full 360 experience. Or, to explore Buster’s Garden in a Google Cardboard device, they can simply touch the cardboard icon, insert their phone, and view the world in 360. These requirements may explain why Buster’s Garden, which was also uploaded Nov. 10, 2016, only has a V3 of 71,100 and a V7 of 87,200 views. And it has an ER3 of 0.5x and an ER7 of 0.6x, which indicates that John Lewis is still trying to figure out the best practices for making an engaging 360-degree video.

It’s still early days for 360-degree video, so it’s critical to place clear instructions at every turn: in website copy, in the content itself, even in the voiceover. So, maybe the little girl called Bridget, who loves to bounce, could have guided viewers through the experience. A guided tour might have served to engage a higher percentage of viewers.

What Brands Need to Do After Uploading a Holiday Video

Another lesson worth learning from John Lewis is this: Even if it’s too late for other brands and their agencies to put a bigger ad budget behind promoting their Christmas videos this year, they still have plenty of time to review and revise their target audiences before the holidays are over. Now, I know their digital media plans have already been finalized. But, these plans are based on assumptions on which target audiences will be engaged by the content. And, to paraphrase an old military strategist, no plan survives contact with the customer.

So, what can brands and their agencies do 3 to 7 days after their new video has been launched? For YouTube, you have a number of options for improving your video advertising results without increasing your ad budget. For starters, everyone fixates on views, but you should double-check early and often to see which video ad format is getting better engagement rates: TrueView in-stream ads or TrueView video discovery ads, the format formerly known as TrueView in-display ads.

What happens when you target your video ads to specific topics on YouTube and the Google Display Network like Mass Merchants Department Stores? Or, are you getting above average engagement rates when you target affinity audiences like Shopaholics or in-market audiences like Consumer Electronics or Home Garden to reach people interested in certain topics, even when they may be visiting pages about other topics? You can also target unique channels, videos, apps, websites, or placements within websites. So, do you get superior engagement rates by using Google Preferred, which gives brands access to established creator channels in categories like Family and Parenting, or by using the Breakout Videos package, which lets brands advertise against the hottest and fastest-rising videos on YouTube? 

In addition, you can show personalized ads to millions of viewers across YouTube and video partner sites, based on their past interactions with your videos, TrueView ads, or YouTube channel. This is known as “video remarketing.” So, if someone has liked, commented on, or shared your Christmas advert, what new or existing campaign should you show then next?

Finally, you can improve your TrueView advertising results – without increasing your video ad budget – by using online video metrics that really matter for brand advertisers and their agencies. As I mentioned last month, Google’s Brand Lift solution gives you insights into how your ads are impacting brand awareness, ad recall, consideration, favorability, purchase intent, and brand interest, as measured by organic search activity on Google and YouTube. These metrics are available within days, enabling you to quickly optimize your campaigns mid-flight, based on these near real-time results.

For example, this year’s branding campaign not only boosted searches in the United Kingdom for John Lewis, Buster the Boxer, and John Lewis advert, it also triggered searches for John Lewis coats, John Lewis Chelmsford, John Lewis Leeds, John Lewis cashmere, John Lewis boots, John Lewis toys, John Lewis iPhone, John Lewis Hatchimals, and John Lewis Black Friday.  Don’t you think the retailer would want a heads-up about these unexpected findings as soon as possible?

And the wisdom of revising your plans after launching a campaign became more apparent in September 2016, when Google and YouTube launched new measurement products at Advertising Week, including:

• Brand Lift for TV. And based on early tests, YouTube campaigns generate almost 2 times more searches per impression than TV campaigns.
• Location extensions for display ads. Using Google Maps technology, you can now connect your online ads with visits to over 200 million stores globally with 99% accuracy.
• Cross-device remarketing. This enables retailers to reach a customer with a Christmas ad on their phone during the morning commute and follow up later in the day with a limited time offer when the same user is browsing on his or her tablet at home.

But wait, there’s more! You also have a number of options for improving your video advertising results on Facebook without increasing your ad budget.

What’s your marketing objective when you create a video ad on Facebook? Most brands and their agencies select “get video views,” which is one of 15 options. But, have you tested “increase brand awareness” or “get people to visit your stores”? Maybe the results will surprise you. When it comes to audience targeting options, you have the option to target people based on their location (countries, states, provinces, cities, congressional districts, zip or post codes). But, you can also target people based on what they do off of Facebook.

For example, you can include or exclude people from your target audience based on their connections to your Pages, apps or events. Or, you can create Custom Audiences to target people you already know. They can be created from information you provide to Facebook from customer files, or from information generated by the Facebook pixel, the Facebook SDK, and engagement on Facebook. You can even target Lookalike Audiences, which are a target audience you create from a « source. » It finds other people on Facebook who are the most similar to the people in the source. You should definitely double-check whether you’ve started to use Detailed Targeting, which is rolling out right now. You find targeting options such as demographics, interests, and behaviors.

And here is the key question to ask: Should our target audience be specific or broad? The right approach depends on what you’re trying to accomplish and your ad budget, of course. Targeting specifically means that you’re giving Facebook a relatively strict set of parameters to work within while finding the best people to show your ad to. These parameters may lead to a potential audience that’s smaller, but also more interested in what you’re advertising.

For example, the new John Lewis Oxford Street shop in London may want to target specifically. It could target people who are parents and also have easy access to the Oxford Circus station (via the Central, Victoria, and Bakerloo lines) or the Bond Street station (via the Central and Jubilee lines).

Targeting broadly means that you’re relying on Facebook to find potential customers you never would’ve known about otherwise. It’s a good approach if you’re not sure who you want to target or you’re running a large-scale brand awareness campaign.

For example, John Lewis may want to target its annual Christmas advert broadly – at least initially. However, the brand and its agency should then check Audience Insights or ads reporting to learn more about the types of people that Facebook found for them, discover how these people reacted to their ads, and decide whether or not to shift to targeting more specifically. Facebook also offers Brand Lift, formerly called brand polling, which enables advertisers to measure brand awareness and ad recall. However, Facebook Brand Lift is only available to advertisers running “eligible brand campaigns.” To find out if you are eligible, contact your account representative.

Earlier in this article, I said that John Lewis “may have” put a bigger ad budget behind promoting this year’s Christmas advert. Then again, the brand and its agency could have learned who they should target more specifically during last year’s campaign, which has enable them to get 2.5 times more bang for the same ad budget this year. I don’t know; it’s a mystery. So, let me close with this open invitation: If someone at John Lewis or adameveDDB, its London agency, would like to be interviewed about their latest Christmas advert, just let me know in the comments area below. I would love to do a follow-up story.

Did you know that 80% of consumer internet traffic will be video in 2019, according to Cisco? While that’s pretty astounding, it isn’t THAT shocking. You’ve likely already noticed that your Facebook feed has turned into a jam-packed binge-watching session. You likely send out a few snap videos a week to friends and family, and Facetime has become the main way you communicate with your nieces and nephews.

Aside from your social media habits and personal communication styles, you’ve also likely observed that more and more businesses are using video on their websites. Whether it be embedded in a blog post or as a homepage hero video, it’s clear that video content is becoming more and more critical for each and every industry to use in their marketing efforts.

Not only is video content processed by the brain much faster than written text, but video allows businesses to form a closer human connection with each potential customer; this ultimately leads to higher trust and more sales.

Does video make sense for your industry? The answer is always yes, but here are eight industries that MUST use video on their websites.

#1: SaaS

While SaaS (software as a service) isn’t the most glamorous industry, it is one that should absolutely be using video. In fact the unglamorous aspect makes video content even more critical to building a strong brand and emotional connection with website visitors.

Coming from a SaaS background, I can tell you first-hand how important video is to connect with your audience. When a prospect is visiting your site for the first time you often have one chance to make a memorable impression before that individual moves on to your competitor.

InfusionSoft does this by showing the human side of their business through their customer success stories, as well as through their culture page showing the people and the beliefs behind the company:

#2: Travel Hospitality

If pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are worth ten thousand more. In such a visual and service-oriented industry as travel, using video to showcase your beautiful business is a no-brainer.

While galleries and slideshows are nice, nothing quite brings the scene to life like video. Whether it be a resort in Mexico, a vineyard in the South of France, or even a motel in the middle of America, video content will help bring your location to life, encouraging website visitors to book with you over the hotel or service down the street.

I recently stumbled across River Ranch, a business that is gracefully using video across their entire website. Navigate to the various tabs and prepare to be enticed here!

#3: Healthcare

There is nothing more important than your health, right? This is why trust can be hard to win in the healthcare industry. Whether it be a large hospital searching for a healthcare software company to fulfill a need or a patient choosing a doctor or specialist in their new neighborhood, a huge amount of trust need to be gained to make these decisions.

Google has also found that out of 700 healthcare administrators surveyed, every customer reported watching videos to see product demonstrations. Even more impressive is that after watching, 79% continued on to the manufacturer’s website and 63% talked to others about the information.

Check out the great example below from the electronic health record (EHR) company hellohealth. They use video across their website to gain trust from their potential customers.

#4: Education

When it comes to big, important decisions, education probably falls just behind healthcare. The quality of education received can make a substantial impact on one’s future, so deciding which kindergarten to send your child to or which grad school to apply to as an adult is a heavy-weighted decision.

While video won’t likely be the only factor considered, it is a wonderful way to bring interested parties in the door as they’re searching through your website.

Visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s website to see how they use video across their pages to form an emotional connection with potential applicants.

#5: Agencies

If you are running an agency you’re all-too-familiar with the tedious sales processes involved in getting a contract signed. With a long sales cycle, and the constant pressure of knowing that similar conversations are occurring with your competitors, having a way to stand out is a necessity.

What could be better than giving prospects a first-hand look into your business? BluLeadz, an inbound marketing agency in Florida, is slaying the video game, and has been able to successfully close more high-value customers by using video throughout their sales process.

For example, when you visit their site one of the first videos you’ll find is their “About Us” video, introducing everyone in the company to show prospects that theirs is a large, hard-working team excited at the potential of working with your business.

You can also read about how they convert more high-value customers with video here.

#6: Law

Whether you’re going through a grueling divorce or you’re the victim of a hit and run, when life throws you a curveball you might find yourself searching for the right lawyer to win your case.

While the stakes vary between cases, lawyers are typically a large investment so gaining trust immediately is critical. This is why video is a necessity for lawyer marketing. The prospect needs to feel that human connection immediately, and there’s no better way to do that then to see a video of the lawyer and hearing success video testimonials from their previous cases.

The Law Office of Jeffrey B. Kelly has created an entire video section of their website with Lawyer Kelly himself in each video. Check it out here.

[ MORE: 6 Ways to Use Video to Increase Conversion Rates ]

#7: Finance

Money is a sensitive topic, and trusting others to handle your hard earned money isn’t easy. Like in the law industry above, with trust being so critical, a video marketing strategy becomes even more critical for folks in the financial industry.

“About Us” videos, culture/value videos, explainer videos, and video testimonials are just a few video types that financial marketers should be investing time and resources into. Check out this great example of a video testimonial on the City National Bank website.

This short one-minute video gives the viewers a sense of ease when hearing this business feels that City National has become a part of their family. This can only be clearly conveyed with such a powerful emotional connection by using video.

#8: E-commerce

As a constantly connected society with remarketing advertisements filling our Facebook feeds, more and more consumers have become reliant on e-commerce over in-store shopping. As a frequent online shopper myself, having a video representation of a product makes a significant difference on my likelihood to buy.

Why? Well, when looking at static image of a pair of pants or a piece of furniture it’s hard to get the full visual and realistic representation as to what the product will look like in person. For instance, I want know what the dress I’m about to buy looks like from every angle on a real moving human being.

One company that’s killing it using video in this way is ModCloth. They’re creating videos, like the example below, that show off their dresses and also provide the height and size of the model for further context.

While I believe that every industry should have a video marketing strategy, it’s especially critical for the eight listed above. Get out your video camera and start making more website videos to build trust and connect with your audience.

About the Author:

Margot is a Customer Success Coach at Wistia. She loves all things digital, and spends her free time running, traveling, and cooking. Follow her on:

Twitter: @ChappyMargot

Google+: +Margot da Cunha

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/margotdacunha

A tsunami warning and evacuation is in effect for the northeastern coast of Japan, following a 7.4 earthquake that hit the region early Tuesday morning, according to reports by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). You may watch live, streaming coverage with simultaneous English translation in the video above. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. As tsunami advisories and warnings continually change, it is best to check with the JMA for current updates, news, and latest information. Those in evacuation areas should not return home, even if a tsunami warning has been downgraded to an advisory. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is also monitoring the situation. A tsunami advisory indicates tidal wave between 0.2 and 1 meter in height. A tsunami warning means tidal waves will range between 1 and 3 meters.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a statement following the earthquake and subsequent evacuation orders.

“I have ordered government officials to provide the public with up-to-date and accurate information concerning tsunami evacuation.”

Abe vows utmost govt. effort after quake #nhk_world_news https://t.co/XIL1Fj2pZK

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) November 21, 2016

As people in Japan continue to watch advisories, they must remain on alert. The 7.3 earthquake could trigger additional earthquakes and aftershocks which could also increase the risk of tsunamis. Japanese residents should listen to radio, television or online news alerts to stay informed.

#Tsunami warning after earthquake strikes off #Fukushima in Japan – follow our live blog for updates https://t.co/LuCSP4ShLu pic.twitter.com/z5bl1FmymV

— ABC News (@abcnews) November 21, 2016

Social media networks have been abuzz with concern, anxiousness, and a sense of urgency as they gather to provide support for those who may need it. Some are using social media sites like Twitter to pray fo those in Japan.

My thoughts and prayers are with all in Japan. ????#PrayForJapan pic.twitter.com/9kFPrR048O

— Daniel Dovel (@danieldovel) November 22, 2016

Everyone along the eastern coast is urged to evacuate to higher ground and to not return until the all-clear warning has been given. The tsunami is expected to be at least three meters; however, second and third waves of higher heights are possible. YouTube users shared earthquake footage following the early morning quake. You may view live, Twitter updates from the earthquake and tsunami in the Twitter moments feed below.

A Twitter user shared a video of tsunami sirens sounding the alarm. You may see that video below.

警報が鳴りやまない。#小名浜 #地震 pic.twitter.com/HVWiV0InSW

— ☝️こぐを (@kogkog590) November 21, 2016

Earthquake hits Japan, tsunami warning issued

According to a 5:59 Japan Time, Nov. 22, 2016, tsunami update, tsunami warnings have been issued in the Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures. Tsunami advisories have been issued in the Izu Islands, Uchibo Area, Kujukuri and Sotobo Area, Pacific Coast of Aomori and Iwate Prefectures. Those in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures are told to evacuate the areas immediately. The Miyagi Prefecture was under at tsunami advisory but the declaration has been updated to a warning.

A 3-meter #tsunami warning has also just been added for Miyagi Pref., in addition to Fukushima. #JapanQuake pic.twitter.com/WwQtgB2MCf

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 21, 2016

With a Pacific tsunami warning, officials expect there will be damage, repeated tsunami waves and all coastal areas, rivers, and waterways are in extreme, immediate danger. A Pacific tsunami advisory indicates a threat to the immediate water. All people are urged to stay away from the water as there will be strong currents that can knock people down and make it impossible to withstand.

According to a report by NHK World News, two people received minor injuries during the earthquake. It is unclear at this point how many people were injured or what the aftermath from today’s earthquake and subsequent tsunamis will be.

Police say 2 people slightly injured in quake #nhk_world_news https://t.co/YgEurDpjJ2

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) November 22, 2016

Travel to and from the earthquake hit regions and areas under tsunami advisories have been halted. Flights in and out of cities have been canceled and roads are congested with evacuees. FlightTradar continues to provide live updates regarding flights and airport delays to Sendai Airpor.

Flights to Sendai Airport have been delayed or cancelled following a 7.4 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima. https://t.co/6DlfdBRk17 pic.twitter.com/JVguishM31

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) November 21, 2016

Of great concern has been the safety and status of the Fukushima nuclear power plant. According to reports by NHK World News, cooling systems at the Fukushima Daini plant have been restored and are functioning normally. At this point, the Tokyo Electric Power Company states the power plant has been working properly and they don’t believe the plant suffered any damage from the earthquake.

Cooling system restored at Daini plant #nhk_world_news https://t.co/2AfWh9h7hU

— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) November 22, 2016

[Featured Image by mTaira/Shutterstock]

Gordon Ramsay, the notoriously acid-tongued British chef and TV star and producer, will unveil his secrets to crafting world-class cuisine in a series of video lessons slated to launch next year.

Ramsay is offering the class through San Francisco-based startup MasterClass, whose celebrity-hosted online courses are each priced at $90. The Ramsay cooking class will comprise more than 20 lessons, with more than four hours of video total, slated to be available in early 2017.

In the course, Ramsay will cover topics including picking ingredients, knife skills and dish presentation, taking users through his own recipes for everything from lobster ravioli to beef Wellington. The chef, who owns 30-plus restaurants worldwide, is the producer and star of several TV shows airing in more than 200 territories including “MasterChef,” “MasterChef Junior” and “Hell’s Kitchen.”

“This isn’t theater,” Ramsay said in a statement. “I want to empower students to understand what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and how they can expand their knowledge and skills in the kitchen.”

Related

Gordon Ramsay Partners with All3Media to Launch Studio Ramsay

Ramsay’s MasterClass videos are directed by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (“An Inconvenient Truth,” “Waiting for Superman” and “He Named Me Malala”), with Adam Bricker (“Chef’s Table”) as the director of photography.

The cooking class will join the current MasterClass roster, which includes lessons from Aaron Sorkin on screenwriting, Werner Herzog on filmmaking, Dustin Hoffman and Kevin Spacey on acting, as well as Christina Aguilera (singing), Usher (performance), Serena Williams (tennis), James Patterson (writing), Reba McEntire (country music). Last week, the company announced a film-scoring class led by Hans Zimmer and an electronic-music production class with EDM producer deadmau5.

In the U.S., Ramsay’s TV series include Fox shows “Hotel Hell,” “MasterChef,” “MasterChef Junior” and “MasterChef Celebrity Showdown,” as well as Bravo’s “Best New Restaurant” and Food Network’s competition series “Food Court Wars.” In the U.K. he has produced “Gordon Ramsay Behind Bars” and “Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape” for Channel 4; food biography and nostalgia series “My Kitchen” for UKTV’s Good Food Channel; two instructional cooking series, “Ultimate Home Cooking” and “Ultimate Cookery Course” for Channel 4; and the first two seasons of “Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch” starring Tilly Ramsay for U.K. children’s channel CBBC, all under his One Potato Two Potato banner.

Earlier this year Ramsay teamed with All3Media to launch Studio Ramsay, which will develop and produce unscripted and scripted programs. The first production from the studio is “The F Word,” live-event cooking series based on his U.K. show slated to premiere on Fox in 2017.

MasterClass, which launched in May 2015, is backed by investors including New Enterprise Associates, WME Ventures, Michael Bloomberg’s Bloomberg Beta, Advancit Capital, Robert Downey Jr.’s Downey Ventures, Javelin Venture Partners, Harrison Metal Ventures and individual investors including Casper CEO Philip Krim.

Did you know that 80% of consumer internet traffic will be video in 2019, according to Cisco? While that’s pretty astounding, it isn’t THAT shocking. You’ve likely already noticed that your Facebook feed has turned into a jam-packed binge-watching session. You likely send out a few snap videos a week to friends and family, and Facetime has become the main way you communicate with your nieces and nephews.

Aside from your social media habits and personal communication styles, you’ve also likely observed that more and more businesses are using video on their websites. Whether it be embedded in a blog post or as a homepage hero video, it’s clear that video content is becoming more and more critical for each and every industry to use in their marketing efforts.

Not only is video content processed by the brain much faster than written text, but video allows businesses to form a closer human connection with each potential customer; this ultimately leads to higher trust and more sales.

Does video make sense for your industry? The answer is always yes, but here are eight industries that MUST use video on their websites.

#1: SaaS

While SaaS (software as a service) isn’t the most glamorous industry, it is one that should absolutely be using video. In fact the unglamorous aspect makes video content even more critical to building a strong brand and emotional connection with website visitors.

Coming from a SaaS background, I can tell you first-hand how important video is to connect with your audience. When a prospect is visiting your site for the first time you often have one chance to make a memorable impression before that individual moves on to your competitor.

InfusionSoft does this by showing the human side of their business through their customer success stories, as well as through their culture page showing the people and the beliefs behind the company:

#2: Travel Hospitality

If pictures are worth a thousand words, videos are worth ten thousand more. In such a visual and service-oriented industry as travel, using video to showcase your beautiful business is a no-brainer.

While galleries and slideshows are nice, nothing quite brings the scene to life like video. Whether it be a resort in Mexico, a vineyard in the South of France, or even a motel in the middle of America, video content will help bring your location to life, encouraging website visitors to book with you over the hotel or service down the street.

I recently stumbled across River Ranch, a business that is gracefully using video across their entire website. Navigate to the various tabs and prepare to be enticed here!

#3: Healthcare

There is nothing more important than your health, right? This is why trust can be hard to win in the healthcare industry. Whether it be a large hospital searching for a healthcare software company to fulfill a need or a patient choosing a doctor or specialist in their new neighborhood, a huge amount of trust need to be gained to make these decisions.

Google has also found that out of 700 healthcare administrators surveyed, every customer reported watching videos to see product demonstrations. Even more impressive is that after watching, 79% continued on to the manufacturer’s website and 63% talked to others about the information.

Check out the great example below from the electronic health record (EHR) company hellohealth. They use video across their website to gain trust from their potential customers.

#4: Education

When it comes to big, important decisions, education probably falls just behind healthcare. The quality of education received can make a substantial impact on one’s future, so deciding which kindergarten to send your child to or which grad school to apply to as an adult is a heavy-weighted decision.

While video won’t likely be the only factor considered, it is a wonderful way to bring interested parties in the door as they’re searching through your website.

Visit the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s website to see how they use video across their pages to form an emotional connection with potential applicants.

#5: Agencies

If you are running an agency you’re all-too-familiar with the tedious sales processes involved in getting a contract signed. With a long sales cycle, and the constant pressure of knowing that similar conversations are occurring with your competitors, having a way to stand out is a necessity.

What could be better than giving prospects a first-hand look into your business? BluLeadz, an inbound marketing agency in Florida, is slaying the video game, and has been able to successfully close more high-value customers by using video throughout their sales process.

For example, when you visit their site one of the first videos you’ll find is their “About Us” video, introducing everyone in the company to show prospects that theirs is a large, hard-working team excited at the potential of working with your business.

You can also read about how they convert more high-value customers with video here.

#6: Law

Whether you’re going through a grueling divorce or you’re the victim of a hit and run, when life throws you a curveball you might find yourself searching for the right lawyer to win your case.

While the stakes vary between cases, lawyers are typically a large investment so gaining trust immediately is critical. This is why video is a necessity for lawyer marketing. The prospect needs to feel that human connection immediately, and there’s no better way to do that then to see a video of the lawyer and hearing success video testimonials from their previous cases.

The Law Office of Jeffrey B. Kelly has created an entire video section of their website with Lawyer Kelly himself in each video. Check it out here.

[ MORE: 6 Ways to Use Video to Increase Conversion Rates ]

#7: Finance

Money is a sensitive topic, and trusting others to handle your hard earned money isn’t easy. Like in the law industry above, with trust being so critical, a video marketing strategy becomes even more critical for folks in the financial industry.

“About Us” videos, culture/value videos, explainer videos, and video testimonials are just a few video types that financial marketers should be investing time and resources into. Check out this great example of a video testimonial on the City National Bank website.

This short one-minute video gives the viewers a sense of ease when hearing this business feels that City National has become a part of their family. This can only be clearly conveyed with such a powerful emotional connection by using video.

#8: E-commerce

As a constantly connected society with remarketing advertisements filling our Facebook feeds, more and more consumers have become reliant on e-commerce over in-store shopping. As a frequent online shopper myself, having a video representation of a product makes a significant difference on my likelihood to buy.

Why? Well, when looking at static image of a pair of pants or a piece of furniture it’s hard to get the full visual and realistic representation as to what the product will look like in person. For instance, I want know what the dress I’m about to buy looks like from every angle on a real moving human being.

One company that’s killing it using video in this way is ModCloth. They’re creating videos, like the example below, that show off their dresses and also provide the height and size of the model for further context.

While I believe that every industry should have a video marketing strategy, it’s especially critical for the eight listed above. Get out your video camera and start making more website videos to build trust and connect with your audience.

About the Author:

Margot is a Customer Success Coach at Wistia. She loves all things digital, and spends her free time running, traveling, and cooking. Follow her on:

Twitter: @ChappyMargot

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