Video is the future of marketing, says Saam Ali, and it’s high time you put your business in the frame

As the world of digital marketing evolves, we continue to see an ever increasing rise in the use of video. It’s a new way of engaging an audience and the statistics say it all. Below are just a few of those that will help you understand how important video is in today’s virtual landscape.

● More than 500m hours of video is watched on YouTube every single day;
● 33% of all online activity is spent watching a video;
● 50% of video content is viewed on a mobile; Social videos are seen to produce 1200% more shares than posts containing an image and text;
● Marketeers who use video in their strategy see on average a 49% faster growth revenue than those who don’t.

Simply put, businesses who use video in their marketing strategy will see an increase in engagement, brand awareness and ROI. Therefore, if you’re an independent pharmacist who is also using digital as a means of marketing, videos will no doubt be highly beneficial. However, upon my research into the hundreds of independent profiles online, including the larger small-chain businesses, the use of video remains elusive.

Although we live with a high-definition camera in our pockets 24 hours a day, we’ve always stuck to the traditional ways of marketing.

Embrace video
There is one independent I did find that has embraced video to an extent and has had some extraordinary results. Greenwoods Pharmacy in Wood Green, London, hired a professional videographer to create a 2-minute, highly personalised documentary about their pharmacy to place on their new website. They cleverly used this video to create a mini-competition on Facebook and it went completely viral with a over 400 shares and 127,000 views. They reported an increase in footfall and sales because of this. You can see for yourself at www.greenwoodspharmacy.co.uk.

But you don’t need to hire a videographer to create a powerful marketing video. As long as you get your message out you can produce really great content simply with your smartphone. Have a look at a video created by the owner of an opticians down in Runcorn of the UK (https://www.facebook.com/ morganopticians/). He’s promoting his services through a simple one-minute video and it’s generated over 2,000 views and multiple shares in only 3 weeks. No money has been spent on this promotional video but it has done a great job in raising brand awareness in the local area.

And with Facebook releasing it’s livestreaming functionality, businesses and personal brands are really capitalising. As an example, Benefit Cosmetics UK has tripled its audience since it began running live videos of make-up tutorials and question and answer sessions. Could you do a live video once a week giving a tutorials on how to use various forms of medicine, for example, an inhaler, or answering questions from your audience?

Take the plunge!
Video is the future of marketing. It’s the form of digital content that creates the most engagement and is now propelling businesses more than ever before. I can see social videos really helping independents spread the word about the pharmacy services they offer and to stay connected with their customers and patients locally. Really, it’s all about plucking up the courage to create a video in the first place. It’s hard – I get it. It’s something completely beyond most of our comfort zones. However, how are we to grow and compete if we don’t market in new ways? Employing videos in your business strategy can certainly help you stand out against the rest, capture attention and cement your status as the primary care professional in your community.