Video marketing just got real with user intent

Yep, its official now in ways we could never have imagined, mobile has obliterated desktop search, and although we saw that coming we could not have prepared for the new video trend that is set to shake the very ground on which written content depends.

This is by no means meant to jilt you, this is meant to scare you, force your mind to a dark place, If you realise like most publishers here in the southern African tip, you don’t have video content, nor do you know how to create it or monetize it let alone optimise it or market it….

Let’s be fair and take into consideration we have more cell phones than we have people in SA (59,474,500 vs 50,586,757), and knowing that mobile search outranks desktop, even Ad inventory is suffering!

What the 4,5 and 6 is a Video MICRO MOMENT… It’s a moment that happens in a … well, micro moment, there are many kinds of micro moments, they pop up in weird situations, but for relevance and in the light of giving you value and not confusion, we will look at the most important 4 for consideration when planning your video strategy, and the USER INTENT behind it. Understanding this could only benefit.

Micro Moments you can bank your strategy on:

1. The ‘I-want-to-watch-what-I-am-into’ MOMENTS

Fifty-three percent of online video viewers watch to be entertained or inspired

• User Intent – Feeding passion or interests
• Your responsibility – KYA : Know Your Audience not their demographics

2. The ‘I-want-to-know’ MOMENTS

Seventy percent of Millennials WILL find a YouTube video on ANYTHING they want to learn

• User Intent – Learning, researching, and exploring
• Your responsibility – KYA : Know Your Audience not their demographics

3. The ‘I-want-to-do’ MOMENTS – Seeking instruction and how to’s

“How to” searches on Youtube are UP 70% year on year!

• User Intent – Seeking instruction and how to’s
• Your responsibility – KYA : Know Your Audience not their demographics

4. The ‘I-want-to-buy’ MOMENTS — deciding what and how and where to buy

Best place to learn about products or services that interest 18-34yr olds.

• User Intent – deciding what and how and where to buy
• Your responsibility – KYA : Know Your Audience not their demographics

If you want to have a meaningful role in your audience’s online consumption, you best figure out who they are, when they come, what their journey is etc… ‘

As I own a Beauty property, and nurture my social platforms, I know that YouTube experienced an unlikely trend, that trend was BEAUTY content, that grew by a whopping 50% between 2014 and 2015. How TO search went up 70% YOY. Knowing that, I grew my social audience without even trying hard. Winning ratio 60% Video, 40% “How To’s”, 10% written content.

Key note: If you have all these tools available to you, BE there when your audience is looking for “instant gratification” and build long-term satisfaction in the process. You need to rank in organic search first, then you need to add some paid search, use intent and context when creating video content, align your advertising natively and you have the winning formula.

The splintered users purchasing journey is now scattered in to copious micro moments, infinite supply of choices and messages, so brands best be there if they want to compete in the video revolution, or your competitor will be.

This is how video killed the user identity and gave power to user intent with micro moments, but fear not for herewith is Micro-Moments: Your Guide to Winning the Shift to Mobile.