Viral videos have changed the face of marketing in the digital age. Though chasing viral view counts should not be your focus when advertising your product or service, video marketing can take your marketing strategy to the next level and beyond.

So why are videos such a great resource for viewers and businesses. Put simply, they are an easily digestible format that allows for quite a lot of information to be portrayed in a very little amount of time. Billions of videos are constantly being viewed on YouTube and other video streaming sites daily, and video watchers are only continuing their viewership. Editing, on-screen text, voice-overs, and still images can all be used not only to quickly describe your product or services, but also make them look appealing to your audience, all while keeping your audience engaged in the information they are receiving. And, given the era of social media and mobile streaming, all of these aspects are right in the palm of the viewers hand at all times.

There are several strategies to better utilize video for online digital marketing. Some of the best practices to create and share videos will share your core message, remain competitive in your market, and expose that information to a broader audience than you could have previously reached with other methods. Here are three practices to utilize video in the age of digital marketing.

1.Grab Viewers in the First 10 Seconds

The first ten seconds of your video are the most important. In the age of mobile devices, media is always in your viewer’s peripheral vision and advertisements are constantly being hurled at them. This constant blitz of content has disincentivized viewers from having long attention spans. A number of potential viewers will pause or exit the video within the first ten seconds, if the video doesn’t capture their attention in some way. Use those first ten seconds to catch your viewers’ attention and hold it there. Dry or humorless videos are easy to forget, so make the best of your sense of humor and try to entertain your viewer before you try to sell them anything. Ask questions that engage the viewer’s sense of curiosity or impart a teaser to give your viewer something to look forward to. Find the best method for your style of video and marketing through trial and error and you’ll find yourself in a good place with increased viewership with longer watch times.

2. Inform and Educate Your Viewers

A primary function of video marketing is to educate the public about your company and what you can provide for your viewer. For visual learners, videos provide an effective and digestible form of learning. With the wide reach of videos, pitches have become a less valuable form of marketing because of the saturation in all markets. By presenting your audience with an informative or educational video that teaches them a skill while also validating your products or services. For instance, gardening supply companies may find a good strategy in making videos about propagating succulents, creative ways to sprout and raise house plants, and tips and tricks for growing difficult garden vegetables. While these videos will ultimately advertise the services and products offered by the garden supply company, they reach to the specific market by answering a question the viewer was searching for, and they educate the viewer about gardening techniques and the supplies they can purchase from the company. Further, videos of this sort also lend credibility to the business and make viewers feel that the company is trustworthy because they learned something truthful and valuable from the videos.

3. Incorporate Live Videos into Your Video Scheduling

Live videos are not often utilized by many growing companies, but they can be an effective tool for keeping the business in touch with the consumers. In the same way that people are interested in viewing Instagram stories and Facebook Live videos, customers and social media followers are interested in seeing live and engaging content from businesses they support, especially if those business have a strong and engaging online presence. These live videos allow small business owners to be up close and person with their core consumer base and answer any questions that customers may be curious about. Viewers value the face-to-face interaction that they lose by supporting online businesses. By communicating regularly with your core consumer base, business can inspire trust and a sense of community among its customers and employees.

Video is one of the most popular forms of content consumption and is only expected to grow in viewership and marketing over the coming years. Many viewers crave the personal nature of videos in the impersonal realm of online marketing, and if you utilize that desire to connect and feel personable, you will have a great strategy for online marketing.