With the advent of the Internet and more specifically video networking websites such as YouTube.com, e-commerce videos have become a popular and viable marketing tool for businesses of all sizes. Not sure if video commerce is a good fit for your company? Here is everything you need to know about this emerging industry.

What is Video Commerce?
Simply put, video commerce refers to the use of online videos to market brands and companies in order to make money. Video commerce has become increasingly popular as small businesses and large corporations alike harness the power of the web and social media. Generally, video commerce clips are around 2 -5 minutes long and summarize what the product is and why customers need it. The video should hi-lite all the top features of the product and leave potential customers wanting more.

What are the Advantages of Video Commerce?
Videos are undoubtedly one of the best ways to familiarize prospective customers with a product or service. They can see first-hand what you are offering, how it works or can be used, and learn more about its benefits than they would in a standard 30-second commercial. In addition, online video commerce is the perfect forum for companies to break their corporate mold and appeal to a wider range of customers with atypical, humorous, informal, or untraditional videos.

Where Should such Videos be Used?
Videos created by companies can be utilized in a myriad of ways. By adding them to all the social networking websites such as Facebook, the aforementioned YouTube, on your company blog, or other appropriate online forums, you have a greater chance of increasing web traffic, as well as boosting the customer conversion rate.

How Can Ecommerce Videos be Used for SEO?
When posting videos, using relevant keywords and meta tags can help the video rank for your chosen keywords and subsequently boost traffic to your website. You can also allow viewers to share through social networks or embed the video on their own blog, furthering the number of viewers. It’s also a good idea to include the URL of your website in certain parts of the video so users have a place they can go after they are done watching.