• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, September 17, 2015

Brands that use video for marketing are growing their revenue 49% faster than brands that aren’t. Specifically, companies that relied on video in at least one marketing channel saw revenue growth of 13.3% compared to 8.9% for non-video marketers, according to a new report from market research firm Aberdeen Group. The study surveyed 168 companies on their use of video.

Bear in mind the corollary to this finding: Companies that produce videos are likely spending more marketing dollars to create those videos. Still, the overall results seem to suggest the investment pays off in several marketing metrics.

Campaigns with videos can boost metrics that are vital to marketers, such as 34% higher web site conversion rates over those that don’t use video, and a 27% rise in email click-through rates

The primary use of video in a marketing campaign is to drive lead generation, a goal cited by 85% of marketers, with 80% noting brand awareness, and 79% saying thought leadership. Other goals were sales and customer retention. Many marketers who use video lean on more refined tactics to analyze results. Video marketers are nearly three times as likely to be able to track lead sources down to specific pieces of content customers interacted with, Aberdeen said.

Search engines are a critical marketing channel for videos, which often have high returns in searches, Aberdeen said. As such, brands that use video often have more detailed SEO strategies.