What was the last online video that you liked, shared or commented on?

This is the year of Video Marketing. By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer Internet traffic, according to Cisco. Video is the ideal way to share the rallying cry of how your dealership developed, as well as how it is touching your community. Whether you’re sharing your company’s origin, values, purpose or mission, video immerses your audience into your unique story. Video offers an engaging experience more than any other media can match.

As dealerships look for innovative ways to reach customers, videos stand out on social media, giving customers a quick overview without inundating them with a lot of text. In less than twenty seconds, a customer can get absorbed in a visually appealing and engaging video. In this age of incessant technological distractions, it seems as if our attention spans are diminishing…every second counts!

We’ve all heard stories of viral videos creating overnight sensations. While your video may not garner 141 million views like Candace Payne’s Live Video of her Chewbacca mask, it does demonstrate video’s inherent shareability. Capture viewers and they will stay longer on your website and more time interacting with your brand. A recent study by Percolate, an influential social and content marketing software company, listed video as one of the top marketing trends to watch in 2016.

It’s never been easier to create engaging videos with little to no cost. Additionally, Facebook entered into the world of live streaming this year, making it possible for all of the site’s users to broadcast videos of almost anything to a huge audience. Nielsen, the leader in tracking viewer habits, projects that 64% of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies in the near future.

Combine your dealership’s video campaign with Facebook before your competition does.

In addition to YouTube, here’s why you should be uploading your videos directly into Facebook, according to Craig Smith of Digital Marketing Resources (DMR), Stats & Gadgets, as of May 23, 2106:

• Facebook users check in at least 13 times a day
• 50% of all Americans will be on Facebook once a month
• Facebook users are on at least 30 minutes a day
• 27% of those users admit to checking in while driving
• 30% of all Facebook users have a Bachelor’s Degree
• 8% of total digital time used during the day is spent on Facebook
• 33% of users hit a Facebook blog post in 2014
• 26% of those who read a blog post on Facebook shared it with someone else

Facebook’s massive global reach will help bring your videos to a bigger audience more than ever. Facebook itself offers numerous tips for making the most of their new video feature (and getting the most viewers). Facebook suggests that you inform people when you’re going to start broadcasting with updates in your timeline. For example, “Join our ‘Live Broadcast’ this weekend as we unveil our new 2017 models.”

The aim of an effective and consistent video campaign is to grow the number of followers and garner more customers.  When your audience selects the ‘Follow’ button under your streams, they’ll get a notification next time you go live, building up your views and engagement with each, consecutive video.

Video is only going to get bigger. In January 2016, videos hit an all-time high of three billion views on Facebook.

Try creating a dealership video yourself. Select the ‘New Status’ button at the top of the iOS or Android Facebook app, hit the live broadcast button (it looks like a face with WiFi emitting from it), write a short description, and tap ‘Go Live’!  This live stream will appear on the newsfeeds of all your friends and clients who can then watch and comment as you live broadcast. Emphasizing the fact how your live broadcast can make your dealership more relevant.

Have your company’s marketing gurus create a fun and engaging video campaign for your dealership for less cost than a Starbucks café latte!  Video marketing can help you improve your brand recognition, customer retention and your overall relevance; not only in your market, but also in the World Wide Web. Don’t stick your toe in the water, jump on in!

Join the Motormouth Podcast Crew for 50 minutes of a hands-on, fun and insightful conference on how to create an engaging, weekly Video Podcast to promote your dealership. “Lights, camera, action; Your Video Podcast is on!” is for any dealership that is interested in embracing the power of using promotional videos. This isn’t your father’s flip chart, marketing seminar! John Luciano is the VP and Managing Partner of Street Volkswagen in Amarillo, Texas, and Flo Lopez is Marketing Director of the Street Auto Group.