Digital marketing is a diverse field covering everything from Google Adwords to social media engagement to Facebook pay-per-click. Online video can play a vital role in your wider digital marketing strategy by providing an extra point of contact with your customers and clients.

Video can encompass many different things from straight-forward, TV-style 30-second ad spots to fully-fictional worlds that highlight your brand ideals as opposed to a specific product. From viral ads to instructional videos, choosing the right video for your company and brand is crucial to its eventual success.

In addition to the benefits of having video on your website, having any kind of presence on YouTube can be a major boost for your brand. YouTube is now the second biggest search engine on the planet, after its parent company Google. That means more people search on YouTube than on Yahoo, Ask or anything else. Web video puts your brand front-and-centre and offers an extra layer of search engine optimisation, with great-quality content for people to discover, too.

Interesting, thought provoking or controversial video also offers a great opportunity to create an interaction with your fans on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+. By posting a video and inviting comments, you’re creating a valuable opportunity for interaction with the people who matter most to your business: the people who will buy from you.

Video doesn’t have to be a standalone strategy for increasing brand – or product – awareness. As part of a sophisticated, focused digital marketing strategy, film and video can have an impact across all areas of your brand.