I was sharing movie recommendations with a friend recently when he recounted a conversation with his teenage son about screen viewing habits. My friend and his wife had just started watching a movie one evening when their son walked through the living room. They invited him to sit with them and watch the movie, but he said he had already seen it.

“When? And, with whom?” my friend asked.

“On my phone,” his son replied.

Video, whether it’s a full-length movie, a first-person Instagram confessional or a 30-second cooking tutorial, has become the default method of communication in our world. And more people are watching video on their phones, laptops or tablets than on a traditional television screen.

Here are three reasons brands should invest in video to tell their story and connect with consumers.

1. Online video consumption is predicted to remain on an upward trajectory. According to a recent report by Zenith, online video consumption worldwide is estimated to increase by 9 minutes per day over the next two years with the average person watching 84 minutes of online video daily in 2020. Viewing videos saves time and provides more complete information, especially for viewers using video to make purchase decisions.
2. Video boosts organic search results. Since more people are watching videos, search engines tend to favor them. And people spend more time with video content, so it helps increase dwell time and reduce bounce rates. But this only works if the content is helpful, educational and entertaining. Give them boring and visitors will bounce anyway.
3. Video performs great across devices. With no need for mobile optimization, video works well on mobile devices, tablets and laptops without any extra work on your part. A home DIYer can pull up a product demo video of the electric sander she needs while she’s at the hardware store. A music aficionado can do a late-night deep dive into the finer points of noise-canceling headphones while sitting on a couch with his laptop. It’s as close to a firsthand experience with a product that a consumer can get, so it’s not surprising that 64 percent of consumers are more likely to purchase the product online after viewing a video about it.

A well-crafted video can tug on emotions, educate on a product’s finer points and bring a product to life — reaching your customer when and where they are in their purchase journey.