If the idea of incorporating video content into your marketing efforts seems like a monumental, overwhelming task, you’re not alone. But the fact is that you need to do it. Put simply, video is unsurpassed in its abilities to generate leads and drives sales. Check out the top 10 laws of business video for additional motivation.

1. Those who watch video buy after viewing. The primary goal of marketing is to convert sales, and video achieves this more effectively than other content types. Visitors to your website are 64% more likely to make a purchase after watching a video, and tend to stick around for an average of two minutes longer.

2. Video is more expressive. This type of content taps into our emotions, establishing a more personal connection as compared to text. Whether it’s excitement, happiness, anger, sadness or other feelings, video is better at expressing a mood.

3. Video helps boost your brand. Your brand is comprised of the consistent messages that your target audience identifies your company with, including logo, visuals, and reputation. Video delivers these elements to viewers and tells your story, thereby earning the trust of your prospects.

4. Movement and voice maintain attention. It’s in our nature as humans to stay engaged by phenomena that capture our attention through sight and sound. Videos appeal to both senses, encouraging us to continue watching.

5. Your target audience prefers video to other content formats. When presented with both types of content, 80% of internet users will watch a video through to completion while only 20% will read an entire article.

6. Video plays wingman for other content marketing assets. You’re likely employing a variety of tactics for online marketing, and video is excellent when you want to drive traffic to them. Show some love by adding to your video a link to your social media profile, your blog or the landing page for a whitepaper.

7. Retention rate for video material is higher than text. The percentage of viewers who remember the content presented in a video up to 30 days later is staggering: 80%. The best part is that over half of them take some action, including conducting additional searches on the topic or visiting a company website.

8. Video is more engaging. Viewers are more likely to consume the entire message and follow through on the call to action after watching a video, as compared to reading through text.

9. You can demonstrate more complicated processes and products through video. Visual aids are critical when trying to show what a product does or how it solves a problem. Video is imagery in motion, helping you demonstrate concepts that text just cannot express.

10. Video encourages sharing among viewers. As proof, more than 700 YouTube videos are tweeted on Twitter every minute. If they like your content, your audience will want to let their network know.

These Top 10 laws of business video should convince you that this type of content is a proven winner in the online marketing world. The old excuses of “it’s too expensive” and “it’s too complicated” don’t hold water when companies of all sizes are finding enormous success with video as part of their marketing strategy. Whether you decide to handle the process in-house or retain professionals to produce your content, the investment will pay off.