TV ads have always been an effective way to build trust online, but new findings show why digital video is the wave of the future.

Two trends are poised to have a significant impact on the way brands reach new customers: People are watching more video every month and they are cancelling their cable subscriptions. Compelled by on-demand streaming services that provide anytime access to programs, Americans are cutting the TV cord and watching more video on mobile devices. A new study offers compelling evidence for how video marketing campaigns can give brands a way to reach audiences and build trust in a landscape without traditional ads.

According to the latest Nielsen data, consumers spend about 159 hours watching video every month and dedicate at least a portion of that time to streaming clips. Findings suggest that TV ads will continue to be marketers’ focus because this format is what customers trust most.

However, Nielsen predicts a convergence is on the horizon, and while there is a clear delineation between TV video and web video at present, the lines will soon blur. They already have in certain instances. The 2014 Video Marketing and Advertising: Trends and Tactics Report from Regalix revealed that 71 percent of companies already see their video content as an effective way to build trust with their target audiences.

Data points to a convergence between TV ads and video marketing.

Considering the nature of web marketing and traditional advertising, it seems logical that brands creating digital video are positioned to earn viewers’ trust. Sure, there are online video ads, but there is also a growing archive of organic brand content that allows marketers to educate audiences with valuable information.

Online video shouldn’t always have a hard sell or even a promotional angle. It should offer answers to questions and provide target audiences with insights that will eventually help them make more-informed purchasing decisions. And when the time comes to buy, those consumers will remember which company gave them answers and would probably make good business partners.

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.