It’s crowded out there. People have the attention span of a goldfish these days. It’s too hard to stand out. Why bother, no one will watch it.
These are just a few things we hear from people who are a little skeptical about video working for them, especially given the high quality, and sheer volume, of video content out there.
But, what we know is….video cuts through.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that during the pandemic more people than ever were on social media watching videos. In fact, 68% of consumers say the pandemic impacted the amount of video content they watched online, with 96% saying this has increased. And, since 2015, the trend of marketers who use video has been rising, and so has the sentiment that it gives them positive return on investment—a significant rise from 33% in 2015 to 87% in 2021.
Being a video believer, this is a delight to me, but let’s dig into why video works on an emotional level, and while it is crowded out there, how video can speak to your customers in ways words and pictures can’t.
Video fills your senses
A photograph can be truly evocative, I can think of hundreds of images that have captured a moment in time and elicited a deep, strong emotional response from me. Like the one I’ve used in this blog, an image I took while trekking through Nepal 15 years ago. But, when you look at a picture, you only use the sense of sight. When you watch a video, you use not only your sight but your hearing too. I’m not really a big believer in the saying ‘two is better than one’, but when it comes to video, you can fit more into your story and evoke a stronger feeling because you are fulfilling two of your audience’s senses.
People love stories
If you can remember the first time you saw a movie in the cinema then you can remember being engrossed in the movement, sound and magic of the story. Since the days of the first motion picture, people have been enraptured and seduced by the visual art of storytelling. We simply love stories – have a look at these young stroke survivor stories from The Stroke Foundation.
Video mirrors our memories
What people love about visual storytelling and what makes a successful video are questions I spend a lot of time thinking about. The answer, I believe, is emotion. People love seeing things they know, places they’ve been, and empathising with feelings they’ve felt. A 10 second video can capture all three at once and emotionally pull someone toward a brand in a way that no other form of marketing can.
Video is for all
With closed captions, video as a form of marketing can cross cultural divides and physical barriers. Whether Deaf or hard of hearing, or if you are unable to speak Mandarin for example, subtitles ensure that your video reaches further. With your mobile phone, you have access to Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, the latter two being the most popular platforms among video marketers.
If you think it’s time to try video to speak to your customers, to recruit the best talent for your team, raise business awareness, showcase a new product or service, or promote an important cause, talk to us. We would love to tell your story.