Videos are taking over. From brand awareness and product advertising to website traffic and social media engagement, they’re everybody’s tool of choice. But why?
Well, countless studies have solidified the fact that people are simply more likely to remember (and understand) information that’s presented visually rather than through text. As it turns out, 50% of our brains are involved in processing visual information and 70% of our sensory receptors are in our eyes. To put it simply, we’re basically hardwired to love visuals!
However, you may be wondering, “Don’t images fall under the visual content category, too? Why aren’t they as effective as videos?” Yes, images and videos both convey messages visually. But unlike their motionless counterparts, modern-day motion pictures have a few tricks up their sleeve—five, to be exact (at least in this article).
Read on to know exactly why videos are, and will probably remain, at the top of the virtual food chain!
Videos Grab Attention (and Retain It)
When you scroll through your Facebook feed, two types of content have a better chance of catching your attention: images and videos. However, since static images don’t exactly offer anything beyond what you see, there’s usually nothing more to do but move on to another post.
On the contrary, videos keep viewers engaged through the combination of storytelling and sensory stimulation (sight, sound, facial expressions). When done right, videos can even be used to convey long-form messages that, if presented through text, would easily cause people to click out.
That’s why most of us have no problem seeing a good movie through the ending, but can’t say the same with books and articles!
Videos Have It All
Unlike other forms of content, videos can combine audio, visual, and text, giving it the ability to engage viewers like nothing else. It can consist of multiple video clips, images, and infographics, as well as music, voiceovers, and written messages—it’s completely up to you!
The versatility of videos allows creators to develop the kind of atmosphere that would appeal to their target demographic. From a laidback, sit-and-have-coffee-with-me kind of (virtual) conversation to a full-on lights-camera-action short film, videos can cater to all types of viewers.
Videos Appeal to the Emotions
If there’s one thing that connects one human being to another, it’s emotion. We’re all born with feelings and out of all the types of content, videos are the most effective at hitting us right in the feels. However, what does emotion have to do with keeping viewers engaged?
According to an experiment conducted by Paul Zak, videos have a way of appealing to the viewer’s own emotions, engaging them in a way in which other forms of content normally can’t.
By triggering the release of the hormones cortisol, which makes people feel a sense of distress and urgency; and oxytocin, which promotes emotional bonds, videos are capable of making people listen to, and actually care about, the message within the content. That’s why they’re excellent at moving people to act and get involved.
Videos Are Brief and Concise
If you wanted to learn how to fix your broken car door handle, which one would you prefer: a 1000-word article where you need to read through and visualize each step or a 2-minute video that verbally and visually instructs you how to do exactly what needs to be done? Probably the latter, right?
While there are still people that would choose text form content, most would simply want to click on a quick how-to video, especially those with busy schedules. We live in a fast-paced world and many of us barely even have time to eat breakfast before heading out the door, let alone spend a good 2 to 4 minutes reading through a blog post. (So we wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve already clicked out of this blog, but if you’re still here, kudos to you! We appreciate you still being here!)
One of the best things about videos is that they allow you to condense raw footage, images, narration, and text into one engaging, straight-to-the-point online content that would help a lot of people digest the information they need in a shorter amount of time.
Videos Get Personal
When it comes to increasing online engagement, building a personal connection with your audience is very important. Not only does it help you attract more viewers but it also makes sure that you keep them.
And while photographs and blogs can help in that aspect as well, videos simply take the cake. Why? Because videos are the only form of content that can replicate “face-to-face” communication.
What makes this an advantage is that humans are designed to read facial expressions and non-verbal cues. That’s why we naturally make eye contact when we engage in conversation and find it easier to trust a person that does so.
Videos give you the ability to engage your viewers in an almost in-person conversation and deliver your message the way you would to a close friend. This adds value to your content and allows people on the other side of the screen to get to know you on a personal level, making them want to see more of you.
So whether you want to inform, educate, advertise, raise awareness, increase engagement, or simply build a connection with your viewers, videos are the way to go!
