Why You Should Use Video

There’s no doubt -- we live in a digital age. We live in a world dominated by the social spheres of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and more. Businesses all over the world now use these social media programs to advertise themselves and reach a wider audience.

For instance, YouTube reports that it receives over 1 billion unique visitors every month, and 4 billion views every day. Furthermore, Google, the most popular search engine globally, owns YouTube, which is the most popular video streaming site in the world and the second most popular search engine.

Check out the video below, which was put together by the EVP team. Pay attention to the way images are used throughout the video to better portray what the narrator is speaking about. It'll help illustrate the points I make further along.

Why the popularity of video media? It’s simple, really. Video can work for you in ways that other media cannot. Video can grab attention quickly, and it’s engaging if done right. It's not difficult to see how even simple animations that pop can connect to your audience much easier than a wall of text. It's not intimidating, it's not as time-consuming, and it's exciting.

A well done video also increases your perceived credibility to your consumers. It can make you appear to have more authority in your particular market: video on your site says “I mean business.” More than that though, it creates a particular bond with your audience. By seeing your facial expressions or hearing the nuances in your speech, viewers are able to recognize emotion easier, which gets your message across faster and cultivates a very human connection. This builds trust. By integrating your video into social media (Facebook, YouTube, et cetera), you also allow for feedback on how you can improve. 

A web page is a lot more likely to show up on the first page of a Google search if it has a video on it. Emails that contain the word “video” are more likely to be opened. It's also very cost-effective since, it is compartmentalized -- it stays online indeterminately and can be embedded across websites easily.

Still not convinced? It’s no accident that social media giant Twitter created their own video app, Vine. The same can be said for photo-sharing app Instagram deciding to incorporate video as well. Video makes your website or profile “sticky,” meaning that it grabs people and retains their attention longer than a picture or text. Studies have shown that people really only register about 20% of text on a webpage, while merely skimming the rest.

Data shows that readers fail to stay focused -- they have limited attention spans. Many of them don’t even scroll through content. In fact, if you've made it this far, you should be proud. The goal is to prevent that “back” button from being used within the first few seconds. On the flip side, most viewers find it easier to concentrate on visual content such as video or pictures. People who are purchasing a product are much more likely to buy in after they view a video.

According to Forbes, just over 90% of marketing respondents use video content. If you’re not already, then you’re behind the competition. When coupled well with social media, you can direct massive amounts of traffic to your website, which bodes well for you and your business.

To summarize, this is why you should use video: it’s accessible and eye-catching; search engines give it priority; it’s human, professional, and cost-effective. 

Evan J. Backer
Social Media Intern
http://www.evideoproductions.net
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