Video is everywhere.
YouTube still reigns supreme, but now you have Facebook videos (including Facebook Live), videos you can embed into a Tweet, and Instagram videos.
Video is eye catching— literally. It grabs your attention in a way that plain text content simply can’t. As you scroll through your feed on any given social media channel, your eyes skim over all the written posts. You don’t read all of them in their entirety, and some you may not read at all. It’s no secret that the posts with a picture get more likes, shares, and comments. Video kicks it up another notch. It gets people’s attention and while they may not watch the whole thing, there’s a very good chance that they do watch most of it.
The way people process video content and written content is very different. When people are browsing they’re pretty passive, and more likely to consume video content because they don’t have to actively participate in consuming it. It’s a great time to introduce your brand and what you can offer. When people are in a more active frame of mind and giving something (like a purchase) serious consideration, they’re going to be looking for written content. Reading requires your brain to be more active. People consuming textual content generally have a more specific goal in mind than those who are browsing.
So, when should you rely on video content? How can it best serve you?
Let’s start with the most obvious question: What is your company’s product or service? If it is something visual, then your audience is likely to respond to video content. For example, if you sell clothing, you might create content showing people of different body types wearing your clothing to a job interview, out on a date, or at a sporting event, depending on what would be appropriate. If you do home renovations, you could offer a behind the scenes look at how your company chooses a high-quality countertop.
Can you teach your audience something through video?
Continuing with our home renovation example, could you create a video series showing the differences between different types of flooring or countertops? You could educate your viewers on the pros and cons of different materials and why you might recommend one over another.
Videos tend to bring up more emotions than text-based content. In this case, you could boost your company’s credibility and establish that you are knowledgeable in this field, while also letting your prospect imagine what these countertops would look like in their home, and whether they’d prefer granite or quartz.
Similarly, can you help your audience with a video?
One of the major benefits of search engines is that they now display video results. So, if someone has a question that can be answered in a video, you have a wonderful opportunity to create some evergreen content for your brand that will really boost your credibility. Some examples of questions people might search for include, “How do I program my thermostat?” or “How do I change my broken guitar string?” These are just examples. If you hear the same questions from multiple customers and it can be answered with, “Well, here, let me show you…” then you have a great candidate for video content.
Don’t worry that by creating this type of content you risk losing out on sales. Even if you show someone how to do a repair in a video, there’s a good chance they won’t want to do it themselves, especially if it would require them to buy equipment they don’t have, get messy, or it looks too difficult or time consuming. What you’re really doing with this content is setting yourself up as an expert in your field and letting your customers know that you know what you’re doing.
At Zephyr we love to help our clients come up with content of all kinds, and across many channels. If you need help with video content (or any content) please contact us here.
