When was the last time you watched a video online? Last week? Last night? This morning?
Odds are that you have watched one very recently. Over the past ten years, video has become a dominating force for consumer entertainment and education, but what role does video play when marketing to social media? Let’s take a look.
Most of us have heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” but have you ever considered what that really meant? When a picture is taken, it captures a moment in time that will never happen again. It gives us a glimpse into the story of our lives, and reflects the essence of who we were and what we experienced in that moment. Images can portray deep felt emotion, human connection, and life experience. They are something that each of us can connect with on a deeper level than nearly any other medium available to us. Taking this ideology one step further, the innovation of video gave us the opportunity to experience an event from a new, genuine and personalized perspective.
Why Use Video:
Not only presenting the introduction of a situation, a video taps into the very soul of each moment captured and presents it to the viewer as if she or he were actually there. The wonder of video is its intense versatility and intimate nature. Video can evoke passionate emotions when used properly and, because of this, can appeal to a wide and varied audience. A couple reasons to use video in social media:
- Video invites consumers into your world and appeals to their sense of belonging and community.
- Video can be anything you want it to be. Educational, entertaining, or emotional, video can influence the way we think and feel. A power not to be taken for granted, it appeals to human behavior and thought in a way no other medium can.
In social media, specifically, this appeal is incredibly useful and effective. Consumers who use social media will share videos 1200% more times than links and text combined. Also, B2B and B2C marketers worldwide rank video in the Top 3 most effective social media marketing tactics.
That’s all fine and dandy that consumers share videos and that businesses think video is important, but does video truly work? You bet. Between April 2015 and November 2015, the amount of average daily video views on Facebook doubled from 4 billion video views per day to 8 billion, and those videos get a remarkable 135% increase in organic (unpaid) reach when you post a video over a photo.
Social media is a powerhouse of marketing on its own, but combined with video it is a force to be reckoned with. Use video to vary your content, strengthen your image, and delight your audience and you will have a whole new world at the tips of your fingers.
Enjoy.
Christine Kavahei Brewer is a distinguished organization and marketing speaker devoted to breaking down business models, creating personalized customer journeys, and educating others on these and other marketing-based topics. Christine is currently the CMO of Suncrest Marketing Agency, a full-service digital marketing agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
