Looking to capture your customer’s attention quickly? 

Of course you are! 

The trouble is...so is EVERYBODY else.

Your customers are repeatedly bombarded with information that’s constantly trying to win their interest. In fact, according to a report from PPC Protect, the average user will encounter between 6,000 to 10,000 ads EVERY SINGLE DAY. That is simply outrageous. 

As you can imagine, we’ve all become very desensitized  to them, and the vast majority fall on deaf ears; we simply don’t notice them. 

That’s TERRIBLE if you’re trying to capture your customer’s attention (which you are), so what on earth do we do about it?

The answer is video 

You’ve probably heard this a million times, but videos generate more user engagement than other content types (such as blogs, text posts etc). ‘Engagement’ is quite simply a fancy word for ‘interest’. 

The reason for this is pretty simple: because people are inherently lazy. Okay, that’s not entirely true, but the convenience of video plays a HUGE part in the decision-making process.

In general, videos are much easier to consume; they convey information quickly and simply, and remove the need for the user to read lots of text, or scroll through numerous pages. 

The best way to understand why video works so well is to simply look at your own usage and activity. If you had the choice between a three-minute video, or a six-page document - both detailing the exact same information - you would pick the video every day of the week.

Why? Because it’s easier, and we all want to take the easiest route.

As I mentioned earlier, your customers are constantly assaulted with information every minute of every day which means they are particularly selective of where they spend their time. The best way to win their much-wanted attention is to make it as simple and painless as possible for them. The less effort required, the less resistance to overcome. 

But what about blogs?

Blogs are brilliant. I mean, you’re reading one right now, after all. 

This beloved content type is a marketing staple and should be a primary feature of your company’s communications. They help you build trust with your readers, they benefit from SEO optimisation which improves your search rankings, and they draw visitors to your website which is always the plan. 

The problem with blogs (and to be honest, most written content) is that text is always harder to consume than more visual content like video. In fact, the human brain can process visuals 60,000 times faster than it can text! We find visual content more aesthetically pleasing, but also just simpler to digest. 

When we want or need to deliver information to our audience in a timely manner, blogs and other written post types just don’t cut the mustard.

When to use video?

Video is at its strongest when you’re showing some kind of process.

Process videos tap into age-old storytelling; you know, a three-act structure and whatnot. It provides a clear narrative, which gives the viewer something to follow and invest in. 

What I mean by process video is showing the development of something. Our clients in the engineering and manufacturing sector know that the best performing videos are always this type of content. For example, showing a steel billet being milled and turned until it has transformed into a working part, or a model. The video has a very apparent beginning, middle, and end - just like every great story.  

But process video doesn’t just mean mechanical processes. It can be applied to a magnitude of different industries and services. Just showing your audience how something works, how something is done, or equipping them with knowledge to perform an activity is ALL process, and it’s all great.

Let’s further explore some other effective video choices which trump blogs…

EDUCATION 

Teaching is always a solid choice for video content. Here at FINALLY, we often make what we call “How To” videos - these essentially show our viewers how to perform a specific task, or learn how to use a particular programme. This could be how to use Google Analytics, or how to create a graphic in Canva. 

These short, snackable videos offer our viewers value and insight - equipping them with new skills quickly and effectively. They also act as a great way to introduce different members of our growing team, without having to rely on a cliché introduction (nobody finds “Hello, my name is Dan, and I work in IT” remotely interesting…)  

VLOG PROJECTS 

Sharing a project with video is a fantastic choice. This could be a timelapse presentation of something being made or built (perhaps you’ve done some renovation at the office, or some decoration for a client visit), or actually documenting a completed task from top-to-bottom. 

This type of content falls into the ‘vlog’ category, which simply means ‘video blog’. Rather than jotting down how the project went, you capture it all on film. 

A big benefit of this is that vlogs allow your audience to feel closer to your business. They feel more human, and enable the watcher to develop a deeper relationship with your people and services. 

So much of sales is relationship-building. We buy from who we trust at the end of the day, and vlogs are a great way to get that trust increasing. 

COMPANY CULTURE 

If your company boasts a strong culture - perhaps your business is very social, or gets involved in lots of activities - reading about it is really dull. It’s like telling someone they’re funny, rather than laughing at their jokes. 

Videos that showcase all the cool things your business does is a great way to attract new customers as well as prospective staff. They enable your business and its team to show off their personalities; giving the viewer a cheeky peek behind the curtain.

DIRECT SALES 

Video is brilliant at breaking down barriers between you and your customers. It’s also a great way to garner attention, as we’ve already established. When you put two-and-two together, you can create highly effective, personalised videos for your prospects which get them excited and clicking.

Rather than direct your customers to a written blog or guide, record a short personal video which is directed to them and only them. This makes the prospect feel special and noticed, plus video sales messages have a significantly higher open-rate than text messages. 

In Summary:

• Video makes it easier for your audience to consume information. 
• Video helps to reduce resistance and friction towards your business. 
• The human brain can process visuals far better and faster than text.
• Blogs are a content staple, but need to be used for the right reasons.
• Video is at its best when demonstrating some kind of process.
• Consider ‘vlogs’ as a happy medium.
• Use video in the sales process to make your business feel more human. 
  
  

Want to Learn More?

Why not connect with me on LinkedIn – I post lots of social media and content tips and on my profile which I’m sure you’ll find helpful. 

Better still, you can learn lots more about great video content in my LinkedIn training sessions - register your interest here.

Also, be sure to get in touch with us here at FINALLY; we’re happy to help!