Writing will always have its place, but marketers are discovering the value of visual materials as a strong marketing tool. There’s something to the old adage, a picture is worth 1,000 words, especially when you need to capture a viewer’s attention. Visual information is always going to triumph over plain text.
Show, Don’t Tell
As consumers, spending a lot of time online means we’re overwhelmed with content. This also means we’re more selective about which content we choose to process and which to ignore.
The average person is exposed to 174 newspapers full of information each day according to NeoMan’s infographic. Not surprisingly, the average person only remembers 20% of the information they read.
Because of the way our brain works, we are primed for visual data. Half of the human brain is dedicated to visual function and 90% of all information absorbed by the brain is visual. So when we see a picture, we absorb most of the information presented simultaneously. But when we read information, we process these data points sequentially. This means we process text slower and therefore it tends to be less memorable.
Put it this way, would you rather read this:
People retain 58% more information when both visual and auditory senses are stimulated.
Or see this:
Marketing is all about split-second decisions. When you are trying to communicate with busy decision-makers, you don’t have a lot of time to transmit the information that proves your product is worth their time.
Upgrade Your Visuals with Video
Now that you know why visual content is engaging, take your content marketing strategy to the next level. Convert your readers into viewers, and your viewers into buyers by using video to communicate your messages more efficiently.
After Stacks and Stacks (a homewares company) added short product videos to their site and saw a significant increase in conversions. Consumers who watched the videos were 144% more likely to add the products to their shopping carts.
In general, companies find that video boosts consumer confidence, increasing the likelihood they will buy a product or service listed online.
There are many reasons this could be true. Video allows you to quickly demonstrate how a product works, or explain a service if you offer a less tangible products.
Communicate Better with Video
Video is also a way to present information in a more engaging and visually stimulating way. A software platform would say they could save your company an average of $500 yearly or improve the speed of processes by 25%. These are great selling points for a company, but in writing the true value doesn’t always come across clearly. Using an animated video, a company can use these same numbers and add value to what these numbers mean. You can truly portray the relationships and provide stimulating visuals that reflect what the increased speed may look like in practice.
Take a look at this graphic animation we made for Novaerus – notice how stimulating the visuals are when their statistics, key points and concepts are being mentioned:
The case for visual information and video is strong. With video, there’s an awful lot of it circulating on the Internet. But not all of these videos are created equal. Making an explainer video that stands out is harder than it looks, but if you approach the project with the right attitude from the start, you could be on your way to engaging prospects and increasing conversions
Not sure where to start? Check out 4 Ways To Jumpstart Your Video Marketing Campaign.
