On social media, video content is king.
Consumers nowadays do not have the time nor the motivation to read, especially a blog post. When people are online, most of them do so to pass the time. In fact, according to research, over half of young adults (between the ages of 18 to 29) use the internet on any given day as a diversion or just for fun.
And, when people go online for no particular reason, they do not have the motivation to read a block of text. Content in written form is more likely to be skimmed, whether long-form business advice or a news article.
Why Video
Consumers pay more attention to videos. A survey by Hubspot found that 45 percent of respondents watch over an hour of video on YouTube and Facebook. Most of them watch the video through the end. Only 32 percent skim it.
For comparison, from the same survey, the respondents admitted that only 29 percent read blogs thoroughly, and about 40 percent are less attentive to them. Even social media posts have a 39 percent rate of skimming among respondents.
Here is another proof that video reigns supreme: around 1 billion hours worth of videos are being watched on YouTube every day. Moreover, according to Google, about 68 percent of consumers who watch YouTube videos do so to make a purchasing decision.
Businesses can no longer resist video content. It is what consumers want to see online, after all. However, what types of videos do people want to watch? Find out below.
Informative
Consumers want businesses to produce more video content, especially about their products. In one study, researchers found that when there is an option between text and video, they will choose the latter to learn about a product that has caught their interest.
Some of the most popular videos are tutorials and how-to guides because consumers want to make sure they get their money’s worth from an expensive purchase. Many of them also watch reviews for the same reason; they want to know if a product they are eyeing is of good quality and useful in life.
Businesses should, therefore, strive to publish more informative video content on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or TikTok. A short introduction or guide on using the product will convince the consumer to make the purchase. An animated promotional video production can help develop informative and eye-catching content for your product.
Businesses should also boost interest by partnering with social media influencers. The world has changed drastically; consumers covet a product not because they saw it in a magazine or a billboard. In many cases, they watched their trusted social media influencer feature the product on a video. Letting well-known reviewers test-drive the product can increase sales.
Entertaining
Most of the time, people watch videos because they are bored. YouTube is now the new television. People no longer turn the television on and watch whatever is airing to pass the time. They go on YouTube, watch a video blogger, a comedy sketch, a prank channel, or a celebrity gossip news.
A survey from 2018 found that teenagers watch more YouTube and Netflix than television. That does not come as a surprise. Because screens are ‘smart’ now, people no longer require live TV. They can stream whatever content they feel like watching anytime.
Short
The attention span of humans is dropping. A famous study conducted by Microsoft revealed that, in the year 2000, an average person’s attention span was 12 seconds. After 15 years, it decreased to just 8 seconds.
Although producing video content is an advantage, that alone will not capture the interest of consumers. They might click it but not watch it until the end if it is too long.
The modern audience prefers shorter videos. That is why platforms such as TikTok have increased in popularity over the years. A person does not commit an hour or two of their time to the video. They only spend a few minutes — seconds, even — viewing it.
Most people prefer their ads to be 30 seconds or less, especially when viewing them on the small screen of a smartphone.
Consumers around the world want to see more videos from businesses and about products and services. Brands should yield and produce more well-crafted and compelling videos to capture the attention and interest of their target audience.
