Lights, Camera, Interaction: Reign of Video Content!
Kimaya Parjane
The need for video content has never been bigger. In India, even a person traveling in a crowded local train won't stop binging their favorite series amidst all the pushing and shoving. This goes to show the amount of influence video content has on a person. Consuming videos has seamlessly become a crucial part of our lives as we unknowingly gravitate toward our phones or any screen in our sight. Recent technological advancements and the need to stand out have brought tidal growth in the videography industry. Let us explore more about the rise of video content in today's digital era.
Have you ever wondered why video content is more impactful than any other format?
According to psychological studies, videos have a more lasting impact on the human brain than any other form of content. As an evolutionary trait, our brain is primed to feel the same emotions that we see in a motion picture. This phenomenon is called the "mirror rule," as per Jeffrey Zacks, a psychology professor and author of 'Flicker: Your Brain on Movies.'
A beautiful example of appealing to the emotional side of viewers is the 'Real Beauty Sketches' campaign. Dove had a participant describe their physical features to an FBI sketch artist. The artist created two portraits - one based on the participant's description and another based on how a stranger would describe them.
Why was there a rise in video content consumption?
It's safe to assume that platforms like YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter (X) have played a pivotal role in cementing video content's dominance in the digital era. Advancements in smartphone technology and faster broadband connections have made accessibility to these platforms easier. Nowadays, anyone with a good idea and a decent phone can create and share digital content.
The upsurge in digital content consumption was slingshot due to the worldwide lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video content enabled people to find solace during such trying times by promoting 'how-to' videos on these platforms, which helped people learn new skills and find ways to cope with the new lockdown challenge.
How video content Changed the landscape of Social Media Marketing
Haven't we all been through a non-stop vine-watching phase? Launched in 2005, YouTube was among the first platforms that enabled viewers to like, comment, and subscribe to their favorite channels. This was a radical move, as it encouraged interaction and engagement. TikTok, a pioneer in setting trends, popularized the 60-second short video format. Many musicians owe their fame to TikTok. Production houses and artists applied the concept of frequency illusion by integrating famous influencers into their marketing strategies. These influencers leveraged their popularity to shed light on new songs by creating viral dance challenges and lip-syncing videos, turning such songs into overnight sensations.
In recent years, businesses have recognized the hidden potential of digital content, particularly video, to evoke deep emotions and enhance brand engagement. Brands can foster a close connection with viewers through live-streaming, how-to guides, behind-the-scenes footage, product reviews, and user-generated content, cultivating increased awareness and credibility.
Examples of popular video trends that brands can cleverly employ to increase brand engagement.
Let’s go through some insightful statistics that were uncovered by a yearly research report:
Do you want to exploit the power of video content to reap maximum benefits?
With the way the digital marketing landscape keeps changing, it is highly imperative for businesses to harness the power of video content to reap maximum benefits.
1. Fixing your objective in place and finding your target audience:
Setting up defined objectives and determining your target market are the starting points. Your video content strategy will have a solid base if you know what message you want to deliver and who you want to reach.
2. Planning a strategy:
A good plan is the stepping stone towards victory. A carefully crafted strategy is essential for success. Conduct in-depth research to find out what will pique your audience's interest and boost brand engagement. Create content formats, video ideas, and trending topics techniques that will appeal to your target audience.
3. Creating the content:
After thorough strategy planning, it's time for execution. Produce video content that speaks directly to your selected audience and is consistent with your company's identity. Create captivating screenplays, generate original ideas, and enthrall your audience with sound and visual effects.
4. Distribution and optimizing your content:
Consider the websites that members of your target audience often visit and modify your content accordingly. Choose the right video format that will match with your target audience’s requirement. For instance, vertical videos with subtitles facilitates content consumption while traveling and makes information available to a worldwide audience.
5. Make everything SEO-Friendly!
Video SEO is making the rounds in the industry. All this hard work will be for naught if your content isn't visible on your target audience's search engines. These days, algorithms significantly impact how a video is highlighted and promoted. Optimizing your metadata is one way to increase your visibility.
6. Monitoring and Optimizing Content:
Now we come to the crucial part of the mission. Keeping an eye on how viewers engage with the video and the insights it produces. Analyzing these findings will enable us to improve our material and make the necessary adjustments. This step will boost our content's searchability and ranking and pull in more eyeballs.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, there is no denying the dominance of video content in the digital age. Videos have become potent tools for capturing viewers' attention and fostering deep connections, from gripping narratives to immersive brand experiences. Businesses must modify their approaches to fully utilize video content as consumer habits and technology progress. Content creators need to stay ahead of the curve to stay relevant and predict the future of digital content. A buzzword that we keep hearing and will keep listening to more is AI creating videos. The entry of OpenAI's Sora into the market will redefine the ways of content creation. It'll make the improbable plausible.
