Introduction
Social media trends are constantly evolving, and there’s no better example of that than the rise of video content. While text-based updates were once the norm, today’s social media users want to see more visual content, such as images and videos. And they aren’t just asking for it—they’re actively seeking it out: studies have shown that people prefer visual content over text by a wide margin.
Social media trends have moved from text to visual content, with images and videos now making up a good chunk of users’ social media feeds.
You know that thing you do where your brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text? Yeah, it’s called “seeing.” (Don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you out of the conversation.) The human brain is hardwired for visual information—there’s a reason why so many people can’t stop watching Netflix shows like Stranger Things or Making A Murderer.
Social media trends have moved from text to visual content, with images and videos now making up a good chunk of users’ social media feeds. This is because the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
In short: It makes sense to publish more video content on social media!
One study found that video has a 41 percent higher click-through rate compared to images or text.
Do you know what a click-through rate is? It’s the percentage of people who click on an ad to visit the company’s website. One study found that video has a 41 percent higher click-through rate compared to images or text. That’s because videos are more engaging and much easier for people to digest quickly, which makes them more likely to want to learn more about what companies are offering.
What does this mean for your social media strategy? If you’re creating content for social media, chances are it should be video – not just photos and text posts!
This is probably because the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text.
Why is video content so popular?
This is probably because the human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. According to a study by Swedish neuroscientist John Medina, “the average person can read about 200-250 words per minute, but we can process 6,000 to 10,000 pictures per minute.” We are visual creatures and our brains are hardwired for these images. This means that videos have more impact on people than just text alone: they remember it longer and share it more often.
One study found that adding a video to your landing page can increase conversion rate by 80 percent.
While the study was conducted in 2012, it’s still worth considering. One of the key takeaways was that adding a video to a landing page increased conversion rates by 80 percent. This means that if you’re able to implement a video into your brand’s social media marketing strategy and increase sales by 80 percent, you’ll be looking at some serious ROI!
According to comScore, Facebook users watched 8 billion videos in one day in 2015.
According to comScore, Facebook users watched 8 billion videos in one day in 2015. While that stat is impressive, it gets even more so when you consider the fact that Facebook doesn’t even have the most video views on a single day—that honor goes to YouTube. In fact, Facebook users watched 1 billion hours of video per day (and this was back when only 1.7 billion people were using it).
The number of marketers who used video content on their social media channels increased from 63 percent in 2016 to 81 percent in 2017.
Video content is the future of social media.
It’s no secret that video content is more engaging, easier to consume, more shareable and memorable than text-only posts. Video gives you the opportunity to connect with your audience on an emotional level and create a lasting impression through storytelling. While some marketers are still dragging their feet when it comes to video marketing (and understandably so), those who embrace it are reaping rewards in terms of improved conversions, higher engagement rates and increased sales revenue!
Video helped people learn about a product or service more easily than text and image-based content. Almost 90 percent of the respondents noted that videos made it “easier for them to understand products” compared with other types of content such as written or graphic materials.
In the survey, almost 90 percent of respondents said that videos made it “easier for them to understand products” compared with other types of content such as written or graphic materials.
The reason? Video has long been considered easier to digest than text or images. Logically, this makes sense: we’ve learned from an early age that stories are more engaging when they have a beginning, middle and end. We can remember characters’ traits in a story because we’re able to see them act out their parts through body language and facial expressions (or lack thereof).
44% of consumers said seeing a brand’s videos make them feel more confident about their products and services, and 31% said they were more inclined to purchase from the brand after watching its videos.
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You can build trust with potential customers. Video content is a great way to convey your brand’s personality and show off your products and services in an interactive and engaging way. As consumers, we like to know what we’re getting before we buy something—and videos are perfect for proving that you’re a reputable business.
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You can build relationships with current customers. When your followers watch your new videos, they’ll feel like they’re getting closer to the real you (which is good because people love other people). This means more loyalty from them—and more word-of-mouth advertising for your product or service!
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You can build a brand image that appeals to both new customers and existing ones alike by providing high-quality content on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube (just don’t forget about Snapchat).
If you are not creating video content yet – you should start doing it
If you’re not creating video content yet, let me be the first to tell you that it is your new best friend. On social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook video is one of the most popular types of content, second only to photos. In fact, on Facebook videos are getting 53% more views than links or text posts combined!
If you’re still skeptical about why businesses should incorporate more videos into their social media strategy, here are 5 reasons why they should:
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Videos engage users on a whole new level and can help build trust with them. People love watching videos because they feel like they know that person or business better than just reading text. It also helps build brand awareness – especially if there are people in the background who aren’t necessarily familiar faces but still have strong personalities (like your employees).
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Videos can help increase traffic to your website since many social networkers share interesting stuff they find online including videos – which means more potential eyeballs on yours! This might lead them back again later down the line if not right away too so make sure it’s something worth sharing (and maybe even worth watching twice).
Conclusion
Video content is a hot topic right now, and for good reason. As we’ve discussed here, it’s an effective way to connect with your audience and build trust. The key takeaway? Don’t just focus on the platforms that are “in” right now—the ones that will fade away tomorrow. Instead, think about how you can create high-quality content that resonates with your audience, using the tools they prefer.
Till next time,
Fanie Scholtz