“If one wants to reach younger people at an earlier age to shape their minds in a critical way, you really need to know how ideas and emotions are expressed visually.” ~ Martin Scorsese
Do you have one of those “little, black dresses?” For a professional woman in any metropolitan area, that is an absolute must-have wardrobe basic. It’s the “power suit” for evening entertainment. Even though I have 5 different versions, and even though I have a favorite, when I go shopping I’m always on the lookout for a more perfect version.
Speaking of black, how’s that content marketing of yours going? Sometimes trends carry over from one year to the next. And even though content marketing was the hot topic of 2013, with marketers scrambling to create blog posts, e-books, white papers and infographics on the topic, 2014 is revealing a new trend. Video is taking a firmer hold in the content marketing space and dominating. Thus the statement, “Video is the New Black (Dress)”!
We Are Wired To Be Visual
Here are some facts that I found while searching about visual learning:
—Approximately 65% of the population are visual learners — Mind Tools, 1998
—The brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text — 3M Corporation, 2001
—90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual — Hyerle, 2000
—Visual literacy is the ability to encode (create a visual language) and decode (understand a visual language).
Video is immediate. Video is interactive. Video is influential. And, based on these statistics, it’s not surprising that organizations across the board seem to be using video more and more.
Four Misperceptions About Video
Video is difficult to produce and extremely time-consuming. Think about the amount of time it takes to outline, research, write, edit and publish a creditable e-book. What’s your guesstimate for that time investment? A thirty-second video piece will take less time and be far more engaging. Consider the viral possibilities!
I need to contract a large agency with large fees to produce video content in volume. Today’s technology and production methods make video production scalable! Our video partner has a national network of videographers. Shooting in volume allows you to edit and repurpose—without the additional cost of travel and lodging!
Video is a once and done deal. Repurpose, repurpose, repurpose. How can you used already existing content to promote that new guide, white paper or e-book? Video can now be included on most email platforms as well as landing pages and social channels. Here’s another stat: Engagement with mobile video is three times higher than desktop.
Video consumption, like TV, is a sit down and relax activity. The correct perception is that video consumption is an “on-the-go” interaction. Video consumption is expected to reach more than a quarter of the US population in 2014. 9 out of 10 consumers are using their mobiles, tablets, laptops and desktops to consume video.
Isn’t it time for you to give more consideration to how you can include video in your content marketing tactics. If you don’t have a video marketing strategy, it’s time to put one together. Carve out that time, add it to your goals for 2015, find your video production partner and get started. NOW IS THE TIME!
Interview With Jamie Notter
Speaking of video, this is the perfect segue to introduce our next blog post. In two weeks we will be posting an interview with Jamie Notter. Jamie has been speaking and consulting on issues of leadership, conflict and diversity for more than twenty years. In our interview we will be learning more about him, books he’s written and trends he’s identified as he looks forward to 2015.