Why Video?

Why Video?

I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching lately about my business and my role in that business. In trying to market myself, I’ve realized several key thoughts about video journalism. First of all, what is video journalism? It’s the ability to tell a story visually.

Scientists tell us that people only remember 20% of what they read. Ninety percent of information transmitted through the brain is visual. FaceBook images are “liked” 200% more than text. Let’s cut to the chase…what is the power of video? The answer is engagement.

Print ads and magazines send all their info in a unidirectional path. They send, we receive. We were “talked at” for so long that we tuned out. Who has the time or the energy to scroll through mounds of text aimed at selling, selling, selling?

Today’s consumer is always on, always connected,24/7/365.  How do you reach and engage your audience? You have 7 seconds to grab their attention. To keep them, tell them a story. A story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. A story with characters that evoke an emotional response. Think Publix ads around Thanksgiving time, great story telling!

Video keys in on a myriad sensory trip. We get movement, color, images, words, music and emotions. Why wouldn’t the brain prefer that to the plain written word? Scientifically, there is a reason for that. According to Susan Weinschenk,Ph.D. there are four core reasons we are drawn to video:

• We focus on the face. This is an actual brain function that makes us hard-wired to use a human face as a centralized point for information and believability.

• Voice makes more meaning. When we hear a human voice, we are more apt to convert the information into meaningful content.

• Seeing is believing. Body language is a powerful feature of human-to-human interaction.

• It’s all about the movement. We have survived since the dawn of man by noticing the moving things around us. Ever walk home in the dark of night? This peripheral vision is deeply ingrained in our DNA.

Why video? Because when you use video to show and tell your story, you accelerate the emotional connection between the consumer and your brand. That says it all…now can I turn this into a video that you’ll watch???

Special thanks to Jason Thibeault,Sr. of Limelight and Susan Weinschenk,Ph.D.

Tags | journalism, marketing, video