So, I posted this video up on LinkedIn and the blog and almost immediately got a request for it in written form - so by popular demand... (if you'd like to just watch the video the direct link is here.)
It's a question as old as the internet, ok, well maybe the internet of the last 5 years... Still Images versus Video - What’s Better for your Business?
No matter what your platform, social media, website, or printed materials, you need visuals.
Humans are highly visual creatures. Our earliest ancestors painted on cave walls, and visual cues helped early humans hunt, gather, and create communities. As we’ve evolved, our dependence on visual cues has only grown greater. So great in fact, 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual, including communication!
Clearly, our brains are wired for imagery.
Studies show that readers will spend more time engaging with media that has relevant images or videos, and be more engaged with the information.
With the massive amount of media thrown at us every day, it’s no wonder that we only remember about 10% of what we read/hear/see after three days. This can seem pretty disheartening as an advertiser trying to get new customers. But here’s the exciting part, if you add relevant visuals, that number skyrockets to a 65% information retention rate* after three days!
So it’s clear, visuals are king. But how do you know which one to invest in? The platforms you use, and the audience you’re seeking, have a lot to do with it.
They say a photo is worth a 1,000 words, but a photo is also processed by the human brain 60,000 times faster than text.** That means your potential customers and clients are taking in far more information, more quickly, than they will with text alone. Slideshows and infographics are some of the best tools for reaching audiences who want to take their time engaging with your content on your website or social sites.
Video is the new hot shot of the social world, from stories on Instagram and Twitter to video only apps like YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok. People consume most of their social media by scrolling, and one thing that stops the scroll and makes people pay attention, is movement. There’s been a significant push to promote video posts on social through algorithms, and reports show that video posts do far better than photos or text on Facebook.
So what’s better, photos or video? The answer is, you need both.
To truly reach a wide audience on a variety of platforms you need to know your audience. This can help you figure out which tool is more effective for your business and how you can give your clients relevant content.
So that's it! Have more questions? Different thoughts about this? Want to talk more? We are here to help you with that strategy, help you find that niche and help create content that your audience will crave and respond to!
Sources:
* Brain Rules by John Medina http://www.brainrules.net/vision
** Humans Process Visual Data Better https://www.t-sciences.com/news/humans-process-visual-data-better