‘Coz We Ain’t Got Time for That
We all know a bunch of reasons why video is an excellent marketing tool. It’s engaging. It’s interesting. It can make your business look really cool. But one benefit that is frequently left out is its ability to save both the business presenting the video and the people watching it the most precious commodity of all: time.
Maybe it sounds counter-intuitive to say that sitting down to watch a video saves time. You’ve turned on the TV or opened YouTube or Vimeo on your desktop or mobile device, with the sole intention to be informed and entertained in a way that no other medium does. Once you start watching, it’s very easy for one video to become 12. So not time-saving at all, then. But what video does well is condense and explain its content in such a way that the by-products of watching it will save time in the future. Here’s how.
Video Explains
The beauty of video is its ability to explain convoluted or abstract ideas in just a few seconds. Where your manager spends hours planning a training session that teaches you all the ins and outs of a new piece of software, or you spend a whole day on an induction programme after which you still don’t know where the toilets are, an explainer video has the capability to explain a concept or a process in a fraction of the time. Combine live action video with screen captures to teach a viewer how to use a new computer program, or use animation to make a tricky concept seem simple and user-friendly. It might sound contradictory, but the fewer words you use and the more clear and concise the processes are visually, the more likely your viewer is going to remember the message of your explainer video, saving both you and them time further down the track because you’re less likely to have to re-explain something (and even if you do, you can just direct them back to the video).
Video Gets to the Heart
The most effective videos are short and sweet – 60-90 seconds long, ideally – so they don’t take a lot of time to watch. They get to the point of your video quickly, and they communicate the key messages succinctly. This enables a corporate video to get to the heart of its message quickly too, instead of the key points getting lost amongst potentially waffly, boring, misdirected lines of verbal communication. The mode of video you use reinforces the kind of ‘heart’ you want to convey too. Use animation to inform in a simple, entertaining way, or use live action to put a human face to your message.
Video Teaches
Possibly one of the most useful benefits of video is its ability to teach someone how to do something visually, not verbally. An explainer video enables a person to break down and simplify the steps of a potentially complicated process in just a few steps, and because it’s visual first and verbal second, viewers can learn how to do something by watching, not simply listening. Incorporating screen captures into live action video is a great way to teach, because a user can instantly identify the similarities between what they’re watching and what they’re using onscreen. Where you use your how-to videos impacts your time too. Use them inhouse to save time on training, post them on your social media platforms to give your users tangibly useful tools to help them with complicated processes, or host them on your website’s homepage to encourage more people to visit your website.
Keen to save time with the power of video, but not sure where to start? The friendly team at Onepost Media Production have the answers. Contact us today.