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Nico Spijker

Written vs video content - What is your bet for the most effective media type for your business?

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Video has been gaining a lot of popularity over the last few months. How do you feel video will compete with and/or complement written content in the upcoming years?

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Erica Straub
Hey Nico! Great topic for discussion! I really like how Janet put it. To add, I think videos give a personal touch; nonverbal mannerisms often bring a story to life. I think face-to-face communication (even virtually) supports a much stronger environment to foster emotional response. Furthermore, tapping into emotion can be the strongest bond for brand loyalty. Written content is also essential for accessibility. I always enjoy written content so I can take the time I need to digest the information and understand it on my own terms. Different mediums work for different people, it's great to have options!
Nico Spijker
@ericamadly Great point on tapping into emotions, I can see how for a lot of things it's nicer to see a person talk compared to reading copy under a brand profile. Really interesting to bring accessibility into this as well, really got me thinking of it from another perspective. 🤔 Besides adapting to the amount of time you have available to consume media on a daily basis, it's also relevant to consider access to fast internet, translation options, disabilities that might affect whether someone is able to interact with the content and so many other variables.
Cem Bulut
In Hootsuite's digital overview report, Youtube was the most popular platform in terms of time spent. This gives me the idea that people prefer video to solve their problems or learn something new. I usually prefer articles explaining the content step by step, with the support of static images, which also have positive impact on SEO, while I can't deny video takes less effort and is more attractive.
Nico Spijker
@cem_bulut @janet_granger That makes a lot of sense. Video very much has a time and place for some information currently, especially looking into the divide of B2C & B2B. Curious if companies will learn to crack video for B2B and thought-leadership in the future or whether we will continue to use written and images for this mainly. Only time will tell... 👀
Janet Granger
I agree with Cem here. Videos are most engaging with people, and many people also learn visually (example: it's easier to see someone put together a dog crate than read directions on how to do it). However, I believe there's always a place for both. White papers are a great way to show thought-leadership and propose a new way of looking at a problem or solution. A video with a talking head on that would be oh-so-boring. I see an appropriate place for both formats, depending on the content.
Xu Geng
When you explain some complex issues which are related to multiple factors, a video can give people an intuitive impression. As a result, it's easier for people to understand what the issue is than written document. In some cases, some written document is simple and time-saving.
Nico Spijker
@xgeng666 That makes sense, I can definitely envision situations where written (e.g. a quick bullet list) is way more effective than a 1-5 minute video. I guess it will really depend on media type and overall consumption whether one channel or another is the best fit, and keeping a strategic eye becomes the best approach to dealing with this in the upcoming years.
Ade
I love videos for e-learning/tutorials and product demos and reveals. For homepages and landing/sale pages I still feel video should be complementary to text. If I can't get a decent enough understanding from skimming/reading text on your website I normally will just close the browser (and ignore the video). While video is probably less effort, it is still a bit of a time investment. I normally need to have really high-interest levels to be willing to sit through a 3-minute video. I have actually seen a few sites recently that had about/contact pages with zero text and only an embedded video...
Yang Bai
Written and video content hav different info density. Video content attracts new customer quite alot, while trap old customer into low efficiency.
Rich Watson
videos are best for engagement, keeps the users attention I feel