Harnessing Video Content (Part 1): Why Video is Your Social Media Game-Changer I

In 2024, video content has emerged as the undisputed champion of engagement, able to cut through the clutter of static posts and draw attention. While attention spans may be shrinking, consumers are hungrier than ever for content and they are looking to video content to satisfy their cravings.  A 2019 report found that your average Gen Z consumer spends a staggering 3.4 hours every day watching videos online. 

But it’s not just quantity – video is proving its return on investment. According to a recent HubSpot research, 88% of video marketers reported a positive ROI from their video campaigns. With platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts fueling the rise of short-form video, social media success requires embracing the power of the moving image.

Why Video Content is Irresistible for Your Audience

There are several reasons why video content can be a transformative force for your social media presence and make your brand irresistible to your audience. Here are some of them;

1. Video Content Hooks and Holds Attention: It’s Science. Our brains are wired to process visual information far faster than text. Movement, colour, and sound combine to make it almost impossible to scroll past.
2. Video Content Evokes Emotion: Laughter, awe, excitement… Video content allows you to tell your story and create visceral connections that written words often struggle to achieve. This fosters powerful brand affinity and memorability and helps your audience forge stronger emotional connections with you.
3. Build Trust with Video Content: Take viewers behind the scenes, showing what truly makes your company (or your clients) tick and the kind of effort and personalities behind the scenes. Such relatability breeds loyalty. 
4. Showcase Social Proof with Video Content: Nothing sells like seeing results. Client success stories on camera are far more potent than website testimonials. The video gives proof of a face and a voice.
5. Position Yourself as the Expert: Educational videos attract your ideal audience. Whether it’s insider tips or breaking down complex topics, video demonstrates your authority.
6. Live Video Content Creates FOMO: Behind-the-scenes at an industry event? Q&A session with a guest expert? Build buzz and community with real-time video – if you don’t go live, someone else will!

Video Content Success Stories that Inspire

If you’re still wondering if video content is for you, look at a brand like Duolingo – their playful and cheeky personality coupled with quirky TikTok videos showcased personality and led to rapid growth. In one meme video, Duolingo racked up a whopping 8.5M views and 1.54M total engagements. That’s 3.9x more engagements than its average engagement per video in 2023. Then you have people like Neil Patel using educational Instagram Reels (with his face on them) to reach his target customers and Khaby Lame who never speaks in his videos (just gesticulations)

We can go on and on but you’ll realise that each of these successful stores approaches video content in their way because, in the end, it’s about finding the style that suits your brand voice and working with it

Start Simple, Grow Your Confidence

Don’t get hung up on needing a full production crew because you don’t. You don’t even need sophisticated shooting materials. Think about Kanye who took a selfie video and used it for a Super Bowl ad of $7,000,000. No edits. Just that raw video. While controversial, that spot reportedly brought in a cool $20 million (almost 200% ROI). 

Do you know what this tells me?

Fancy gear is nice, but authentic content delivered with purpose beats a highly polished but empty video every time. 

Want to get started right now? Pick up your phone and do a selfie about your brand. Ensure your room is quiet and record with your face towards the window (to use the natural lighting) and voila. You’re one foot in the door. 

That’s not to say you should overlook basic technical elements. Clear lighting and good audio ensure your message isn’t overshadowed by distractions. We will come back to that in Part 2 of our video content guide. There we will dive into the nuts and bolts: basic setup for video content creation, ideal video formats for each platform, and how to repurpose content for maximum mileage.

Now you know the powerful “why” behind video content! Stay tuned for our next instalment in this series to conquer the “how” as you transform your social media strategy. And that selfie? We’ll turn it into shareable snippets for other platforms in Part 2!