When YouTube had first launched, I remember raving about it in the playground to all my friends. “Don’t say that ever again” bellowed a teacher from behind. “That’s not the kind of language we use in this school”.
These days the words ‘You Tube’ can be used back-to-back without being considered blasphemous. You can even say it before 9pm, for goodness sake. But what was once considered a gimmick for children is now an essential resource used by everyone, everywhere, all the time.
For many, video was the only engaging way to reach audiences during the pandemic — which only accelerated video technology further. As the country emerges from lockdown, we’ve compiled some nuggets of wisdom on how this seismic shift in the way we communicate can bolster your organisation not just today, but for years to come.
Brand recognition
Once limited to cinemas and television screens, video was a money guzzling investment requiring the use of professional equipment and operators. Today there is still a perception among the general public that a good video implies a business is doing well.
This is great for smaller firms looking to gain a little brand muscle, although there’s two sides to the coin: presenting videos or sharing footage from behind-the-scenes can bring a real sense of warmth and intimacy to larger corporates.
These days you can produce and distribute beautiful content on any mobile device without spending a penny. This makes it a truly cost-effective way to get your name and message our there, selling your brand in a manner that is entertaining and not ‘salesy’.
Whether this be through traditional methods or by using newer apps like TikTok and Zoom, video is a wonderfully effective way to make audiences aware of who you are and what you do — a fundamental part of any marketing or recruitment campaign.
Influence
They say that viewers remember 95% of what they see on video but only 10% of what they read. In fact, a part of me is beginning to regret bothering with this article at all. Hello? Are you still there? It’s not that it’s more engaging by default — good writing will always be better than bad video — but in this busy world, it’s easier to consume.
Half of the battle is getting people to look at what you post on social media, so you can see why moving images are more eye-catching than generic looking text. And once you’ve got a customer's attention, if you keep them engaged and interested, they are more likely to do what you want them to do.
Whether that is to fill in a form, subscribe to your channel, follow you on Twitter, or even buy your product — if the formula for influence is to capture attention and raise interest, video does this better. There’s a reason why Instagram is shifting to a video-first model.
We don’t need no education
With more and more top universities offering online degrees, there’s an increasing understanding that distance teaching not only reaches a wider audience, but it’s also a more effective way for people to learn. This logic can apply to your business, too.
In a practical sense, video provides employees the flexibility to learn at a time that suits them — but it also avoids the need to repeat yourself whenever there’s a recruitment drive. This makes video a super efficient and consistent way to coach new members of staff.
This simple training solution can help keep your employees in-the-loop without the need to arrange expensive conferences. It’s easily implemented and distributed to staff wherever they may be, and they’re able to access the resources as many times as they like.
Record. Recruit.
Were it not for video, recruitment would have drawn to a halt in 2020. Although, this pandemic induced change has come to be a genuinely positive evolution within the industry. Businesses were able to experience first-hand the potential in video in finding the very best talent.
Using on-demand video allows candidates to complete an interview at a time that suits them and in an environment where they feel comfortable. What does this mean? Better engagement, and significantly less cancelations.
Video responses also allow you to concentrate your time on the top candidates without having to sit through an hour-long interview for each one. And consistency of questioning is a key quality: which makes comparing candidates both easier and fairer, you hire faster, get the right skills and cultural fit, and cut cost and time in the process.