…that you may not have considered

Video marketing is a hot topic at the moment, but amidst the talk of search results, conversion rates, mobile adoption etc., the reasons video can be such a persuasive marketing tool often get overlooked.

In 1971, Professor Allan Paivio developed his Dual-Coding Theory, which proposes humans can understand and retain information better if it is conveyed verbally and visually. This is because the brain processes visual and verbal information in separate channels in the mind, creating separate representations for the same information. When it’s time to recall that information, it’s stored in two places and both channels work together to retrieve it.

Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research suggests that one minute of video equals to 1.8 million words. In a single frame, a video can deliver the same amount of information as three pages of text. This is down to the way our minds process information. When we read text, we convert the words to pictures and then commit them to memory. When we watch video, this words-to-images translation is skipped, meaning we can grasp more and make more connections.

These theories explain why video can be such an effective communication tool. You work so hard to catch the attention of your potential customers and clients, and you only have their attention for a limited time, so you need to make a quick, and lasting impression. Using video to sell your products and services will increase your customers’ ability to understand, remember, and recall your brand when it is time to purchase.

Your video doesn’t need to be all-signing and all-dancing, either. A simple narrated animation or screencast that explains the value your product or service brings to the customer, can be very powerful. SuperDataHub, Funddy, and Foap are great examples of this.

How could your business use video to sell your services or products more effectively? If you have a service that is quite complex, consider how video could explain it better to your potential customers. If you need to project more of your brand’s persona in your marketing, imagine what style of video would suit your business, and what music you would use. What would the narration be like?

If you have any questions about using video in your marketing, we’re all ears.

Photo by: jsawkins(flickr)