They Say a Picture is worth a Thousand Words. What about a Video?
We humans are hardwired to believe in what we SEE. It is no secret that visual graphics have always had a greater impact on the human mind as compared to reading something. What we see affects us instantly, while what we read takes a little while to sink in.
Perhaps that’s the main reason that explainer videos have become the next big thing in online marketing. From industry bigwigs (Facebook, Drop box) to startup enterprises, everyone has joined the explainer video bandwagon. Drop Box in particular, increased its conversion rate by 10% – by simply incorporating an explainer video on its homepage. This 10% conversion ultimately led to a whopping 10 million customers and an additional 48 million worth of revenue. All this just through the help of a 2-minute explainer video!
What is it about these videos that make them so popular? Is it the ‘innovation’ factor associated with them or the brain science behind the phenomena? Keep reading to find out!
The Concept of ‘Neuromarketing’
The concept of Neuromarketing is not new – it is one of the core basics of human psychology. It has been proven that certain colors, sounds and smells stimulate the senses more and encourage people to pay attention.
A video, in the simplest of forms, brings auditory and visual senses together and combines the impact with stimulating colors, animations and sounds. This captivates the brain, grips the attention and makes the situation feel REAL. This concept of Neuromarketing increases the appeal of a product or service in the eyes of the customer and ultimately results in higher conversion rates.
It’s an Evolution Process
We strive for change and speed in our life, and it’s clearly evident in our daily activities. Fast food was introduced as an alternative to spending hours in the kitchen, and careers transcended from full time to part time and micro jobs. Even in the sports world, the descent from test matches to 50 overs and even 20-20 cricket is a clear indicator of changing mindsets.
Coming to marketing, no one has the time to go through lengthy details and ongoing contexts anymore. Content switched from long stories to shorter articles, Facebook updates and even two liners on twitter.
We like to see more than we read, and most of us are inherently visual learners. An audience is 68% more likely to retain information from a video than simple boring text, which just shows how much of an impact a video can have on the human mind. According to a study conducted by Forrester research in 2009, just a single minute in a video is worth the impact of around 1.8 million words!
Being Spontaneous is the Key!
We humans live in the moment, and it has also been proven scientifically. A recent study conducted on web use showed that the average attention span of an individual is 8 seconds at the moment, which formerly used to be around 12 seconds a decade ago.
This here is the bottom line for marketing – you need to get your message heard within 8 seconds to make the maximum impact! It cuts down on the complexity in content to a bare minimum and demands spontaneous action that is only achievable through an electrifying visual experience!
A Story Always Relates to Something
The main factor that enhances the appeal of explainer videos is that it compels our mind to relate to the service or product in question. A recent research proved this point, as the results showed that watching a product video increased the chances of its sale by 85%. Additionally, a video also increases the ease-of-use of a service or website, resulting in more hits and leads as compared to content-only websites.
When it’s Simple, it’s Gold
It’s a common misconception that the more fluff you add, the more hits you will get. Though SEO marketing is an important concept to hang on to, being simple and straightforward in your approach is actually the real magic. And explainer videos are the magic wand that you are looking for!
You know why? The mind’s dynamics work best when the instructions are simple to understand. When you throw too much of information and complex techniques at a consumer, they are most likely to be confused rather than amused.
The brain happily processes simple messages, attractive visuals and clear audio – so no need to make it all twisted. Explainer videos stick to the basics and explain your business in a simple language with style. A simple 2 minute explainer video comprises of 300 words max and brings the message forward in a quick yet hard-hitting way! No wonder they result in such high conversion rates!
More Visual Means More Learning
The secret mantra of success that makes an explainer video so relatable is that it offers visual learning. People tend to preserve 50% more information in their memory when it is put forward through a combination of verbal and visual cues. Thus, an explainer video is particularly helpful when you are trying to teach your target audience how they can use your service and how it can work best in their favor. When you will show them that it really works, that’s when they will really believe it!
Seeing is Believing!
Yes, this is not merely a catchphrase, but one of the core truths of marketing. A recent survey proved this hypothesis! Results showed that over 52% of consumers thought that watching a product video actually built confidence and reliability, especially for online purchases. What’s more, around 3 out of 5 customers on an average make it a point to spend at least a minute or two to watch a video that explains the benefits and tells the uses of a particular product they intend to buy.
Make Them Remember You!
An explainer video not only grabs the attention with a zap, but also helps you stay in the limelight! An amusing, funny or interesting video is ten times more effective than reading plain text on a website. Businesses around the world have made a place in people’s lives by becoming a phenomenon rather than a concept, and that’s what a striking video can do for your brand – Single you out from your competition and relate more to the human mind.
Everyone’s watching!
The raging phenomenon of videos going viral is not new in the web world. Scores of celebrities have made their careers out of it, be it for the right or for the wrong reasons.
Studies show that over 169.3 million in US alone watch videos online, while 50% of internet users worldwide make it a point to watch a funny video every day! Social media has fueled the rush for video watching, with millions of videos being shared and circulated on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn every day. According to a research, over 46% of consumers are likely to share a video on Facebook after watching it for the first time!
Due to their massive appeal coupled with the human brain’s tendency to respond to motion pictures, explainer videos can spell out success for any business big or small.
We humans love it when things are simple and straightforward – and explainer videos do their job of explaining quite well in this ever-evolving world!
