Research: A Video Also Worth A Thousand Words

May 12, 2015 by Dave Haynes

The automated video creation service Animoto has released results of research that reinforces the wide understanding that most consumers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it.

The Animoto Online and Social Video Marketing Study, based on feedback from 1,051 U.S. consumers, suggests people prefer to interact with businesses through video and that video marketing plays an essential role in acquiring new customers as well as engaging with current ones.

The survey is built around online video, but there are takeaways that apply to digital signage, as well.

Video is one of the most universally preferred ways of consuming content, says the Animoto press release, with nine out of ten consumers watching at least one online video per week.

The data also shows that businesses with video marketing strategies have an elevated brand perception as a result:

• 63 percent of consumers say companies that use video know how to reach their customers
• One quarter of consumers lose interest in a company if it doesn’t use video
• 56 percent of consumers believe that if a company has a website, it should have video

The release also says …

Consumers are demanding videos that tell the story behind the company and the products they’re buying. A majority of consumers also find it helpful to watch a product video more than once before making a purchase. When asked about video length, nearly two thirds believe company videos should be sixty seconds or less. Consumers also described the kinds of videos they’d like to see:

• 80 percent of consumers say a video showing how a product or service works is important when learning about the company
• 56 percent of consumers says customer testimonials are helpful when purchasing a product/service
• About half of customers say that ‘about the company’ videos are the most helpful when purchasing a product/service

This is slightly crazy for someone who writes a fair amount of position papers and press material for clients, but I can’t overstate the importance of not only telling people what you do or have done, but SHOW THEM in video … or at least some pix.

The 2015 Video Marketing Cheat Sheet (PRNewsFoto/Animoto)