Visual content is critical to online marketing, and a savvy business strategy needs to employ various forms of media. More media isn’t always better, however. When you’re deciding what kind of content to include in a post, an ad, or campaign, make sure you consider how that content will function. Photos and videos have very different benefits.
Advantages of Photo Content
Photos grab attention and load quickly. They’re an essential addition to written content and enhance the user experience. They may not be as dynamic as videos, but they are far more practical, not to mention easier to find or create. After all, there isn’t nearly as much free video content online as there are public domain photos. A generic video gets boring much faster than a generic photo.
A photo also allows you to leave the emphasis on written information. This is important for press releases or informative posts. DIY posts are a great example of posts that benefit from pictures over videos. Complex projects take a lot of time, and users will want to keep instructions close at hand. Video instructions almost always move too quickly for users to follow without frequent pausing. If your audience needs to hear a detail about a previous step, they have to stop and rewind the video. This is an extra layer of frustration they simply do not need. Written instructions, on the other hand, stay in place and offer all the information a user needs without constant pausing and rewinding. Adding photos to demonstrate each step is a helpful way to incorporate visual content without making the process more difficult.
The Business Strategy of Video Content
Video content allows you to tell a seamless story to your audience. Such content is effortless for viewers to absorb and typically more entertaining than written content. We already discussed some scenarios where a video is not the best option, but there is plenty of room for video in your business strategy. One of the greatest advantages of video is that it can let viewers feel like they’re part of the experience. New filming tools, such as action cams and drones, make this easier than ever.
If you plan to host a unique marketing event, such as a pop-up café or bar, a concert, or even a street marketing campaign, video content will dramatically expand your reach. Video of such events has been utilized very effectively in recent years, especially by a handful of popular beer brands. This technique emphasizes the entertainment qualities of video. Businesses, of course, can also take advantage of the personal connection afforded by a human face and voice to teach or introduce viewers to complex subject matter.