Video content can mean a lot of different things. For businesses, it can mean that vlogging or instructional videos are how you drive interest and monetize your product or service. Other forms can include promotional videos, live-stream, video formatted podcasts, or educational videos, and there are what feels like a million different ways and platforms where you can distribute your various forms of video content. This includes email, social media, advertisements, and through your online brand or business platform. As people are now watching around 100 minutes of video content online per day, it’s safe to say that it is becoming the most effective form of content available, likely due to the extreme power of social media. 92% of marketers have said that video content is a critical part of their promotional strategy and they plan to increase their current spend on this form of marketing as they know consumers now expect videos that reflect their lifestyle and personal interests, from the brands they associate with. To successfully harness the power of video content, you must be connecting with your target audience regularly and sharing your updates in real-time as this allows viewers to better understand your brand personality and grow and evolve with you. Although it may look different for different industries, leveraging video content will ultimately result in both a higher and deeper form of engagement from your viewers. This also provides your audience with more effective and usable calls to action, as opposed to just being exposed to repeat messaging which doesn’t provide this group with the opportunity for much interaction with you or your business. How else is video content helping content creators push the limits, drive consistent growth and sustain the production of captivating and interactive material? Here are 5 reasons why we should all get on board with video content. 

Reason #1: Video Content Delivers Communication That is Easily Understood

Have you ever read a blog, a set of instructions, or tried to memorize something and by the end were completely confused and forgot what you had just read? This can sometimes be the result of reading information that doesn’t resonate with you because either you are a visual learner or you need to engage with the material differently in order to retain the information. Text-based content, however, is not obsolete as it still serves an important purpose, but the rise of video content has allowed people to bring concepts to life that they otherwise might not have been able to. Having the ability to present or show things in action has the power to shed a whole new light on a topic and allows your audience to relate and connect with the learned material in a way that empowers them to take action. Programmers are in an industry where video content is almost necessary to help teach and guide others to learn to code, and because it can be intimidating at first, video aids viewers into feeling less overwhelmed and provides them with the power to absorb the knowledge in digestible chunks.  

Reason #2: Video Content is Authentic 

It has become quite clear that both the millennial and Gen-Z demographic share similar core values in which they hold a great amount of merit in authentic content. (Authenticity over advertising as they say). We know that marketing is inherently built around the idea of selling, but because of how social media and other platforms work, we now look to content creators to provide information or even promote products or services while remaining authentic to themselves and their audience. The word ‘authentic’ is thrown around a lot and likely overused, and because of this people can lose sight of what it truly means. Thankfully, video-based content provides the opportunity for authenticity to rise to the surface more easily than that of other forms. Those who create content in video form understand how it allows them to express authenticity, such as showing genuine empathy towards their audiences and understanding their frustrations, and what they think and feel. The ways this is shown are through their ability to explain or demonstrate ideas or skills in a way that is understandable and not overly complex, and by being relatable and ensuring what they're discussing or promoting is attainable for the audience. Possibly one of the best things content creators can do through video to remain authentic is to gather and listen to feedback. Feedback is key because it continues to build trust and bond the content creator to their viewers and it exemplifies a sincere demand for their opinion. And let’s not forget about honesty. When we see content creators being completely honest, the audience almost always responds favorably to the transparency. 

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Authentic content on-screen works because your audience quickly becomes familiar with you and forms a connection. But as most content creators know this doesn’t happen overnight. This is a long-term ongoing relationship, and without trust, it becomes difficult to monetize your work, product, or service.

Reason #3: Video Content Allows You to be Anywhere & Everywhere 

Location, location, location. Be where the audience is! We’ve heard it all before, but that’s because there is serious truth behind being in the right place at the right time. The more places your viewers can find you, the higher the chances are of growing your viewership. Most content creators know where their audience is (hopefully), and once knowing where your target market is online, it becomes easier to develop content that appeals to them and that fits the mold of the appropriate channel. Thankfully, nearly all platforms used by content creators offer video. Social media and massive online platforms have evolved over the years to cater to the most innovative forms of content to drive traffic, and it works. (If YouTube was just a series of blogs it might not get over 2 billion users each month). At one point in time, Instagram didn’t even offer video options, but upon realizing its impact, they updated their software and pivoted. Now, it’s one of their main features. If a platform you often use to communicate with your audience or develop content doesn’t offer video options, it's still a strong place to direct your viewers to other channels. As a programmer, it’s critical to keep updated on the new and exciting platforms coming to the surface and gaining recognition. By allocating the time to building a presence on those platforms, you are likely to appeal to like-minded audiences you have not tapped into yet. 

Reason #4: Video Content Can Be Recycled 

The challenge with content creation is that it takes a great deal of effort, time, and energy to create just a single piece, and once distributed, the lifespan doesn’t last an increasing amount of time as it will get bumped and replaced by other content. Because of the difficulty of constantly developing groundbreaking content that lives up to the standard of your business or brand, repurposed content is a great way to revive old content and continue the conversation. Repurposing your content doesn’t mean just reposting everything across different channels, it means thoughtfully reusing it when it’s relevant and applicable to your marketing strategy or your business model. The added benefit of video content is that it can be edited and reformatted, so when you repurpose the material you can modify it to fit your new needs. Never underestimate the power of good editing. There is also the option of taking a blog or another form of written or visual content and making it into a video for a different channel. This both solidifies the original message and possibly gives it new angles. Reusing old content also provides the opportunity to revisit ideas, theories, or opinions you may have once had of which you would like to re-address. 

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For more insights on how to properly recycle your content, check out our blog “How To Recycle Your Content In a Meaningful Way”

Last But Most Definitely Not Least, 

Reason #5: Video Content Drives Traffic 

In 2019, online video traffic accounted for 80% of all internet traffic. This led the world to believe that (you guessed it), there is a lot of power behind video-based content. Since implementing video content features, thousands of companies have seen a steady increase in revenue and reached record numbers of site visitors. Video has proven to be what appears the ultimate form of media that enables you the creator, to form meaningful connections with your audience, and if you have a message to share, video content allows you to get it out to people engagingly and interactively, which often drives favourable results for your page. It is important to remember that just because you put out video content, this doesn’t always mean that viewers will click, like, or share. It takes effort to manage your content and to keep it front and center and frequently in the minds of your audience. As many creators know, having a backlog of content prior to the release of your channel can sometimes help your chances of keeping consumers on your platform for longer, once having gone live. Another tactic that successful creators use is ensuring different types of videos are used at different times to assist your audience in connecting with your products and services, at the appropriate time. 

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When video content became more prevalent on popular platforms it was quickly discovered that there was a 1200% increase in shares over text and images combined. Finding the right approach to video for you as a creator can take some time, but when done correctly it can increase click-throughs, shares, and further engagement which is the ultimate goal.