How Video Influences Decision Making

Branding videos are everywhere, from your TV to your smartphone to your computer; it’s embedded in your emails, your social media streams, and your favorite websites.

Why? Because video is effective. Modern consumers tend to trust and?act on video.?Consider the rise of TikTok, which almost seamlessly incorporates video advertising among its user videos. While the video platform doesn’t share its metrics, it does offer video-advertising tips and?case studies, the latter of which have indicated ad-spend returns of more than 5x and 50%-plus increases in product page visits.

But as industry leaders in conversion-focused video marketing,?Vidzu Media?knows that simply recording a video and posting it to your social media or buying commercial time isn’t enough to generate results. Producing a compelling video requires an understanding of how video affects decision-making.

Consumers’ Growing Appetite for Video

Video is the most prevalent form of branded content online, and consumers often cite video as a factor in researching and purchasing a product or service.

More than 60% of consumers prefer to learn about a new product via video as opposed to a text-based advertisement, article, or review, according to?Forbes. The same story noted that adding video to a website landing page can boost conversions by up to 80%.

Not only do consumers prefer video over photos and text when learning about a product or service, but they also retain more information about the subject.?Some research suggests that?video retention rates may be as high as 95% compared to 10% for text.

Consumers are indeed bombarded with video today, but they also seek it out. A recent?Hubspot survey?of YouTube data found that consumers were four times more likely to research brand, product, and service information on YouTube than on any other platform. We're more likely to purchase something they saw on YouTube.

Why Branded Video Works

Why is video such a potent marketing tool? According to research, it boils down to a few key elements related to human psychology and our consumer habits:

1. Video delivers information quickly and?effectually and in a way that viewers prefer when making decisions. In a study cited by a Forbes article, “90% of consumers said they find video helpful in their decision-making process when considering a product or service.” While text and images can be vague and open to interpretation, video content lets consumers see your product in action, offering a comprehensive viewing experience that’s easy to follow.
2. Video communicates information through multiple channels. Video captures our attention by catering to our nature as complex sensory learners. Whether you’re a visual learner, auditory learner, or both, video appeals to multiple senses; we see it, we?hear?it, and we respond to it emotionally.
3. Video promotes brand recall and boasts a higher retention rate than any other media format. Quality video content is a company’s best bet for brand resonance.
4. Video can be viewed across multiple platforms and is easily adaptable and shareable for the interfaces we modern humans engage with throughout the day.

Video content is also increasingly prioritized by social media and search engines. According to a Cisco global forecast, video will drive more than 80% of internet traffic within the next year.

Leading Video Marketing Formats

Marketing video comes in many forms, but among the most popular and persuasive are:

• Brand films. The company brand is more important than ever before. Consumers want to support a set of company values, not just a product or service. Brand films tell the story behind your organization, helping curious consumers interested in learning more to discover stories about your company's values. Brand films employ high-quality storytelling to transform customers into your greatest advocates.
• Commercials. Commercial production doesn’t have to cost a fortune to be effective. Your organization’s message and how that message is relayed are what connect with consumers.
• Social media video. Company followers on social media are avid listeners who want to be informed about the latest updates. Keeping them engaged with a consistent stream of high-quality content cultivates trust and loyalty is essential.
• Event video. Highlight the energy and excitement of company events by harnessing the power of event video. Event videos can promote products or services, recognize your team’s accomplishments, or serve as annual highlight reels that unite your employees in your company’s culture.

Each video format also comes with different options and techniques to help your brand stick with viewers. In particular, note that video content can be:

• Episodic. Episodic videos have become increasingly popular on social media channels. Short, episodic videos keep consumers hooked and enable organizations to tell their stories in a narrative fashion that feels like must-see viewing.
• Animation or f/x.?Some stories deserve the added flair of animation or special effects. If you can dream it, Vidzu Media’s animation and post-production f/x department can bring it to life!
• Interactive. Unlike text or image formats, video provides the possibility of audience interaction. Live streams and other interactive video options allow organizations to respond to audience members in real-time, giving individuals a feeling of being directly involved in the action from anywhere in the world.

When you’re ready to explore what’s possible,?Vidzu?Media is ready to help bring your brand to life with integrity, leadership, teamwork, and heart.?Let’s create something together!

Vidzu Media is a commercial video production studio with big heart, big talent and big ideas. Our creative spirit drives everything we do and that’s evident in our team of video production specialists – directors, writers, producers, directors of photography, editors and animators. All of us work to tell the most powerful stories possible for our clients and their brands all over the world.