“Social video generates 12 times the shares than text and images combined” has been a favorite stat of video makers since it was mentioned by Forbes in 2017. But what is “social video” anymore, now that socializing with video is an everyday thing for people in business?
What’s not sociable? Commercial interruptions.
Sure, competently produced video marketing messages video stand out compared to text and static images. That’s why “explainer” videos are still around. But customers and prospects lured into a live meeting (or recorded webinar) have almost certainly looked at the top-of-the-funnel overview on your website product page. They want more detailed information from a knowledgeable human.
Visuals save time
On the other hand, lots of things can be said better and faster with pictures — especially moving pictures. The more jaunty the pace, the better your audience will feel about the investment of their time — especially if their patience has already been tried by an overload of online meetings. As you plan out the meeting, give some thought to different ways of picking up the pace and accommodating short attention spans.
Keep the conversation going
A lot of our business is with enterprise solution providers pitching upgrades, add-ons, and services to IT departments. The purpose of video isn’t to drive orders, it’s to get people to consume more information. Short videos can be very helpful here.
For example, suppose your online meeting is structured around a software demo. And, to vary the pace, you’ve cleverly broken up the demo into interesting stories about how easy it is to accomplish one thing or another (as opposed to a recitation of product features).
This gives your sales team an opportunity to follow up immediately, with
- a summary of key points in the video
- responses to any comments or questions raised in the online meeting, and, most important
- a link to the video that can be shared in the customer’s organization.
It’s a good way to reach out with worthwhile, sociable video that won’t be seen as a commercial interruption.
