August 18, 2020
Video Marketing is here to stay. It’s a fact. Consumers are spending more and more time on their mobile devices, and especially to consume ever more mobile video content. This excellent article in Keystone highlights the perspective of geNEOus (formerly NEO Academy) Founder Alejandra Otero, that "video is king" for Generation Alpha and there is no doubt that mobile marketing videos are a powerful tool. The question, is why?
The video as a digital medium is naturally more complex than text or images. That means that videos are able to capture our attention. We like complexity. We like to decode and decipher something to be hooked into a storyline with rich media and visual clues. While images can trigger affective empathy, videos can connect with us at a cognitive level. We get involved, and our emotions become part of what we see and hear.
And this is why they are everywhere, on every platform. Students would rather watch a YouTube history lesson than open a book. Adults would rather watch a how-to video than read the instructions when assembling the cabinet they just bought. Videos are characterized by higher engagement compared to books, they give effective answers to our problems, they don’t waste too much of our time, they are telling a story we can relate to and they can inspire us. Reading an article about how to do something theoretically and watching a person actually doing it can make the difference, it is more real and relevant, we feel a sense of belonging and understanding. With all this in mind, it’s no wonder that marketers are using videos to help people connect with their brands, services, and products, and this is why now is the time for your institution to adopt a similar strategy!
With educational institutions specifically in mind, videos can help connect your audience to an emotional experience of what it might be like to study with you. A seminal systematic study in 1999 concluded that emotional connection is the driving force in effective marketing, and the medium of video has all the potential you need to do this.
It would be a challenge to communicate the breadth and depth of content and emotions associated with these videos, through the simple medium of text or imagery. These media, of course, are necessary and are central in conveying the key information your audience need to know to make a decision about engaging further with you. Video marketing goes further in triggering emotional responses to rich media content and narratives that align with our own aspirations and motivations. A detailed 2019 paper concluded that:
"Triggering changes the orientation of consumers toward selected services if he or she feels that the triggering video content provides additional value or creates an emotional experience. Thus, triggering can move them forward on the customer journey"
Alamäki, Ari & Pesonen, Juho & Dirin, Amir. (2019)
Videos are not an extra or an afterthought. They should be embedded within your marketing strategy and at its core. Website visitors do not share text with peers, but they will share video. Text and imagery have an important role to play, but the medium of video is where you can not only grab attention to showcase what you do, but help your audience engage with who you are.
With our team of experts, geNEOus (formerly NEO Academy) can help you to better engage with your leads, students or alumni, via innovative video content adapted to each target audience and platform. You don’t have the most advanced equipment or special cameras to film your upcoming video? Don’t worry, you don’t need any of that! We are here to help you during the whole process! From the ground up in a new strategic approach, or as a complement to your existing, we are experts in helping you connect through creative innovation and rich media narratives. One video, produced in the right way, might just change everything.
