What makes instructional videos great for businesses?

 

Theres something about videos, particularly instructional and guiding ones that distribute information to its viewer. Maybe its got to with the format? Not everyone can read...but a lot of people can watch and listen. Today we'll look at the power of instructional videos and the benefit they give to businesses today.

Why videos? 

Videos offer a level of engagement you don't universally from any other format that shares information. It starts with the fact that our brain loves video because it is programmed to retain visuals better than words generally across the population. According to studies, viewers will remember 95% of a message when in video form in comparison to when read where retention is at 10%. Does this ring a bell? You remember things visually because that's how you see them. 

So whats this got to do with instructions? Well it's easier to remember instructions when they are visually presented to you instead of read to you. 

Maybe that's why theirs always images and visual's on instruction manuals?

Have you ever seen an instruction manual without visuals? I haven't that's for sure. 

Engagement Value

Video is an art medium in itself. It has the power to evoke emotion, create interpretations and present stories like an art piece, granted the videos content has weight to it. But what probably makes videos great is their sharability. 92% percent of mobile videos users share videos with others.  

The incentive to do so is simply because of how easy it is. Its a no brainer...I mean how easy is it to just go on Facebook right now, find a video and share with someone or a group of people. its a matter of seconds. 

Videos just have the ability of keeping the viewers attention and engaging them for potentially longer periods. 

Theres so many of them though, why do we still like them?

Good luck counting how many videos are out there. It seems everyday there are new platforms where videos can be posted on. But the truth is that their so easy to create. Almost anyone can pick up their phone and start filming. Its faster to produce than text. 

It's become effortless to create video content and its quite feasible for most people. 

There also quite personalized. You can'r replicate a video 100%. Theres always something different. There also so connected and related though. How many times have watched something on YouTube to then drown in an array of videos? 

Okay, so what about Instructional Videos? 

Well the thing about most instructional videos it that their free. You just go on YouTube and that's it. Your free to a library of videos depicting instructions for whatever your doing. This isn't exclusive to human behavior aswell.

A 2014 study found that when a group of marmosets were presented with unrecognizable fruit they could learn how to open it but just watching a video of other marmosets successfully opening it. They just watched a 'how to' video and learnt how to do something. Were just like the monkeys. 

Why should we read a long transcript on how to do something when we can just watch a short video? 

And for business?

Businesses today are usually pretty good at grappling what people in an effort to take advantage of marketing. Video content, particularly constructional content is so advantageous for a business its not even fair. Over 90% of shoppers surveyed by Swimwear Boutique found videos useful in making purchase decisions.

Customers look at videos before purchase decisions. And I'm sure you have to. Why wouldn't you? its so easy. Marketers know this and use videos because they are so powerful. Its some of the best content you can do. 

If you were a business owner, or maybe you already are, you would need more reason to not use video marketing than to use them. And instructional type video is of the highest engagement for any brand, company and business. 

Do you agree? Is there something else that makes these types of videos engaging i haven't mentioned?