With approximately 65% of the world being visual learners, it comes as no surprise that businesses and individuals alike have turned to media streams, such as video, to share their knowledge and voice.

That said, let’s take a trip down memory lane and see just how the use of video has progressed as a learning and communications tool.

Video became pervasive in 2006, a year that was once given the title, “Year Of Video”. During this time, video was mainly used as an entertainment outlet, with comedic YouTube videos being the hot topic. Fast forward a decade when social platforms were peaking. This era unveiled many video options and applications, including live video, streaming, and supporting videos that took the world by storm.

Today, video saturates the online world with applications being utilized at every turn. What was once a way to share content for entertainment purposes has become a media realm for expanding the growth of a business and reaching large numbers of people once deemed unreachable.

When video first became all the rage, many of us plugged our ethernet cables in and waited for what seemed like forever to watch various comedy skits, online news, or simply to follow along with our favorite online personalities. They were mostly produced for video sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vevo, and Google Video.

That changed in 2007 when Netflix launched a video streaming platform, mostly for entertainment purposes. 2012 gave light to Vine, a social media platform allowing users to share up to 6-seconds of video per vine. Many people saw this as a great way to share their creativity and expertise beyond just YouTube.

Between 2013 and now, many platforms have added video functions to their roster of capabilities. Although there were a handful of individuals making money off of YouTube in the early days, the normality of this dynamic wasn’t as obvious as it is today. Businesses started weighing in on the capabilities of videos and the massive potential reach. Many highly regarded businesses have added it to their marketing strategies. Today, video goes beyond solely a media style for entertainment purposes. Businesses and individuals alike are now using videos for a plethora of purposes.

In its original form, video was seen solely as a distribution outlet for entertainment. As it progressed throughout the years, video has made its way into the business world and has been a catalyst for corporate development. The cohesive bond between video and social media has allowed businesses to flourish and explore their heightened market penetration.

WHY SHOULD YOUR BUSINESS UTILIZE VIDEO IN SOCIAL MEDIA?

According to Oberlo, 85% of internet users watch online video content monthly (daily?) with various devices. That number is certainly substantial. Viewers in this percentile are watching entertainment videos to educational videos and everything in between. In regards to the disruption of video within social media, studies show that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from businesses and brands online. The increase in demand has turned the heads of many businesses as an influx of online video content has grown.

Consumers tend to look for:

  • Knowledge: Something they can learn from the video
  • Authority: The video projects confidence throughout
  • Trust: The video showcases personality
  • Actionable: Something they can take away from the video

Understanding WHY video is important for businesses is crucial. Just as important is for businesses to understand how they can use this medium.

Here are some of the implementations:

  • Video can be incorporated into ads to get a message across in a more simplistic manner and to attract the attention of new individuals.
  • They can be utilized within social posts to expand a business’s efforts, as well. A lot of businesses are testing the waters when it comes to live video/streaming; this form of delivering video content gives a very authentic feel and allows viewers to feel more connected with the brand.
  • Video has a complementary connection with social media and can aid in a business’s efforts to serve existing audiences while drawing the attention of new viewers. This, of course, generates more traffic and more profit. Aside from social media, video can be utilized in various other realms to connect with consumers and drive the quality of business overall.