Show, Don’t Tell: 3 Ways to
Add Value with Video

Online video is booming, and it’s no surprise. We all know that the motion picture is a powerful medium for communicating messages, evoking feelings and influencing attitudes. But it’s only in recent history that video-sharing services, increased bandwidth, and highly capable smart phones have created incredible opportunities for businesses to incorporate online video into their websites.

Many organizations are interested in adding video to their websites because of its marketing potential. If yours is one of them, it’s important to make sure that video provides real value to your users and isn’t used for the sake of being trendy or crossing off an item on website checklist. So this month, we’ll discuss how online video can add value to your organization’s website.

Offer help. Online video is a great way to share your organization’s expertise with users, especially in situations where it’s easier to show than to tell. For the recent redesign of the Gentle Giant Moving Company’s website, Gentle Giant produced a 'Pack Like a Pro' video series. The series of videos instructs users on how to pack in the most organized manner, the best ways to pack different types of items, and what types of boxes to use. This type of assistance not only provides a clear benefit to the user, but makes Gentle Giant’s work easier as well, since customers who view these videos will be properly packed when Gentle Giant shows up for the move. If there are certain questions your organization’s constituents are always asking or issues that constantly seem to come up, online video may be the best way to offer your audience help.

Demonstrate. It’s difficult to explain how some products work or what some services involve using words or even images. In this case, video demonstrations can be a great addition to an organization’s website. When Palomar Medical Technologies launched a new site in January, it included short videos, showing potential buyers how treatments work. Online video demonstrations can also include animations or charts, which can help explain how a complicated business model works or how a non-profit accomplishes its mission. Video demonstrations help audiences to be less intimidated by products or services that they don’t completely understand, increasing the likelihood that they will decide to move forward by making a purchase or contacting your organization.

Tell a story. Many organizations have areas of their websites dedicated to testimonials or case studies. Online video can make these stories come to life, providing users with a deeper understanding of your organization’s work. The University of Phoenix has done a great job of incorporating video testimonials into its site, which feature students sharing stories about their lives and educational experiences. While the written word can be powerful, a video testimonial can add a more personal touch and make a story more relatable. Video testimonials and case studies benefit the user by providing them with more engaging information and a better understanding of your organization. Your business can benefit from online video testimonials as well, since this kind of user engagement increases the likelihood that visitors will become involved with your organization.

Online video is an incredibly powerful and increasingly popular medium, which continues to grow. Over 86% of the total U.S. population watched online video in 2009 and the duration of the average video grew by about 40 seconds as well, according to comScore’s 2009 U.S. Digital Year in Review report. These impressive numbers indicate that it’s important for organizations to create online videos that provide value, rather than creating them simply because we can. Otherwise organizations risk turning users off from watching their videos, in which case you’ll be missing out on the incredible potential of this medium. If your organization is considering adding video to your web presence, remember to approach the idea from a user-centric perspective, because by putting users first and providing them with value, you’ll ultimately drive results for your organization.

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