Obsessed with B2B marketing? You should be a PRO member! Join now at 25% off (or 50% off for teams).

Video's popularity on the social Web is just getting started.

I've been creating videos since 2007, the year Animoto's site launched and I started working for the company. Back then iPhones didn't even shoot video. Video was a novelty on the Web.

However, that has changed immensely. My newsfeed now is probably a lot like yours—lots of videos from friends, family, large brands, and small companies. I don't foresee the trend of increased video sharing on social to change in the years to come. (Neither does Facebook.)

Video may be a visual medium, but the growth in its popularity is also great news for writers.

Having seen thousands of consumer and business videos while working at Animoto these last few years, I can emphatically say that, in video marketing, writers have an advantage. Here's why.

1. Social media videos auto-play on mute

Most of the major social platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) autoplay video on mute in users' feeds. Because viewers can't hear what's going on, a company may find it hard to hook them right away.

Great copy can be a nice way to introduce that hook. You want your video to have an impact right at the start to improve completion rate of video or (at the very least) have a positive effect in the mind of consumers, even if they don't watch the video in its entirety.

As an example of just how effective and compelling great copy can be, check out this video from award-winning author and speaker, Bunmi Laditan. She created this humorous video about getting her toddler to eat a piece of toast. This was done in a very DIY style, without high-quality B-roll, images, or graphics. It's all about using text, working on mute, and taking the viewer on a journey propelled by simple images that show and words that tell. And the video captured over 31 million views.

The social web is an ecosystem that rewards videos with captions and text. For example, Facebook includes a caption feature for videos, underscoring the importance of text within videos on Facebook.

Enter your email address to continue reading

Why Video Marketing's Popularity Is Great News for Writers

Don't worry...it's free!

Already a member? Sign in now.

Sign in with your preferred account, below.

Did you like this article?
Know someone who would enjoy it too? Share with your friends, free of charge, no sign up required! Simply share this link, and they will get instant access…
  • Copy Link

  • Email

  • Twitter

  • Facebook

  • Pinterest

  • Linkedin


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

image of Becky Brooks

Becky Brooks is Customer Owner Team directore at Animoto, a Cloud-based video creation service that produces video from photos, video clips, and music into video slideshows.

LinkedIn: Rebecca Brooks