Trendy video or outdated text: what to choose for promotion in 2022

Sometimes it depends on who you're selling to.

Businessmen read, 50-year-olds watch TV

According to research, television viewing is 93% among the 55-59 age group primarily in the capital city.
Interestingly, the consistently high rates of reading audience are among wealthy people, business owners (65%).

Why videos are effective

A video creates a positive company image, presents the product to customers, gently nudges them to buy and boosts the site in search results, and that means engaged visitors, sales and profits. The advantages of video are:

• The process can be observed. For example, cooking pilaf, where "the rice should be crumbly" - it's more effective to show that rice than to give a verbal description of it;
• Time savings. You can watch the video at any time and in any place, and the timing of a particular video is the same for everyone - the speed of reading does not affect the viewing time.
• We see a person. In this case, the viewer penetrates the sympathy faster. For example, the speech of the head of the company in the video increases confidence in the brand.
• The video evokes strong emotions and experiences in the viewer.

Why text is effective
Sometimes, though, it's worth preferring text over video. And here's why:

• You can read anywhere and anytime without disturbing those around you.
• If it's a manual or a "tutorial," you may need to write down some important information. To do this you need to spend time - to pause the video, to catch the important points. In the end, you still have to write it down by hand.
• A professional video is more difficult to make than a text. It is necessary to think up a plot, to remove a few takes, mount the clip, plus do not forget about the additional cost of the video editor.
• Promoting your site in SERPs without text is impossible.
• Understand the usefulness of video can be the only way - to see it at least to the middle. In the case of the text, you can quickly run through the subheadings and assess its content.
• Text loads faster and saves traffic.

It should not be forgotten that people of the older generations (and this is the solvent audience) are used to reading, getting information from books, newspapers and other printed materials. Text is still important to them.

Who needs video content and for what

"Why should I talk on camera, they already know me," they don't. They may know me, but they will quickly forget me if I do not remind them of myself. A bolder competitor will come to the forefront and outshine you with cool content. Either way, it's hard to get into the frame, but it's worth doing to promote your personal brand.

Who needs the video format like air:

• Experts, coaches. People buy from people, no one is interested in faceless profiles, so the main task is to build trust with the audience, to show your expertise.
• Bloggers who want to become millionaires. Only in this way can you be "your own" for subscribers, to increase recognition.
• Business owners. Video attracts attention more than text. With a short video, you can remove objections about the product, and do it more emotionally than with a text. In addition, high-quality video is shared, which creates a viral effect.
• Online stores. It is proven that potential customers after watching a video on the product card, more often make a purchase, because they begin to trust more.

Who needs text and why

According to the American company Nielsen, 75% of users do not watch videos with sound. Accordingly, without a text background, the likelihood of missing important information increases.

What kind of specialists can't do without text:

• SEO copywriters. When writing text, they use key phrases that increase the probability that the article will reach the top.
• Internet marketers. Influence the behavioral factors of the audience with the help of a selling text. When you read it, it's as if you're nodding "yes," recognizing yourself and agreeing with the author.
• Journalists. To use psychological techniques that motivate the audience to the desired action. For example, clinging triggers in the text evoke fear, sympathy, pity...
• Coaches, online school experts. Correctly placed text in the presentation is better remembered and captures attention in just a few seconds.

Video and text capabilities

There are many formats of video content. Let's consider and compare those that are most often used for marketing purposes to text.

Demonstration. The purpose of the video is to introduce the potential client to the product. Give brief information. Timing is usually 5-7 minutes.

Example: Presentation of new models of Xiaomi brand, without the use of direct advertising.

Text in this case will be more like a transcript of a video, and without illustrations will be less informative. A video can show the product in dynamics and in action, while a text description may be incomprehensible.

• Teaching. The task is to show expertise in your business. Suitable for warming up a cold audience with the further goal of buying the product.

Example: a complex of yoga for beginners. Demonstration of working on the cervical collar zone and shoulder girdle.

Here, in terms of the degree of informativeness, video in most cases acts on a par with text. To emphasize this, we specifically gave an example of a video that is difficult to describe in words. But in the case of training, again, it's worth giving information that needs to be written down to have in front of you. In the text, the user will find the solution faster than in the video.

• Image. Such a video creates a certain attitude towards the product and arouses emotions. Sometimes these videos go viral, remembering the consumer for a long time and causing a desire to share.

Example: the viral video of the company PooPourri - air freshener.

Text does a worse job. Verbal images can be ambiguous or hackneyed, and this can be detrimental to promotion. In addition, such texts, people are not inclined to finish reading.

• Selling. Contains a strong motivational message, lead the viewer to the target action. Relevant to the use of sales tools, such as AIDA formulas and others.

Example: advertising brand Royal Canin. Here went over the sore points of kitten owners - brittle bones, immature immune system of pets - this food is necessary for them.

Texts of this nature still sell. And not bad. They warm up the audience well, intrigue and easily lead people to the expected action.

• Custom. Customer recommendations are an effective way of social proof. For example, a video review with unpacking products - a worthy alternative to text reviews. After all, videos can't be faked.

Example: brand LOL. Unpacking of mini-toys from Surprise collection, the task of which is to cause a storm of positive emotions, a desire to buy.

Yes, it's an alternative to a text review, but it's not a 100 percent replacement. Readers can quickly skim through the text, focusing on what's important to them, whereas they have to watch the video in its entirety. People won't watch a lengthy video all the way through. Amateur videos are often overlong and poorly shot.

Conclusion

The conclusion is clear - video and text are not interchangeable, and this is the answer to the main question of the article. They are not direct competitors. But the main observation is that text and video work better together: either text explains video, or video illustrates text. The optimal balance is being sought and found all the time. Therefore, acting in tandem, both promotion channels will help increase product sales at times. Completely displacing one of the formats with the other will only reduce the impact.