Video vs. Image | Visual Storytelling

Advertisements are part of an ever evolving structure that is built on a foundation of change. In the 50s, it was appropriate and even expected for companies to advertise to women in order to make their lives in the kitchen easier, or how to manage a household and be able to bring their husbands a martini when he gets off work. The idea of ease was what they were encouraging-”buy this specific item to allow your house to be spic and span for your husband when he gets off work at 5pm”. The 60s were full of tongue-in-cheek whimsy, including a Volkswagen ad that had the caption of “It’s ugly, but it gets you there” on a model of the lunar lander. If you’ve seen the lander, you know exactly why they were able to label it as ugly. The 2000s had Sprint (a company that was bought out and eventually discontinued) and they had a very popular series of commercials that had the unnamed protagonist walking around various areas asking “Can you hear me now? Good.”. Service is everywhere for most phone companies today but what Sprint was offering was unique for the 2000s: MORE. They nailed the concept of “more”, even if all they offered was more service for cell phones. The point of advertising is to appeal to a grand audience, to gather the attention of the masses in order to bring them into the fold. Ads have changed over the years, and the reason for that falls solely on the introduction of one significant invention: the video camera, and subsequently, the video ad.

Picture ads, spreads in magazines, photos put on the bus stop bench, all have one thing in common: they’re static. There’s nothing wrong with static ads, especially within this concept! However, studies have proven that when it comes to social media, videos bring in a significant number of consumers over photo ads. Static image ads can bring in around 15% revenue, but compare that to a whopping 32% in purchase likelihood from video ads. That’s more than double, and the only thing that changed was the ad changed from one single static image or even multiple images to a video! This means that the video format is more engaging for the average consumer, which also leads to them venturing into your business with intention. This is just as much applicable to the food industry as much as it is in other sectors! How often do you come across an image of food that makes you salivate? Now apply that feeling to a video, one where they’re plating the delicious starter or a fantastic dessert. The best thing about video content is that it’s intentional, it can make the watcher want to participate and consume. Intentional means it can be tailored to your audience, which also means that you can figure out what they enjoy!

To clarify: ANY post is a good post. If you’re engaging, interacting with your audience, that is what matters! No matter the concept, however, targeted ads (including both photo and video) can increase a user’s want to purchase with each additional exposure increasing the likelihood by 56%. For example: you post a video of a scrumptious custard being brulee’d in real time and it gets heaps of engagement. What is the best way to ensure you keep the momentum going? Hint: it isn’t with a photo of your next karaoke night. Follow up with a new video! Consider this: Chili’s got a new marketing strategy for 2024 onward. They put a huge promotion out for the now famous appetizer the “triple dippers”: select three appetizers for one low price. You get to try a little bit of everything and don’t have to pay full appetizer prices. The mozzarella cheese pull became synonymous with the brand, and they saw sales for the app double over the course of the year. Marketing played a huge part in that, including one integral concept: videos. Social media caused Chili’s appetizer to go from earning only 7% of their sales to 14%, and it all came down to the way they got people interested. UGC (user-generated content) performs better across the board, as it encourages a level of authenticity and familiarity between the business and its’ patrons. Be consistent with a post schedule, draw in your followers with content unique to you and your brand.

It can be very difficult to keep up with a burgeoning business AND social media accounts; we get it! Time is harder to spend than money, as it’s a precious commodity. Our team and services can be a valuable resource that allows you spend your time how you want.