Market inn answers, ‘Which is more engaging in social media marketing: image or video?’

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Having a visual element in your social media post is a no brainer.  Whether it’s an image, a video or an image carousel, visual posts get much more engagement than text only posts. But of the visuals, which is more engaging? Image or video?

An image is an instant and a video is not. As images are silent snapshots of one moment in time, in image-based social media posts it can be hard to relay a full message. These posts usually require the addition of some text to fully land your message. If that image and accompanying text fail to be sufficiently engaging, you could lose your audience. 

With videos, not everyone is going to stop in their super scrolling tracks to watch some of your video, let alone the entire thing. So if your video fails to be sufficiently engaging in the first three seconds, you could lose your audience.  

So neither image nor video comes without risk. But does one give you a better chance of reward than the other? Research suggests yes. And it’s video. Here’s why…

1. More attention grabbing
Human eyes are attracted to movement. Even when they’re looking through an orange pipe. Unlike still images, videos produce movement. Therefore videos naturally draw people’s attention.

2. More engaging
A recent report by mention found that video posts on Instagram generated twice as much engagement compared to image and carousel posts. With its movement, sound and length of time, video has great storytelling power. It is this emotional, storytelling element that makes video so engaging. 59% of company executives would rather watch a video than read an article or blog. People share video more than many other types of content. It is estimated that a whopping 92% of people who consume mobile videos share them with other people. Creating shareable content is important; it helps expand your reach online. 

3. More memorable
65% of people consider themselves to be visual learners. With video you are able to package the message or information that you want to communicate into a short narrative, which is both visual and auditory. Remembering a short story or a narrative is easier than remembering an image and text. Studies show that viewers retain 95% of a video’s message compared to 10% when reading text. Indeed, HubSpot found that 80% of customers remember a video they’ve watched in the past month. When a person remembers your video, they remember your brand, and that recall can translate into more leads for you.  

4. Increases intention to buy
Videos are powerful when it comes to the purchase decision making process. HubSpot found 90% of customers report that product videos help them make purchasing decisions. It also found that 64% of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it.

5. Boosts your website’s SEO
65% of business decision-makers visit a marketer’s website after viewing a branded video. You want to be driving people to your homepage to help improve your website’s SEO, and quality video marketing content can do just that. 

In conclusion, it’s clear that quality video marketing can reap great reward. But that doesn’t mean you need to rush to make every social media post a video one. There will be instances where an image may be better. Do some testing on your own channels with your visuals. Take similar types of posts and try one with an image and another with a video. See which gets better engagement from your audience. 

Ultimately, whether you choose an image or video for your social media post, the important thing is that you nail the message you want the audience to go away with. The choice you face is whether to communicate that in a silent snapshot or a video. The decision will come down to the particular message you want to communicate, what type of content your audience engages with best, and the resources you have available. 

Want some highly engaging video content to liven up your marketing? We can help you. Email us at [email protected] and let’s have a chat.