There is no doubt that video has become an increasingly important marketing tool over the years. Think about it: doesn’t it seem like you’re constantly closing or scrolling through video ads on some of your favourite platforms and websites these days? If this hasn’t been your experience so far, then you may want to prepare yourself for the future. Cisco projects that video will account for over 80% of all consumer Internet traffic by 2022. 80%! It may be hard to avoid videos at a certain point!
Since this video trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, it’s causing a lot of people to wonder: where else should I try using video? Should I use video for my next business report? Honestly? It just might work! In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the factors you should consider when determining whether you should use video for your next business report.
What’s the Purpose?
One of the first things you should consider is the purpose of the report. What are you trying to achieve with this business report? Are you just looking to satisfy steakholders? Or do you want to turn it into a marketing opportunity that will also generate leads? Drive traffic to your website? Increase brand awareness? Once you know the purpose of the report, you can better determine whether video will help you achieve your goals.
For example, if you want to use your report to increase brand awareness or drive traffic to your website, then you may benefit from creating an SEO-optimized video. SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s important if you want your website to appear near the top of SERPs (search engine results pages). This means ensuring that your video is properly tagged and titled, as well as transcribed so that it can be picked up by search engines.
What’s the Message?
Another important factor to consider is the message of your report. What information are you trying to communicate? Is it complex information that would be better conveyed through visuals, or is it simpler information that can be easily communicated through text?
If you’re dealing with complex information, then video might be a good option. This is because visuals are often more effective than text when it comes to communicating complex ideas. In fact, research shows that our brains are wired to process visuals nearly 60,000 times faster than text! So if you’re looking to communicate something that requires a lot of explanation, you may have better luck doing so in video.
Who’s the Audience?
Another important factor to consider is the audience of your report. Who are you trying to reach with this information? Are they decision-makers who need to be convinced of something? Or are they simply looking for information?
For example, if you’re trying to reach decision-makers, then video might be a good option. Research shows that video may be more believable than text, so it may hold some more convincing power than a simple written report.
Case Study: OBIAA
One of our clients is The Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA). They have contracted BFresh.Media to create several reporting videos, multiple years in a row.
OBIAA is responsible for managing the Digital Main Street Program. This is a Provincially and Federally funded grant program to enhance the digital marketing of businesses all across Ontario. OBIAA has hired us to create many videos starting with testimonials of businesses who have gone through and benefitted from their funding program. This means we have lots of footage to use to create their reporting videos each year.
Much like the testimonials, the Business Report Videos are meant to showcase the impact and success of the program for funding partners and government steakholders. The video always accompanies the release of a written report that they are required to provide and summs up the content in a succinct and entertaining way. Plus we always match the design and much of the language to that written report as well.
The secondary purpose of the vidoes is to continue promoting the program to a broader audience. They inspire more business owners to apply for the grant funding and supports. Here are 4 examples of those Digital Main Street Reporting Vidoes:
Need help creating videos for your business? Contact BFresh.Media today to discuss your next project!
