Will Video Replace Written Content in Marketing?

Olivia Smolder | January 15, 2018

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Is it time to abandon written content in favor of everything visual?

Video has been hogging the spotlight for some time now, and it feels a little like written content might get left behind. If people prefer visual content and scientifically learn better from it — why not scrap all text-based information and throw ourselves completely into video marketing? Easy does it, content marketers. That question was a teaser! The truth is, the written word will never be replaced; at least not in our lifetime. Instead, marketers need to get extremely good at balancing both forms of content.

The most obvious reason why written content is irreplaceable?

Search Engines

Search engines control so much of what we do on the web and yet, they are remarkably limited in how they read content. Search engines use web crawlers to index content so it can quickly and easily be retrieved based on search queries. True, video can be optimized for SEO (we tell you how in this blog) but text-based content filled with links, keywords, meta data and on-page optimization is still the best way to get search engine attention.

But the debate about content’s fate goes well beyond the way the web works. Marketing is a social science, which means people will always be a driving force in the decisions we marketers make.

Content = Control

Video is wildly popular because it’s entertaining and it does all the work for us. Video tells us what to see, what to feel, what to hear, how to interpret what we see and hear…there’s little left to question after watching a well-produced video. On the other hand, content requires effort. It’s a deliberate, active type of engagement that demands full attention and leaves a lot more room for interpretation. The reader also has more liberty to decide how information makes them feel, what information looks like, and how the narrator intends the information to sound (cue inner voice).Depending on the type of person you are, and the reason for your web browsing, video might not always be the preferred medium for information. For example, if your audience member is making a significant financial or life decision, they might prefer text-based content because it requires them to focus and think critically, and it substantiates the message. But if your audience member is leisurely browsing for offers and entertainment, they will undoubtedly opt for a video over written content.

Fact: Content Marketing Requires Both Video and Text for Success

The bottom line is this: your audiences want both forms of content when navigating the web and interacting with your brand. If you skip out on one, it’s like ‘flipping the bird’ to a substantial percentage of your current and potential followers. How are you supposed to know what form of content to serve? Unfortunately, there is no exact science. Like all marketing decisions, you must take several factors into consideration, including who your audience is, where they spend time online, what they need, and what they want. Below is a general guideline to help get you on the right track:

Video	Text
Top-, middle-, and bottom-funnel campaigns	Top-, middle-, and bottom-funnel campaigns
Best for evoking feelings and emotions to solidifying the brand/buyer bond.	Best for provoking critical thought and positioning your brand as an authority figure.
Social media channels	LinkedIn and reputable digital publications
Complex topics	For products or services with consequential implications.
For mobile and desktop audiences	For desktop audiences

Your best bet is partnering with a video marketing agency. We have a sixth sense about how and when to incorporate video into your content marketing strategy. The right video marketing agency is a social science expert and will also help you better understand what your target audience wants and needs from your brand. This, after all, is the secret to knowing what type of content to serve up.

Check out this blog for more information: Before you Reach Your Audience, You Must Understand Them.

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