If a picture is worth a thousand words, to quote the famous adage, then a video must be worth at least ten times that amount. And given the high quality of today’s video platforms, along with the wide range of devices that can play the content, video has become a key tool for improving CX.
Video can be used across a wide range of use cases and industries. The nature of the medium also allows the communication of attributes that do not always resonate through text, such as emotion, size, scale, or intensity. Further, usage statistics indicate that, in many cases, video is far more effective at conveying information than other methods.
Wyzowl, a provider of animated explainer videos released its annual State of Video Marketing survey, based on research with 813 marketing respondents in December 2020. According to the survey, people are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, including social media posts, blog posts/articles, and product pages. Furthermore, video remains a key priority for marketers with both usage and spending increasing slightly throughout 2020, and plans to increase again in the next 12 months. In 2021, 86% of businesses have used video as a marketing tool, increasing slightly from 85% in 2020.
One of the ways in which CX can be improved is through the use of explainer videos, which have seen huge success in recent years. Data from Wyzowl’s most recent survey indicate that a majority of people (94%) report watching explainer videos to learn more about a product, with 84% being swayed to make a purchase. Furthermore, about 8 in 10 people said that they have been convinced to purchase an app or piece of software because of a video.
When produced effectively, explainer videos are extremely useful because they present information in a visual format and can often provide a step-by-step guide to using a product or service that can be watched while the customer is interacting with their own product, serving as a one-to-one guide. Videos can be saved and re-watched, and can also incorporate a significant amount of detail, such as close-up shots of specific features and slow-motion frames to highlight challenging processes, and they can be watched on several devices (such as a tablet or smartphone).
Video can also be used across other use cases, with an end goal of improving the overall CX with the brand or service, as described below:
- Announce or Augment the Launch of New Products or Services: Video can highlight a product in action, or zoom in on specific or unique features that may not be apparent in a static picture. Videos that feature slick graphics and callouts are also more likely to be referenced by third-party sites, further expanding a brand’s reach.
- Augment Customer Support Efforts: In addition to a text-based knowledge base, video can be used to create tutorials, run through troubleshooting steps, and provide example use cases.
- Explain Company Decisions: Companies can often have executives discuss company decisions via video, which can more effectively convey the rationale for the decision and head off any criticism in advance by addressing contentious issues.
- Drive Customer Loyalty: Video featuring non-product-specific insights and information can position the company as a thought leader and informational resource. A mix of both everyday topics and influencer-driven content can keep users coming back for more, strengthening the connection with the brand.
- Deliver a Unique CX: Video can be used to conduct personal outreach to customers or personas, based on account milestones, product anniversaries, new feature sets, or other specific criteria. Video can be less formal and more natural than a typical text-based corporate response. If designed in conjunction with a marketing campaign, video can often generate a greater level of engagement than text or email outreach.
Video can be an effective tool to nurture and foster a stronger bond with customers, aiding with retention and reducing customer churn. Well-produced content can help provide better CX, and be leveraged to expand a company’s reach through viral shares of video content, across multiple channels (social media, SMS, web, and mobile), thereby amortizing the initial and ongoing production costs.
Author Information
Keith Kirkpatrick is VP & Research Director, Enterprise Software & Digital Workflows for The Futurum Group. Keith has over 25 years of experience in research, marketing, and consulting-based fields.
He has authored in-depth reports and market forecast studies covering artificial intelligence, biometrics, data analytics, robotics, high performance computing, and quantum computing, with a specific focus on the use of these technologies within large enterprise organizations and SMBs. He has also established strong working relationships with the international technology vendor community and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events.
In his career as a financial and technology journalist he has written for national and trade publications, including BusinessWeek, CNBC.com, Investment Dealers’ Digest, The Red Herring, The Communications of the ACM, and Mobile Computing & Communications, among others.
He is a member of the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP).
Keith holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Magazine Journalism and Sociology from Syracuse University.
