Content is King but Context is Queen

In social, video content is king, but storytelling is queen.

I have said before that content is king and context is queen, but to put a finer point on it for 2019, video content is king and storytelling is queen. The facts speak for themselves regarding the growth of video content in social media and beyond.

  • Facebook has over 8 billion video views per day
  • Social videos generate 1,200% more shares than text and image content combined
  • Mobile video consumption rises by 100% every year
  • Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text
  • By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017

So, we are all on board for more video content, sold. However, video content varies widely and has gone from 60 seconds to 30 seconds to 15 seconds to 6 seconds and back to some content at 60+ seconds. How can you tell a story in 6 seconds and what kinds of stories should brands be telling at 60+ seconds?

Storytelling is important because that is where the emotional connection between consumers and your brand happens.

How do brands decide what story they should tell, how long should it be and on what platform? We have broken down some of these content decisions for you below.

6 second video content — The first image should be brand identity and then one message or one takeaway. Simple humor works well in this format as entertaining people and making them laugh can form strong emotional connections.

15–30 second video content — Think about Tasty-style videos, something that shows you step-by-step instructions, breaking something complex down into something simple, or an infographic that builds throughout the video. Content that’s informative but easy to digest.

30–90+ second video content — The brand story, why I as a consumer should care about your brand and how I can see myself in your brand. Don’t rush this story — if content is engaging and very relatable, people will watch and connect emotionally. With all that being said, every video you produce shouldn’t be 60+ seconds because sometimes people just want to watch a fun and joyful 6-second clip of a ketchup bottle that burps.

Ask yourself, are these videos engaging, entertaining, educational, empathetic?

Decide the length that works for your brand goals and message. Is it informative? Is it for creating awareness? Keep in mind that consumers consume video content fast and have a-ha moments quicker with video than with text and still images.

As video content is on the rise, influencers have taken notice. A recent study found that brands saw an average earned media value of $6.85 for every $1 spend on influencer marketing programs.  Influencer video content can be an extremely effective way to deliver a message that resonates with your target audience in a cost effective manner.

Maybe you don’t have to tell the whole story, but you do need to tell a story. Video content rules our feeds but is it staying with you, are you sharing it, do you feel inspired? Create content that leaves a lasting impression.

Sources: Facebook, YouTube, Google, Insivia, G2, Burst Media

Stacey Wynia

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