Steve Jobs once said that customers don’t know what they want until it’s been shown to them. The late entrepreneurial pioneer used this to Apple’s advantage, identifying a problem and solving it in the simplest, most approachable manner possible. The success of this method is unquestionable – Apple fast became the world’s most valuable company.
You might have the best product in the world, but if customers don’t know how it will improve or simplify their lives, they will not buy into it. This concept forms the core of advertising and marketing, but is often neglected when it comes to constructing a company website. Incredibly, nine out of ten startups fail – primarily for failing to market their product to customers.
It’s crucial that visitors to your website can quickly understand what your business does and why they need your product or service. There are few ways of doing this that are quite as effective as a video case study. Here are just a few of the many ways that case studies can help your business to flourish:
Grab the viewer’s attention
The average attention span of an internet user is just 8 seconds – less than that of a goldfish. Furthermore, it takes just ten seconds for a visitor to decide whether they’re going to stay on your webpage.
When people click onto your homepage, what will they see that will encourage them to stay? Some companies locate their case study videos on a dedicated page of their site, but why would you take the time to create a stunning case study video and not put it in pride of place?
Video content is designed to attract attention. 60% of site visitors will watch video content before reading copy, largely because visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the human brain than text.
Convey complex information
A video case study can help demonstrate concepts or actions that are difficult to write about succinctly. They are also far less intimidating than a huge block of text, even one that’s broken up with images. If written case studies are pushing 1,000 words, it’s unlikely that many readers will even make it to the end.
Using animation or real life demonstrations can help companies convey complex information in a way that’s concise, easy to understand and (hopefully) entertaining for the viewer. For example, Samsung recently used animation to create entertaining content for some relatively dry statistics, portraying them in a colourful and easily digestible way to hold the viewer’s attention.
Establish your company as a leader in your field
A video case study can put a professional, human face on your business and convince visitors that you are skilled in your particular field. According to video production company TellyJuice, case study videos are a great way to prove your credibility and appoint your company as thought leaders.
Establishing your company as an industry leader means that people won’t just visit your site to learn more about your product or service, they’ll visit to learn more about the industry as a whole. Furthermore, the flexible nature of video means that it can stretch far beyond the confines of your site through platforms such as social media.
Tell a well-rounded, complete story
With a video case study you can take the time to frame your product or service in the context of a real, human story. Building an emotional connection with potential customers is vital. Harvard Business Review researchers found that “emotionally connected” customers are more likely to be more profitable and loyal than “highly satisfied” customers.
An attractive, attention grabbing video case study can also help you upend popular misconceptions about your product. A good example is this video by Xero, an accounting software company. The video serves not only to tell a story, but also to help explain the slightly complex nature of the product in a way that’s simultaneously quirky and entertaining.
Creating a video case study for your business can help you grab the attention of customers, flex your storytelling muscles and show off your unparalleled knowledge of your product and industry. Most importantly, in the highly competitive world of business, a video case study can be the element that sets you apart from the competition.
