The Internet has enabled an information explosion. Anyone can find out more about virtually every topic under the sun if they have online access and the patience to learn. These nuggets of information come in various formats from text-based articles to video presentations — all of them just a click away. Numerous studies have found that people prefer the latter over the former. In fact, YouTube is one of the most popular sites with over a billion hits per month. YouTube viewers like watching videos instead of reading articles for the following reasons:
Visual Learning
Most people are able to understand things better when the information is given to them through visual means. It’s better to show them a picture of what you’re trying to describe than use a thousand words to elaborate on a concept. A video with moving images and accompanying audio is even better as a person watching can see and hear the explanation. Videos are particularly effective for product demonstrations and step-by-step guides. It’s easier to follow along when you see how things actually work.
Entertainment
Words are incredibly powerful but they do require quite a bit of imagination. You need to piece the things that you read inside your head. On the other hand, videos are right there on the screen showing you every single detail as plainly as possible. Both your eyes and ears are engaged while the clip is being shown so there is less of a chance for your mind to drift away. Editors can add effects or content to make things even more entertaining. In fact, videos are so good at this that countless clips have become viral with thousands or even millions of views. People want to share them with others because they are so good.
Time Factor
Articles, especially the long ones, can take quite a bit of time to read. Most site visitors do not have the patience or the luxury of time to sit down and go through all the paragraphs one by one. They will scan the headers to see if it worth their while and leave if it isn’t. With videos, you know from the start how long the clip will take to watch. You can schedule it at a more convenient time and be certain that you will be finished after a few minutes.
Decision Making
Finally, videos are the closest to a product that buyers can get when shopping online. That is why video reviews are so popular. They let people know the relative size of items and how they might perform in real life. By watching these, consumers become better informed about what’s on the market. They can compare and contrast items to a high degree which gives them confidence to make a purchase.
