Video is the future. And it’s not just relegated to the confines of friend groups and social media followers – it’s the future of digital marketing, and consumer communication. It’s quick, it’s engaging, it’s honest. It’s hard to beat.
For restaurants, perhaps more than most other industries, this is a huge shifting of the tides. Much of their online presence – and thus, digital marketing effort – is centered around reviews. And traditionally, these have been text-based reviews. But, this is changing. Rapidly. And monumentally.
1. Video Content is being consumed at an ever-growing pace.
I know – you’re probably thinking “duh” right? This may seem like an obvious statement, but just how fast it has grown is pretty astounding. In 2018, video was consumers’ favorite type of content. Since then, the average number of hours spent watching video content went from 10.5 hours to 19 hours a week – nearly doubling. For the younger generations, having phones 24/7 is the norm. So much so that streaming companies are creating “second-screen content” because they know a large portion of their audience is watching their phone while also watching TV. The world is adapting to the wave of video consumption.
2. Video Content is the preferred way to learn
In the same study referenced above, Wyzol found that 96% of consumers had watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or a service. Digging further, they asked consumers how they preferred to learn about new products or services. And a resounding 73% said they’d prefer to watch a short video. The next closest preferred method? Text-based articles at 11% of consumers. The disparity between text and video is already glaring, and only continuing to widen.
3. Video is social media’s darling
Now if you didn’t say “duh” earlier, you’re definitely saying it now. Look no further than TikTok. The site rose to over 1 billion monthly users – rapidly – and other social media giants took note. (read: they were forced to take note). Now, video is shared at twice the rate of any other form of content on social media. Which, from a business perspective, means your chances of going viral, and putting your brand in front of millions, increases significantly when you use video. A fact confirmed by a Sprout Social Index that found video is the top form of content to reach social media goals.
4. Video is the most effective marketing tool
With all these trends showing society’s obsession with video, it should come as no surprise that video is the most effective tool throughout the marketing funnel. At the top, we’ve seen it can get you in front of more consumers than any other form of media. In the middle, it’s the preferred way by those consumers to learn about your service. So it tracks that a Wyzol study showed its effective at the bottom of the funnel as well, finding that 84% of consumers chose to use a product because of the brand’s video. In the same study, 80% of marketers say video has directly increased their sales. It truly is powerful across the customer’s entire journey with your brand. It’s undeniable that video is the future. But if we’re being honest, look at these stats – video is the present. Video is king. And video will continue to reign supreme for consumers, which means it must reign supreme for brands. That’s why juggernauts are shifting their marketing strategy and offerings to adapt – Instagram Reels, anyone? Which means that businesses in the hospitality industry, which base a large portion of their online presence on text reviews, will need to shift their focus. Away from text, and toward videos. Videos that show off their restaurant, their food, and their vibe. Because the wave of video content isn’t a trickle, it’s a tsunami – and any businesses swimming against it had better have one hell of a life jacket