What are the most influential forms of video content?

With the ever-growing presence of video sharing giants like YouTube and Vimeo, the expansion of video marketing is one of the most effective ways for brands to connect directly with their audience. Video content has the ability to engage and entertain viewers in a way that text would often struggle to compete against, but with 300 hours of video being uploaded to YouTube every minute, even quality content can struggle to stand out from the crowd. A recent study conducted by video production company Hyperfine Media revealed what viewers engage with the most.

The results conclude that product review is the UK’s most influential form of video content, ranking in first place, with 35% of people. With 20% of all votes, product-launch videos are well received, with a product’s launch being one of the easiest time to garner attention and create viral buzz.

As the circle of online influencers continues to grow, the effect of endorsement via valued social media moguls is unfounded, with customer testimonials ranking in at third place with 15% of all votes. Funny/entertaining videos are in at fourth place, with 13% of all votes. The importance of creating a positive brand association is most easily optimized by creating the kind of content that entertains the audience, which is reflected in the influence that funny/entertaining videos can have on consumers.

With the ever-growing mass of video content shared online, branching out into the less-dominated areas of video advertising could prove fruitful. With instructional videos ranking in only 7% of all votes, the room for development in this area is much stronger than the higher scoring choices. A clear concentration on instructional videos for things that are often difficult to teach through written tutorials is a method content creators should use to optimise the content in this area. Animation videos received a mirrored 7%, leaving them joint in final place with instructional videos, opening up a similar niche for unique and powerful content. The benefits of animation videos include the absence of limitations as to what can be produced, removing the usual constraints that are often dictated by time, budgets and practicality.

When targeting your chosen audience, it’s important to consider which form of video content would be most effective. Video marketing is full of potential, with creative and effective content expressing a clear view of the product or service, whilst retaining the valued essence of viewer attention and engagement.

Methodology

Hyperfine Media conducted a survey of over 1,400 people across the UK asking “which online video most influences your decision to buy?”. The research was performed using the Toluna survey platform and included respondents from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Written by Garth Haley, corporate videographer, editor and animator at Hyperfine Media