Video content is everywhere. 

From social media, websites, and podcasts, to livestreams and webinars, video content has infiltrated nearly every aspect of the B2C and B2B customer journey. According to a survey of over 1,700 global marketers, short form video delivers the highest ROI of any content format. The impact of video content is so exceptional that survey respondents said it’s where they plan to increase their investment in the immediate future. 

According to the survey, video content – in particular, short form video content – is so powerful because it aligns with expectations about what content should look and feel like, and how it should be consumed. Today, many consumers prefer content that’s visually engaging, quick to ingest, and easy to understand. Short form video content fits this bill perfectly: Per Hootsuite, a whopping 73% of consumers prefer short-form videos to other formats when they’re searching for products or services. 

In this article, we’ll dive more deeply into the power of video content to influence the shopping experience, and explore how visual storytelling can change the way you connect with your audience. We’ll also review exactly how you can leverage this revolutionary content format for maximum impact. 

Infuse video content throughout the entire customer journey for maximum impact

It’s no secret that high quality video content can have a major impact on the shopping experience. One comprehensive survey found that 51% of people are more likely to purchase a product if they can watch a video of the product. Further, 36% of shoppers said that brands who use video content to advertise or explain their product are more trustworthy than those who don’t. And when it comes to shopping or searching on social media, shoppers revealed that videos can have a huge influence on their buying habits, with 59% of respondents stating that video content is likely to influence their purchasing decision, compared to 41% for an image-only post. And of course, YouTube remains an incredibly powerful channel, particularly for brands selling technology: when asked what type of product they use YouTube review videos for, 72% of customers identified ‘technology’ ahead of any other category. 

These statistics clearly underscore the importance of video content to shoppers, and highlight just how critical it is for brands to infuse video content throughout the entire buying journey. To that end, it’s vital that exposure to video content doesn’t stop the moment a customer walks into a physical store. In order for brands to truly get the most from their video content, the customer should have access to it throughout the entire buying process, straight through to the moment of purchase. 

Video content is a key element of the retail technology revolution 

So-called retail tech is changing the shopping game, and video content – including kiosks, digital screens, digital walls, virtual dressing rooms, and more – is a key part of this revolution. 

The effectiveness of digital signage in a retail environment is well-established: when brands use digital signage, they see an exponential increase in sales, and dynamic digital displays capture nearly 400% more views than static displays. But more than simply capturing views, digital signage is actually proven to improve audience recall of content: according to one survey, digital displays can double audience information retention. Given the numerous ways that digital signage can be used in a retail environment, this gives brands a huge opportunity to reach their audience, and share their most important content.

In stores, digital signage can be used to advertise digital promotions, and to attract and engage customers, ultimately creating more opportunities for upselling, cross-selling, personalisation, recommendations, and in-the-moment buying. And by integrating short-form video content into their digital signage, brands can fully harness the power of visual storytelling, and deploy content that’s all but guaranteed to reach their customers, and drive business success. 

Leverage video content in-store to get (and stay) ahead of the competition

Until relatively recently, video content was considered supplementary to a customer’s shopping or buying experience, particularly in-store. But today, video content is an incredibly powerful tool that’s doing much more than simply supporting customers along their journey; it’s actively shaping consumer behaviour, and driving purchasing decisions. 

Brands that find ways to leverage video content across all customer touchpoints are poised to get – and stay – ahead of the curve as retail technology continues to evolve. To be as effective as possible, video content must be utilised in store – not just online – so that customers remain engaged and informed straight through to the point of purchase. 

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Yodeck understands the power of video content to influence shopping behavior. With features and functionality that make creating, scheduling, and managing video content incredibly easy and fast, Yodeck offers retail brands a unique opportunity to enrich their customers’ shopping experience, and create more opportunities for sales. 

To learn more about how Yodeck, the first and only intelligent digital signage platform, can support your retail business, just visit this page. 

*Katie Rose Hester is a senior content strategist and writer working with product-led businesses bringing interesting, helpful innovations to market.