Video vs. Written Word

With the rapid evolution of electronic media being used in marketing, it has me wondering if the use of written words will decrease for marketers. My thinking is that we are living in a video world and it is becoming easier for marketers to deliver spoken messages rather than just written messages. With the use of Vlogs, podcasts and streaming media, the possibilities are endless for marketers, even those for small companies. This evolution of marketing also has some implications for marketers in terms of the types of skills that they will need.

A vlog is basically a video blog and as Lessson 6 in my class states “Vlogs can either be used as a small part of an existing Web campaign, or as the main feature. The number one reason to vlog? Publicity. Many video clips get press attention. Further, video clips often get linked to by bloggers – another great way to generate traffic at no cost” (Lesson 6).

The use of a vlog allows people to give their thoughts in spoken word where they can use emotion more than they can with a traditional blog. This form of media is great for public speakers and probably not so good for pure writers. It takes a different type of skill to produce an effective vlog vs. blog. It’s similar to the difference between a great public speaker and a great writer, some people can do one or the other very well but few people are good at speaking and writing. It’s a different mind set and skill set for both forms of communication. The best marketers will be able to utilize both

Video is becoming a must for businesses as Holloway states in the December 2008 issue of Entrepreneur magazine “Folks, it’s not just about You Tube anymore: Growing businesses must use video. Business websites with video directly translate to increased traffic, says Benjamin Wayne, founder and CEO of Fliqz, a provider of plug-and-play video solutions. “You unlock markets you never had access to.” (Holloway). The use of online video open many doors for small businesses who typically never had enough money to heavily advertise through traditional forms of media (TV, billboards, etc.). This helps level set the playing field somewhat.

Furthermore, the use of video marketing opens up opportunities for marketing agencies and on demand presentation software/services such as Brainshark (www.brainshark.com) which allows marketers to produce online presentations from their desktop while using their own voice. The days of the traditional media buy are probably coming to an end, and the use of written word will probably always be around but the times are changing and online video is driving the change. For marketers this means stay ahead of a curve that is curving very fast. The standards in video marketing aren’t quite known yet, but rather are being developed right now which makes it very exciting to be in marketing right now.

- Patrick

Lesson 6. IMC 619. West Virginia University.

Holloway, Lindsay. (2008, December). Trend: web. Entrepreneur. p. 68.