Video Proves Most Popular for Multi-Platform Marketing Strategies

Brand marketers know they can't rely on just one type of communication these days to reach consumers. According to a survey run by The Manifest, video proves most popular as a marketing platform, followed by blog posts and research reports.

The Manifest is an online business guide, and it used Survata to survey 501 digital marketing professionals from U.S. companies with more than 100 employees. When asked what type of content they used to reach an audience, 72 percent said video, 69 percent said blog posts, and 60 percent said research and data. The next most popular methods were infographics, product reviews, and interviews.

"Videos are one of the most time-consuming and expensive content forms to produce, but they are becoming more and more essential for companies to break through the noise and reach consumers," says Kristen Herhold, who wrote a report based on the findings. "Many people don't have the attention span to read through an entire blog post, so using videos can keep them engaged with your content. If your company isn't using videos, chances are your competitors are, and they will have an easier time appealing to potential customers."

The report notes that different types of communications appeal to different types of people, so using a multi-platform strategy is a great way to engage a wider audience with the same message.

How come video proves most popular for marketers? Because it's engaging and entertaining, the report says. It also combines audio and visual components, which helps companies communicate their message. A good video can explain a challenging concept in an easy, colorful way, and entertain viewers at the same time.

"With video content, you can educate, entertain, and communicate a product and your company's values and culture," says Victor Blasco, owner and CEO of video content company Yum Yum Videos, quoted in the report. "Even when you are looking for information and data, you want to be entertained."

The survey found large companies publish marketing content more often: 62 percent of companies with over 5,000 employees publish material daily, while only 51 percent of mid-sized companies and 39 percent of small companies do the same.

Troy Dreier's article first appeared on OnlineVideo.net