They say a picture is worth 1000 words, but how much is a video worth? The value of video goes beyond basic ROI calculations. After all, a single explainer video can be the catalyst that launches a billion dollar business.
Ever heard of Dropbox? If you have, it’s because that one explainer video had effects that rippled out to today.
Many marketers have tried to find the value of video. On YouTube’s official blog, Troy Olson and Jeff Loquist of ShoppersChoice wrote, “If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million!”
They were pointing to how value helps amplify their message and build their brand. And many marketers are likely to agree. But it’s possible to get even more specific.
The Value of Video: A Scientific Approach
Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester took a more measured approach to calculating the value of video. In his study, How Video Will Take Over the World, he wrote that “Video is worth 1.8 million words.”
That’s words per minute, by the way. You’re packing 1.8 million words of information into every minute of your video. To put that in perspective, 1.8 million words is roughly 3,600 pages of text. That’s the equivalent of reading the entire Lord of the Rings series, 3 times!
This might sound like a random number, but there’s real math behind it. It all comes down to the number of shots in an average video. Let’s consider the formula.
Why Video is Worth 1.8 Million Words – By The Numbers
Video is Worth 1.8 Million Words
McQuivey’s equation looks something like this:
- 1 picture = 1,000 words
- Video shoots at 30 frames per second*
- Therefore, 1 second of video = 30,000 words
- 30,000 words x 60 seconds (a common explainer video length) = 1.8 million.
*There is some variation in these numbers. Video frame rates can actually vary between 24 fps all the way up to 120 fps. So there may be more or fewer frames per second in any given video.
You might be thinking, sure, but I don’t experience every individual image when I’m watching a video so why are we counting every frame?
Although you may not process every detail of every image, you take in a lot more subconscious information than you might think. Scientists generally accept that the human eye can process images at up to 60 fps and some studies go even higher.
So if the best length for a video is around 1 minute, you’re looking at 1.8 million words of value for every video you post.
What 1.8 Million Words Can Do For Your Brand
The best way to prove this theory is to look at the real impact of video on marketing results. There’s a reason why 89% of businesses use video marketing. Here are a few of the goals video helps them reach.
1. Improve Brand Recall and Educate Customers
Research says that people remember what they see better than what they read or hear. One study found that adding pictures to audio helped people retain 65% of the information three days later. By comparison, people who only heard the voiceover remembered just 10%.
Hubspot research also found that 80% of customers remember a video they viewed in the last month. Video is just better than text or still images alone.
2. Increase Engagement With Marketing Messages
Micro video content continues to drive social media. Users of social media sites spend significantly more than half their time on site engaging with video. That’s why Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have all invested heavily in video functionality over the last decade.Then, of course, there’s TikTok, which is built entirely on short-form video.
Websites see better engagement with video too. One MarketingProfs study found that the average user spends 88% more time on a website if it has video. Wistia found similar results when comparing their pages with video to those without.
Video can cram everything you want to say into just a few seconds. As more people watch more videos on mobile devices, this format has become the default way to communicate information and engage audiences.
3. Build Consumer Trust in Your Brand
If you want consumers or B2B buyers to trust you, video might be the tool you’ve been looking for. About 70% of shoppers said video helps them understand what they’re buying. About 48% said videos make them feel more confident in their purchases.
In short, people like to see what they’re going to buy. If they can’t physically touch it in a store, watching a video is the next best thing.
Video may be even more valuable when the product is a service or experience. Testimonials and case studies reassure shoppers that the service or experience will meet their needs.
How to Find the Value Of Video For Your Brand
High quality, marketing and explainer videos are incredibly valuable. People want helpful content that can answer their questions in seconds, and video is still the only way to do that.
Read more on how you can calculate the ROI for your video. Or, learn by watching Will’s five-video series on Calculating ROI. You can also download our free eBook for tips on how to succeed with animated video.
Ready to make a high-value video for your brand? Whether it’s in 2d animation, 3d animation, whiteboard or mixed media we can help. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.
