We all know that video is the most engaging of formats. And we all know it’s a must have these days when it comes to communicating with consumers and learners alike. But, at the same time creating video content can seem like a labour intensive process. Wouldn’t it be easier and more cost-effective to get it down as text. People still read right? With this in mind it’s important to take a step back and think about the benefits of video.
At Carrot, we use a wide range of video content from live capture to animation to engage and enthuse our audiences. In this piece we’ll take a quick look at what video can do to add value for learners and the business and why video is being hailed as ‘the medium of the moment.’
The Video Case For Learners
It’s engaging
This might be the obvious one but video really is more engaging that text based resources. In a recent study, 83% of L&D leaders recognised increased engagement from their students. That’s not to say text doesn’t have its place, for example we know written guides are key as revision tools when it comes to compliance courses. It’s about a mix of different resources in what we call blended learning.
Knowledge retention
Video greatly increases knowledge retention. Put simply, people remember more of what they see and hear in video when compared to written content. Our brains are wired to respond to sound and movement. Studies show that our central cortexes retain these moving visual stimuli to a greater extent than words. And that’s why I can quote Shrek much more than Shakespeare. At Carrot we often find tying complex information to standardised and repetitive animation content has a significant impact on knowledge retention.
Shareability
Videos can not only be watched on mobile devices, it's easy to send them to other learners. Hosting video content in a resource library (something we include in the Carrot LMS) allows learners access to snackable learning content to watch anywhere. It encourages collaboration and social learning.
The Video Case For Your Business
Okay, we know what you’re thinking. That’s all well and good, but video isn’t costly? Are the learner benefits worthwhile when taking into account the impact on the business? Well let’s deal with that one first:
Cost efficiency
When learners are learning they’re often not carrying out their primary role in the business. And whilst we know learning is key to what employees want and need these days, the truth is, the more time spent on training the more it costs the business in the short term at least. That’s where video comes in. Video content, when deployed correctly, cuts through the noise and gives your learners the key information quicker than text based resources. The quicker learners can progress through the training the quicker they can get back into the market and put those new skills to the test, increasing productivity overall.
Re-usability
This one’s often overlooked. We sometimes think that once we’ve got our finished video that’s the end of the road content-wise. Not true. There’s a multitude of ways video content can be reused. Take a 60 second explainer video, we can cut this into four 15 second shorts to create a micro-learning course. This is especially the case for animations. At Carrot we encourage our clients to create a suite of bespoke stock animation assets that can quickly be re-modelled for different content.
Video content is also easily localised. It’s often a question of swapping out a voice over and some on screen text. Again animation is great here. With animation it’s easy to create a look and feel with a broad international appeal that resonates with a range of audiences.
To see some examples of Carrot’s how-to content, book a demo with the animation team drop us a line at info@wearecarrot.co.uk
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