Why Video Should Be Part of Your Business White Papers

Why Video Should Be Part of Your Business White Papers:

Most of us enjoy watching YouTube videos, but should video be an integral part of a traditional white paper? I think so.

The primary story in my recently released January 2012 newsletter was called, “How to Use ‘Attention Grabbing’ Videos in Your White Paper“. In the article I discuss how integrated videos will become an increasingly popular component of ‘next generation’ white papers going forward as a way of attracting today’s younger, social media savvy reader to the medium.

If you like articles like this, and you aren’t a current subscriber, you should consider subscribing to “Short Attention Marketing Tips“. You can sign up here.

In the article, I reference a recent report called, “Eccolo Media 2011 B2B Technology Collateral Survey”, in which the CEO, Lorie Loe is featured in two short videos embedded in the PDF file, where she offers several marketing recommendations based on some of the findings in the report.

As I mentioned in the newsletter, these embedded videos got me thinking. Given the capabilities of the current version of Adobe Acrobat Professional coupled with the ease and simplicity of popular video editing tools such as iMovie and Camtasia Pro, any business writer could easily incorporate professional video snippets into their business white papers.

After reading my article, one subscriber named Mary Ann wrote me an interesting email message:

I seem to be a lone ranger on this, but I do not understand the emphasis on using video for online business purposes. Even if visuals are important to enhance understanding, they can be inserted without a video. And now you’re suggesting adding video to white papers. (That’s of course if they’re an electronic version.)

I’m a producer, so I know the value of the moving image to convey information and engage emotions, but as a businesswoman, I would never spend time watching a video to learn something I can scan in less time in print. Plus, from a production perspective, there can be considerable expense involved in producing anything other than the oh, so boring, typical talking head.

I suppose it would work no differently than, for example, inserting a quote in copy. But why click on a video if you can more quickly scan a quote and read only what interests you? At this point I would categorize adding video with including links in copy rather than writing out the content that people need to know.

I do agree that adding video to white papers has potential, but only if used judiciously and for a good purpose. Still, your suggestion opens my mind to new possibilities. It’s a new way of thinking about creating white paper content.

Mary Ann’s email message doesn’t surprise me, nor do I think it odd. In fact, I’m sure her question is on the minds of many of you who write for a living or appreciate well-crafted verbiage in a professional business document.

Here’s my response to her email and my thinking why videos will become an increasingly important part of the evolving white paper medium:

First, just like Mary Ann, I represent the “baby boomer” generation, and our thought processes towards text as a communications vehicle is based on our prior life experiences. We grew more accustomed to reading text as a way to comprehend information (i.e., newspapers, books, magazines, etc.). So when it comes to white papers, we assume that text is the primary (and best) vehicle to deliver a specific solution message.

Unfortunately, Social Media and the Millennium generation (which will become the next generation of business decision makers) have a completely different information comprehension model. As a result of the short messaging format associated with Social Media and text messaging, this audience has developed a “short attention span” which has impacted their ability and desire to read, long, text-heavy documents. In fact, if we conducted a poll, I think most Millennium’iers would prefer to watch a video than read a text version of the same content.

For example, how many people under 30 do you see reading a newspaper today? None that I am aware of.

As I point out in my book, “Crafting White Paper 2.0″, the impact of the Internet and Social Media has changed reading behavior. Most online readers skim information quickly on their initial pass, looking for key pieces of visual information to engage them. When it comes to white papers, items such as charts, graphs, diagrams, pull quotes are examples that engage the short attention reader. Once engaged with a key point in a visual information snippet, they stand a better chance of reading more detailed information on the page, or even reading the entire white paper.

Video is the natural and logical next generation extension of the chart, graph, or pull quote on a white paper page that reinforces text/reader engagement.

But don’t think a marketer has an unlimited amount of time with these embedded videos. Most are very short, only about 30 seconds to a few minutes long. Even the YouTube standard of 5 minutes would be too much time for the average “short attention” reader. The embedded white paper video should be just enough information to engage the business reader and create an incentive to read the related information to that video on the same page.

An example might be a two minute video with a narrator talking about industry trends as “B-roll” video showing businesses in that industry running in the background. Statistics (or charts) related to the video would be present on the Introduction page so that the reader could gain more detailed information. A footnote with a hyperlink referencing the source for the statistics would be available to the reader on the bottom of that page.

When I see the videos such as the Eccolo Media PDF example, I immediately click on it and watch it. I suspect most “short attention” social media-savvy readers will do the same. I foresee a day when similar short videos will be a standard part of each page in the PDF document (now the de-facto standard for white papers as opposed to print) just as pull quotes and charts are popular today with conventional PDF white papers.

I will be working on developing an actual “next generation” white paper containing embedded short videos over the course of this year to show my subscribers what this future white paper medium may look like. Stay tuned to this blog and my newsletter during this coming year for more on this important topic.

As always, I welcome your feedback and comments.