The Surprising Non-Verbal Power Of Video
Social media groupies and web marketing nerds, this is our world.
758 million people worldwide (over 10% of earth’s total population) watched an average of 79 YouTube videos each in just one month, according to a recent ComScore report.
While the common belief is that the power and popularity of video is created by the way it combines visual & audio messaging, the influence of video is deeper than that.
In his book Honest Signals Dr. Alex “Sandy” Pentland, professor at the MIT Media Lab, has identified four core unconscious, nonverbal ways that humans communicate with one another. They are…
Activity
Interest
Mimicry
Consistency
The most important of these that’s revealed in video is consistency. This is also recognized as fluency. His research shows that people who know what they’re doing and are truly influential have a certain consistency with their rhythm and motion. Sure, it may be practiced – but it’s honest and hard to fake.
More On Face Value
He also goes on to say that the most valuable communications in any organization take place face to face. The power of all the detailed inflections of the human face, not the human voice, is a natural draw for attention.
It’s ironic. Because while our modern offices are surrounded with so many media streams, multiple screens, digital distractions, email, global telephony, memos, reports and yes, PowerPoints; real connections of real value are made by via the human face.
So it’s no surprise that online video and video conferencing have become so popular, so effective and so revealing. It’s our primeval need for face time that drives much of our desire to connect. And it’s also good for business because face time has been proven to generate so much natural productivity in our busy, distraction-ridden offices.
More Options To Make That Face-To-Face Connection
Today’s online options for connecting are advancing over Skype-style technology by leaps and bounds. Here are several to explore…
Adobe Connect lets you engage from virtually any device by way of an always-on URL which acts as digital office where you can securely store all of your files, documents, layouts and notes.
Bravo Video, a user generated online video platform lets users record and contribute video right from their webcam, smartphone or tablet in just two clicks. And as a host you can control all contributions and where to use them.
HD Video Conferencing from web and video conferencing giant Go-To-Meeting, is now available in beta for their larger plans. This crystal-clear format offers the best possible online HD resolution for conferencing.
As it turns out, using video to connect is very natural – and very human. Think about the many ways you can engage with it in your social media and web marketing efforts.
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