The Benefits of Written Content Over Video and Audio Content

by Gabriel Welch 4 years, 2 months ago

The Benefits of Written Content Over Video and Audio Content

Quite a lot of online users prefer their content in the form of videos and audio clips. It is almost impossible to find a person who doesn't like to watch videos on social platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and the n-number of apps being released by the day. From a marketing and distribution POV, videos are a fantastic mode of content, as opposed to the traditional, limited nature of articles and blogs, videos can be used to deliver your message much easily in nearly every way. It is completely believable why videos aren't going to be replaced, especially as virtual and augmented reality are starting to lead the way.

Writing has been the dominant form of communication for a really long time, although videos and audio content are much more versatile when it comes to flexibility. Written content has been used in nearly all forms of publications, and is the kind of content most people are familiar with. Writers around the globe have refined their art, and through time and dedication, are able to write compelling pieces. Although it can be considered a fading art form, the ability to write effectively does translate quite well to its next upgrade. Switching from this medium to the next can be a major change, which might not be necessary, especially when writers are more than capable of dealing with the challenge.

Although videos and audio content can be made to have more features, written content has a certain attraction. For those who have read books and magazines, reading a comprehensive article on a topic reminds people of the experience. Reading a well-written book while sitting in a comfortable armchair is any bookworm's dream, and the same feelings can be stimulated while reading a well-written blog. This is particularly true if the writer has offered professional content writing services. To understand the advantages of written content, take a look below.

Reads more professionally

When you compare written articles with video and audio content, you will see that written content reads and feels a lot more formal. From an analytical perspective, video content is usually made with an emphasis on ease and aims to deliver their message as easily as possible. This drives video editors to use unique animations and vibrant graphics. In comparison, written content shows real professionalism as it conforms to nearly every writing protocol in the English language. Supposing your writing is up to the mark, it is possible to deliver a much more impactful message, and make the content memorable to boot.

Allows optimal SEO

From a sales and marketing viewpoint, SEO melds much better with written content, than it does to video and audio. If you've ever worked or had experience in the field of SEO, you would be aware of the analytics needed to get your website to conform smoothly to written blogs and articles. Several practical SEO tools on the market are available which can be used to hone your content successfully. With the proper positioning of keywords in your articles, you can ensure that the content on your site will definitely improve your SEO planning.

Doesn’t need a script

If you were planning to make some videos or record audio content for promotional purposes, you would almost always need to have a script in hand that you will be using. Any type of media content needs to be developed according to a script in mind, as it enables you to evaluate its quality and consistency, and how it would look like. This drastically eases the content production process, as the vast majority of online and offline marketing professionals often get stuck when writing the scripts on their own. In the case of written content, there is only a need for an outline that enables you to picture the copy and change up its arrangement and format.

Allows for comprehensive reading

Many consumers who prefer watching videos only seem to be attentive for the first few minutes. As such, there is a noticeable trend to make videos as concise as they can be so that viewers don't fall asleep midway. This does have an impact on reducing the video runtime, which ends up decreasing headroom a creator might need to add details. Comparing this with written content, and it’s easy to see the difference. Since there really is no limit to how long a written article can be, you have a lot of liberty and mobility to elaborate on your message in detail.

Skimmable

Varying by the detail of the material being produced, the video and audio recording will differ in duration. Making a video or podcast on a difficult concept would not only require you to overly simplify the topic but also compose it with brevity. This might lead you to skip some aspects of the topic, and also lead the viewer to watch the entire video to understand it. On the other hand, having the same information transformed into a written format would allow readers to look through the headings, titles, and subheadings to give them an idea of the subject matter while allowing them to read on to find out more.

Economical distribution methods

In comparison with videos and audio, written articles are drastically cheaper to make and distribute to their intended platforms. If you were looking to post a video, you would some production equipment such as a camera, and editing software to be successful. Most software and hardware distributors charge money to provide their products that help you in reaching your audiences. On the contrary, written content offers you a lot more overhead when it comes to cheap and affordable distribution. You can start by making your profile on social media platforms and post your own content like that, or you can also write guest posts on other sites to expand your influence. 

Easier to produce

The production of an audio or a video clip requires specialized equipment and skills, not to mention a great deal of planning that goes into the entire process. To start, you will need to work on a script that the media will be based on. For a lot of people, writing a media script is a difficult and time-consuming process. This doesn’t even consider the shooting, rendering and editing time, of which you can imagine the impact in case of a strict deadline. Relate this with written content, which mostly relies on a basic idea, and the task does seem to look quite a bit easier.

Doesn’t require special tools

When video and audio content is to be produced, you would definitely need a high-fidelity microphone to minimize distortion and get optimal sound quality. Likewise, you wouldn't be filming videos using your phone, particularly if the content needs to be high resolution, high frame rate, or in RAW format. This is a tedious and time-intensive consuming task, which is tricky to complete when professional equipment is missing. In contrast, writing your content yourself is a task that is doable on almost every device you can find. For instance, it is possible to use your smartphone to write a respectable blog, although, for the best formatting and features, it is highly recommended to use a proper desktop computer.