If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a minute of video’s worth 1.8 million, estimates Forrester researcher Dr. James McQuivey.
He’s speaking to the dramatic power of video in today’s age—with its ability to transmit infinitely more, dynamic, and fluid information per second than photo and text, video is becoming the gold standard for content today.
Between Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat, 23 Billion videos are watched each day. Facebook posts with video get the highest engagement, with two-thirds of Millennials preferring to watch a video over reading text.
By 2019, video content is projected to make up 80% of all global Internet traffic.
Shifting to video as a primary mode of communication is no longer an option—it’s a must.
If you’re a business owner or aspiring entrepreneur, leveraging video can help you spread the word about your business and ultimately gain more clients and sales. Sharing videos about your product or service can be an extremely effective marketing tactic, with 77% of consumers saying they’ve been convinced to buy a product after watching a video.
Incase you’re camera shy, I’ve consulted an expert about how you can be the most effective in crafting and delivering a message worth spreading.
Meet Cloe Shasha, a content and program producer for TED who works on speaker research, talk development, and TED’s newest audio series with Audible, Sincerely X. She’s also a contributor for the newly released book 3 Billion Under 30, which profiles influential Millennials who are changing the world.
On the Unconventional Life Podcast this week, Shasha provides insight into public speaking based on her experience with developing speakers’ talks at TED. She shares tips on how to think about what to speak about and how to share it with confidence and impact.
Learn From The Best
If you have little formal speaking experience, Shasha says the quickest way to become an expert is to watch and listen to skilled public speakers. One of her biggest role models is former President Obama.
Watch TED talks and other kinds of speeches, paying attention to things like body language, hand gestures, eye contact, intonations, and pauses. So much of communication is nonverbal, so it’s important to be aware of how you’re holding your entire body and what this is conveying to your audience.
Tell A Story
Our brains are much more engaged by storytelling than a list of facts. We remember stories easier because our brains can’t distinguish between an experience we’re hearing about and one that is actually happening.
Create an unforgettable experience for your listeners by telling a story. The best stories evoke emotion and the five senses to create a visceral experience. “What will people remember about your talk?” Shasha says. In addition to remembering the main idea of the talk, she also has seen that “people will remember the visceral things.”
