Video vs Static Content: Consumption and User Engagement Comparison
The numbers don’t lie — video content has taken over the digital realm. Studies show that users are exponentially more engaged with video media than with static images or text.
People consider videos to be more gripping and informative. That’s why they are more likely to remember the facts and information presented in a video.
According to The Media Lab, people like to have entertainment and absorb full info in just a shorter time, and this is the reason they want to watch videos instead of static content.
This dramatic rise in video consumption is not limited to personal entertainment but extends to informational and educational content. Publishers will no longer be able to ignore the role of video as a medium in capturing and retaining audience attention.
Hero Video: The Next Big Thing in Publishing
Welcome to the era of ‘HeroVideo’ — another evolutionary wave in publishing.
Hero Videos are captivating, high-quality videos that serve as a centerpiece of a publisher’s content strategy. These videos are designed to engage viewers from the moment they land on a page, creating an immersive and engaging experience that keeps them returning for more.
- First Impression: Hero Videos establish tone and intent instantly, making a lasting impression in the critical first seconds.
- Dwell Time: According to Vidico, 82% note that video increases visitors’ time on their website.
- Storytelling: Video allows publishers to convey emotion, action, and information in a way that static content cannot.
- Adaptability: From news websites to entertainment hubs, hero videos can showcase everything from breaking stories to branded narratives, adding versatility to the publisher’s toolkit.
Linearity predicts that video content will represent 82% of all Internet traffic by 2025.
Furthermore, 85% of marketers are set to increase their video expenditures, indicating strong confidence in the ROI of video marketing and its growing importance in overall marketing strategies.
How Hero Section Containing Video Enhances User Engagement
At a time when readers are flooded with content from multiple platforms, publishers need tools that would cut through the noise and retain visitors. In the first part of this blog post series, we’ve already revealed how hero images impact user engagement and first impressions. Specifically, video has proven to be one of the most effective solutions, offering a dynamic way to enhance storytelling, provide in-depth coverage, and improve user engagement.
Beyond its ability to capture attention, video provides measurable benefits that directly impact a publisher’s success, regardless of whether it’s increasing time spent on the page, improving SEO rankings, or encouraging readers to explore additional content.
To be more specific, videos boost the completion rate by 90%, ensure +130% unique reach, and a 2-3x higher engagement rate.
Here’s a closer look at how video as a medium can reshape the way publishers interact with their audiences:
- Capturing User Attention: Video grabs attention faster and holds it longer than any other content form. By combining visuals, sound, and narration, video is an excellent way to reduce information overload.
Vidico states that 30-to-60-second videos are a powerful way to attract and hold viewers’ attention in the fast-paced digital environment. They can deliver concise messages quickly, thus being ideal for social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, where users digest content fast.
- Increasing Dwell Time: Incorporating video content increases time spent on a page by an average of 88%, enabling publishers to engage their audience deeper.
Studies show that pages containing videos can increase dwell time significantly because users are more likely to watch a video than read through long blocks of text.
Moreover, this enhanced interaction not only improves user satisfaction but also has a positive impact on SEO by signaling high-quality content to search algorithms.
- Maximizing User Engagement: Video fosters deeper emotional connections with the publisher’s content, encourages repeat visits, and builds loyalty.
Publishers who use videos for investigative journalism, explanatory posts, or breaking news see significantly higher reader retention rates.
- Monetizing through Video Ads: Beyond the benefits of audience engagement, video is a valuable source of revenue. Publishers can either integrate ads directly or take advantage of programmatic advertising solutions to maximize monetization.
With Bidmatic, publishers increase their revenue streams by 50-120%.
Usability Concerns: Should Every Hero Image be a Video?
As powerful as video content is, its implementation should be targeted and strategic. And yes, not every hero image needs to be a video, and overuse of this format can weaken its impact or degrade user experience.
Publishers should weigh the benefits of video against the specific needs of their audience, the message they want to convey, and the technical implications for their platform.
Tips for Striking the Right Balance
To be more specific, here are some expert tips to help you determine when and how to integrate video into your hero section.
Tip 1. Get to Know Your Audience
The preferences of your audience should drive your decision. For example, young, mobile users tend to watch videos, expecting dynamic content that is easy to consume on the go. On the other hand, a more conventional audience may prefer textual or static content. Analyzing your audience’s demographics and behavior can help you decide if the video meets their expectations.
Tip 2. Offer Readers a Choice
Watch the video for quick engagement or read the text for a deeper look. Hero videos provide a snappy and accessible overview, making them ideal for summarizing articles, grabbing attention, or setting a tone for a piece of content. For visitors with limited time, this is an effective way to get them engaged with the publisher’s content.
Tip 3. Balance between Formats
A strong content strategy often combines text, images, and video to create a versatile experience. For example, you might choose a static image for a landing page so that it doesn’t negatively affect the website’s speed. On the other hand, you might use video as a medium for secondary pages or blog posts where a deeper immersion is needed.
Tip 4. Test and Adjust
Competition among publishers is intensifying as more and more of them are starting to convert text articles into videos to capture audience attention. Be ready to innovate, use A/B testing, and evaluate the effectiveness of your text versus video article conveying the same content. Measure metrics like bounce rate, dwell time, and conversions to identify which format resonates best with your audience.
How AI Makes Video Creation Accessible for Publishers
Video content has become an essential medium for publishers to engage audiences, increase dwell time, and open up new monetization opportunities. However, the challenges of traditional video production – heavy costs, time-consuming workflows, and the need for specialized skills – have made it a resource-intensive process, especially for small teams or publishers with budget constraints.
With AI, publishers can now produce video content easier, faster, and more cost-effectively:
- Streamlined Workflows: AI can automate tasks such as scriptwriting, editing, and visual selection, dramatically reducing the time required to produce a video.
- Reduced Costs: AI eliminates the need for expensive production crews or equipment, making high-quality video creation accessible to publishers of any size.
- Enhanced Monetization: AI-generated videos can either contain ads directly, enable you to earn as a video sponsor, or be incorporated into digital through an open auction, thus providing an additional revenue stream.
- Automated Article-to-Video Generator: AI tools seamlessly turn articles, blog posts, or breaking news into engaging videos. This allows publishers to repurpose existing content into more dynamic formats.
With AI-powered solutions, like HeroVideo by Bidmatic, video as a medium is accessible to teams of any size. Publishers have already started to transform their text articles into compelling, high-quality videos quickly and cost-effectively.
Moreover, Forbes warns to be ready for 2026, as 75% of businesses will have adopted AI-generated video content by then.
So whether you’re striving to engage your audience or expand your video library monetization, HeroVideo is your way to go. From hero sections to social media campaigns, this tool gives you the power to scale your video production and stay competitive in a video-driven world.
