IS AUDIO MARKETING LOSING TO VIDEO?
This question really comes down to the individual person. There is so much information out there to side with either audio or video. Rather than take a hard stance and tell you one way or another, all the information on the article will be based on what the market is telling us right now.
We have seen major shifts in huge companies such as YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Clubhouse when it comes to both these methods of communication and marketing.
To make matters more interesting, there is a mass shift from audio podcasting to video podcasting. Although some influencers in the blogging and podcasting world would disagree, there is a massive push in the industry that video is the next dominator in marketing and content production.
Let's take a look at both sides.
TWITTER INTRODUCES TWITTER SPACES
The new Audio Only App called Clubhouse came and made some interesting changes for many. Facebook and Twitter seemed to race to copy the app and although Facebook
has tried, it seems that Twitter Spaces came out on top.
So, why did this audio only feature work so well? Clubhouse was a great place to connect and meet new people. However, the UI was lacking and most of your current friend were not there. Also, there were certain people creating "drama" in the room and it was not regulated in the beginning.
Come Twitter Spaces in which most people can hangout with their current following, talk about subject such as NFts, and find others who want to speak on those subject much easier. Twitter also did a better job than Clubhouse and Facebook on telling your followers about a new "Space" taking place.
TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM REELS AND YOUTUBE ALL PAY CREATORS FOR VIDEO CONTENT
If audio content is a growing space, why are so many platforms paying creators for their video content? Well, this one is kind of easy.
Prior to Tiktok, Instagram made little effort to innovate or keep its users happy. There was no real alternative and they let the app sit still. Once TikTok came into the picture, they began to pay TikTok creators to make more video content.
Tiktok only has the option for video content, so it incentivized a lot of users to make the switch from Instagram to TikTok. When Instagram finally got Reels, it decided to do the same, in order to bring back some of those lost users.
YouTube just happened to be the last to the part with YouTube Shorts, but has recently announced it will be incentivizing users as well. With all this being said, video might be growing at a steady pace, not due to a need, but due to the social media giants who are all fighting for our attention.
The CEO of Instagram has said they will be shifting the app to be more centered around video as well, moving away from photos after all these years.
AUDIO VS VIDEO: FINAL THOUGHTS
There is one undeniable fact that occurs anytime a new technology is found and pushed; All other technologies prior to it adapt or are slowly forgotten. As we find music on our phones, we left behind CDs and the radio.
Can the same be said here? With so many tech companies beginning to push video on the mass population, can audio be phasing it's way out. Will audio change and shift with the times, such as we see with Twitter Spaces, where more users flock to come into rooms and hear valuable information without the need for a camera?
We are all in the beginning stage of this all and it will be interesting to see where the times take us. At the end of the day, the most important part to any strategy will always be to create content others can view and take value from.
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