If you want to make a long-term investment in content, then you need to think about videos. There is a surprisingly stark difference in shelf life between video content and static image content. With images, you need to re-shoot more often to get a fresh look. However, videos can be repurposed and last much, much longer than images. This is on top of recent statistics which indicate that consumers prefer videos to images in nearly every category. 

So if your company wants to get the most bang for its buck, keep reading because this article is for you. Here’s what you need to know to understand the shelf life of video content versus static image content.

How Long Does Your Content Stay Fresh? 

Let’s talk about “shelf life.” In this situation, we mean the length of time that your content stays relevant. The shelf life partially depends on the type of content (like seasonal footage, etc), but it also depends on its usage (the platform). 

For instance, Nike ran a billboard campaign with a photo advertisement for the 1984 Air Jordans. This ad lost relevance as soon as the next design appeared. This is a relatively short shelf life. Images can become dated quickly and have to be re-shot, especially for product-oriented businesses. This holds true today when the platform is social media and not billboards or magazines.

Ultimately, videos stay fresh longer and images expire. Why? Because videos allow you to repurpose your best content. You can re-edit together clips in new ways basically forever, with new filters, close crops, and intersplicing. Images can only be cropped or edited in so many ways.

Social Media Shelf Life

Another aspect of shelf life is how social media algorithms interact with your content. For instance, your content may look fresh but the algorithm will only keep serving it to viewers for a certain amount of time. You can affect this algorithm by choosing the right type of content.

Studies show that videos are more attractive to most social media algorithms than photos. If your company is creating content primarily to post to social media, then you should definitely prioritize video content. This holds true across many different platforms, from LinkedIn to Twitter. 
This is actually good news for you. While they are specific about preferred lengths, the algorithms prioritize videos with any type of content. This means that you can create a one minute video using stock footage and a custom voiceover, and the algorithm will prioritize it equally alongside a $50,000 video with original content and one-of-a-kind soundtrack.

Make Your Videos Last 

Now that you understand that videos have the longest shelf life, it’s time to learn which types of video content will last the longest. Wherever possible, you should aim to create video content that can be reused. Of course, your campaign should feature current and unique footage that tells the story of this specific CTA. But it’s also a good idea to think about your company’s needs down the line. 

Maximize your video production budget with a strategic brief. Work with your team to explore the most effective way to tell the story visually, while keeping in mind that you want to build in the opportunity to re-use as much footage as possible in future campaigns. This is also called evergreen content. Most businesses don’t aim to create evergreen content with their finished videos unless they are selling a webinar or a video course. But with the raw footage, companies can easily produce evergreen content that can be used in a variety of projects.

ROI on Video Marketing

Finally, consider the high ROI on video marketing. When the majority of your customers express a preference for videos over text and photos, it’s time to get serious about your video strategy. Make sure you are considering mobile users along with laptop and desktop users. Studies show that 92% of mobile viewers share videos with others. 

Videos not only have a longer shelf-life than images, but they can deliver a higher ROI for your company as well as a higher ROI for your customers.

If you’re ready to create a sizzle reel, product demo, or advertisement with staying power, get started with Dream It Reel.