In society today, consumers are bombarded by a myriad of advertising media at home, at work, and even while travelling via public or private transport. Because of this, the modern consumer has developed a wide array of filters in order to ignore much of the advertising that companies spend millions on each year.
There is an easier way of connecting with consumers, however, which bypasses these filters by actually engaging with the audience and generating interest through genuine participation. Rather than simply offering one-directional brand communications, if you broadcast live video via a reputable company like Blue Jeans, you can offer consumers the chance to get involved in what is happening live. This way, consumers can feel like they are part of the action, making a difference and essentially helping to build a brand into what they would like it to become.
Connecting Face to Face Nurtures Trust
One of the primary reasons why video-calling is becoming so popular is that people generally prefer to speak face to face. Some enjoy the fact that there are visual as well as verbal cues, allowing for more intimate conversations, while others enjoy the fact that a video-call can be more interactive. Rather than having to explain an occurrence, you can simply hold your phone up and show your friend.
In addition, video-calling helps build trust, since it’s far more difficult to lie or tell a “mistruth” when someone is looking at your face. This makes it a more genuine form of communication as well, since humans were always meant to communicate while using both verbal and visual cues. Some people even struggle when changing back from audio/visual conversations to verbal-only communications, since they feel that they simply cannot completely express themselves without their non-verbal actions.
In an article by Mercola.com, researchers from Beijing Normal University found that “Face-to-face communication involves more continuous turn-taking behaviors between partners, which has been shown to play a pivotal role in social interactions and reflects the level of involvement of a person in the communication.”
Non-Verbal Cues are often the Most Important
If you have ever had a face to face conversation with someone who loves to use their hands while talking, then you can understand just how much non-verbal communication we actually use. Best friends can often have entire conversations without saying a word, with small gestures, facial expressions, or even just glances in the right direction. These are all vital to intimate conversations, none of which can be achieved when simply talking on a telephone.
Even without hand movements and subtle gestures, however, many individuals prefer to be able to see each other when talking, in order to grasp whether the recipient is concentrating on what they have to say, whether they are interested, as well as the subtle responses, such as a raised eyebrow or grimace, to what you are saying.
Turning Business Communications into Trustworthy Interactions
One of the primary reasons why so many brands utilize testimonials and pictures of clients on their sites is that it builds trust. Humans are far more likely to trust another human whom they have never met, compared to a faceless brand that they have seen numerous times. When average people who are visiting the site see that other average people consider the brand to be good, they are more inclined to trust the brand’s product or service offering. This is why connecting with your audience on a face to face level is critical, as you need to offer your target market a face that they can relate with, complain to, offer praise for or even yell at in the privacy of their own homes. This is how you nurture true brand ambassadors, by allowing your target market to get actively involved and eager to help build the brand into what they would like it to become.
As a final note, it’s important to also remember that unique, relatable and human personalities attract viewers to streams. At a site called Twitch.tv, viewers from all over the world tune in to watch unique people with unique personalities broadcast live and share aspects of their life with viewers. Some streamers play computer games, some create music, some paint art and some even choose sing along to Disney movie soundtracks. However, it’s here that you can see viewers gather towards hosts with likeable and relatable personalities, in online environments where viewers can ask questions about what the host is doing, as well as chat to other likeminded individuals. These social environments have become more than simple entertainment for many viewers, and are becoming more like virtual communities, where people connect, chat, enjoy each other’s’ company and enjoy listening to the host. In an article featured on Bloomberg.com, it was revealed that “In August (Twitch.tv) attracted 10.2 million unique visitors in the U.S… up 15 percent from last year,” demonstrating precisely how popular this new trend has become.
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