Whatever misgivings people had about video content integrations in our daily lives before the pandemic, we can safely say they are long gone now.
As many of us were compelled to find out, video content can help simplify and improve our lives in many ways. Not just as a welcome source of entertainment and distraction, but also a powerful tool to facilitate our work, learning, and even the way we communicate and relate to one another.
From remote workplace video calls to streaming to online courses, video is now present in most areas of our daily lives.
So, in this piece, we will explore ten of those implementations (with examples) and learn more about the power, versatility, and impact video content’s adoption has had over the last few years.
Let’s jump right in!
Online Classes and Courses
Before the global pandemic hit, people were not so used to online learning – one might even go as far as to say there was more than a bit of prejudice upon the whole topic.
Well, not any longer!
Suddenly, there was no other option than to keep campuses empty and enroll in online classes to be able to continue our studies. That need paved the way to make online courses more accessible and show most people the value and validity of the medium as a reliable learning tool.
More than just availability, though, educational videos also provide powerful benefits in terms of accessibility and scalability.
The University of Harvard, for example, gave free access to plenty of their online courses during the pandemic – from programming to literature, there are many fantastic classes that even now you can dive into.
However you look at it, the misapprehensions held by some people about online learning are disappearing. Those who were skeptical of taking classes with their computers are now the ones who don’t want to get back to their regular classrooms, and that’s opening a lot of opportunities to provide value and reach out to new audiences online.
Remote Working
Following in the footsteps of education, the traditional office workplace dynamic has also been changed by the rise of video content and online communication. Now, many of the tasks most people would have argued required you to be in an office are being taken care of from the comfort of your own home.
Even now, when everything is slowly going back to normal, working remotely has become a reality that many businesses continue to benefit from. Many workers prefer the time and convenience they have won by working from home, and business owners the cost reductions and increased productivity that has stemmed from it.
And at the center of it all? Yep, video.
Thanks to video conferences and online video calls, you can assemble and coordinate with teams in real-time without sacrificing all the benefits of in-person communications. Over the past two years, we’ve all seen videos of Zoom and Google Hangouts’ work-gatherings that showcase the same camaraderie and positive environment of in-person meetings. Some would argue that the medium helps and nurture a bit of levity that’s conducive to a better work environment.
However you look at it, these tools have transformed workplace interactions and have made it possible to accomplish critical tasks in spite of the lack of physical space interactions, and that’s a boon that most businesses won’t let go by the wayside.
Starting your own business
Video content also helped many people to finally start their own business ventures. With online training and continuing education, many have felt encouraged to leave their fears behind and go for all by following their dreams.
Videoconferences powered by Google were crucial to empower people, especially women, to start their businesses. Not only making entire industries more inclusive, but also benefiting us all by having more talented people take the entrepreneurial plunge!
Video content played a crucial role in many people’s lives by providing a reliable medium for experts to share their strategies and tips on how to become an entrepreneur in the middle of a pandemic. It has given people the necessary tools and inspiration to start their own business and pursue their dreams – a trend that will only continue in the years ahead.
Promoting Healthcare and Selfcare
As much as we would like to think that spending hours and hours cooped up in front of screens all day isn’t that bad of a thing, we all know otherwise. Our bodies need activity to remain healthy, and this is yet another important aspect that has been made easier thanks to video content.
Now, you don’t have to move from the comfort of your own home to be able to exercise and take care of yourself. There’s no more “I don’t have time to go to the gym” or “there’s no gym near my home”. If you have a computer, then you have access to everything you need to be healthier.
Thanks to hundreds of professionals sharing their expertise online with videos, there are millions of workout routines you can access for free on YouTube and similar platforms. From yoga to cross-fit classes, you can find every discipline you are interested in learning and a way to start practicing it. Even if you only have 15 minutes a day, you can likely find a routine that adjusts to your times.
And the most important thing? You can do those routines whenever you want without having to book appointments ahead of time, as pre-recorded video classes are always ready for you to clear some space, press the play button, and start working out.
Entertaining and Motivating
Working, studying, and exercising are activities that are crucial in our daily routines. But we should not forget about entertainment, as it’s a great ally as well for our mental health.
And while entertaining ourselves with video isn’t a pandemic-exclusive phenomenon, it’s an area that certainly saw explosive growth after it.
Short videos in particular, such as TikToks, Instagram reels, and YouTube shorts, deserve a special mention here. Now that we aren’t spending so much time at home, short video content has grown to be a preferred channel to entertain ourselves even if we are waiting in line or on the bus that gets us to work.
However, that is not to say that long-form video content is on the wane, far from it! If anything, the rise in popularity and demand for streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, and long-form video content like Vlogs, evidence how video streaming and consumption have grown to be a primary source of enjoyment for many people. And those numbers are only going up!
Inspiring Our Own Creativity
A lot of people now don’t settle with just watching what other content creators put out there on the Internet and have taken the opportunity and availability of the tools and platforms to create and share video content of their own!
A host of new streamers, YouTube content creators, musicians, and even visual artists have begun to use the medium of video to share their work with interested audiences. What’s more, this rise in demand has also prompted many companies to provide tools and solutions to make videomaking easier and the resulting piece more appealing.
Needless to say, this is a trend we all end up benefiting from!
Communication and Coordinating
One year and a half ago, videoconferences and online calls became the primary way in which we could communicate and interact safely with others.
Now, the situation is getting better, but even though many of us are starting to go out with our friends and family because we are already vaccinated, video calls and videoconferences have become commonplace.
Video calls are helping more people overcome distance as much in our personal lives as in our work environments. The technology’s widespread adoption is closing gaps, regardless of geographical separation, improving the way we communicate and collaborate with each other.
Live Interactivity through Streaming
The importance of live streaming platforms nowadays can’t be overstated.
While video calls give us a great way to get in touch and connect with people that are already in our lives, live streaming interactivity has opened up a whole new dimension in terms of connecting with new people.
Without having the opportunity to gather in “real” places with “real” people, people began to look for ways of meeting new folks interested in the same topics as us. And there was one specific virtual place where you could interact with pals from everywhere: Twitch.
Over the pandemic, Twitch began gaining so much traction that suddenly, other video platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook began to give more attention to their own live streaming tools just to keep up!
Now, live streaming platforms remain one of the best ways to get in touch with people that are interested in the same things as you. From playing video games to sharing stationary crafts, the options are still endless if you want to give your life a sense of community that is so important to every one of us, and video streaming is helping make it possible.
eCommerce and Marketing
Without having the choice to go out and try the products we were interested in, online reviews started to play more of a vital role when it came to making decisions before buying something.
Now we as a society feel more comfortable than ever with online purchasing; the fear of putting your credit and debit card information out there on the Internet seems to have disappeared, and a lot of why has to do with the impact of video marketing content.
Among those, online reviews and unboxings are now part of our daily lives, and few of us would like to buy a product before watching a couple of persons giving their honest opinions about them!
When it comes to making most purchase decisions today, video content has become vital, and we can say that they’re here for good.
Artistic Expression
Artists were probably the most affected workers throughout the pandemic. Theatres, cinemas, and bars had to shut down many times, and shows and events had to be canceled once and again during the lockdowns. Online live events and concerts were the light at the end of the tunnel for many of them, as video content played a crucial role in getting new music, performance, and art to their audience.
Even now that everything is going back to normal, video content remains one of the best allies to performers of all kinds and their fans. Online live events and presentations are, more than ever, a viable alternative to participating in the conversation if you can’t get a ticket to see your favorite artist play or you’re just not ready to go out to the world yet.
Tourism and Virtual Visits
Not only performers but art consumption in general also took a hit during the pandemic. Many museums and art galleries were closed to the public for months and are just now reopening their doors to the world.
As a result of quarantine, though, these institutions began bringing their exhibitions to the world through videos, generating a treasure trove of cultural content that even now continues to nurture people worldwide.
Online visits to museums, art galleries, and other similar exhibitions are still up on YouTube and similar platforms and are a great way to enjoy the cultural legacy of humanity from the comfort of our own screens.
Summing up
Video content has had a remarkable impact across many areas of our daily experience, and all of it for the better!
As we continue to put this pandemic ordeal behind us, it’s now time to take these new dimensions of progress and continue to nurture them, becoming active participants of these new technologies and the benefits they provide.
After reading this piece, we hope that you can now appreciate the many ways in which using video content can help us improve our lives and maybe spark your curiosity to benefit from it even more!
