Video is massive. In fact, it’s massively massive. No. It’s massively, massively massive.
It’s biggest platform, YouTube, has over 1.3 billion users, who upload 300 hours of content every minute and watch almost five billion videos every single day.
Better still, viewers claim they retain 95% of a message delivered by video, and 92% of mobile users report sharing videos with others – so there’s plenty to like. Naturally as film-makers, animators, designers and writers, we like the idea of our work being seen by as many people as possible. So, here are our top tips on how to get the most from your video content.
Make sure longevity is part of your brief
Of course, we can produce anything from a simple piece to camera to Hollywood-esque openers, but where we really support our clients is by stepping back – understanding their comms objectives and seeing the bigger picture.
So when your CEO tells you they need a rallying opening film for your upcoming annual conference, instead of shortcutting to an isolated video, why not use the budget to create something that’ll work for a wider internal audience post-event, or even externally?
Start by asking yourself: how does this activity align with our wider comms strategy? What opportunities to create a dialogue with our different audiences could be created through this video?
Then build those requirements into your brief. Value added, just like that!
Make your videos searchable
The reason why YouTube thrives is because it’s easy to find great videos quickly. More and more companies are adopting a YouTube-like approach to video, introducing libraries that help employees find videos, comment on them, embed them and upload their own.
According to research, businesses are shifting their strategies accordingly with 81% incorporating the tactic into their plans – a 63% increase year-on-year.
As a means of sharing information and knowledge (and getting more bang for your comms budget buck) this is a real no-brainer. And there’s plenty of white-label products you can buy into, rather than spending loads creating your own platform.
Repurpose your existing content
What’s the point of creating a beautiful video and watching your stakeholders beam with pride, only for your prized asset to gather virtual dust in an archive? Unloved like the lonely saffron Schwartz jar at the back of your tin cupboard?
Chances are, there’s huge untapped potential within your organisation to reuse some of the content you’ve had shot and make it into something brand-spanking new (at least to everyone outside the comms team).
From using it to make internal or external social content, an event cascade, digital signage – the possibilities are endless.
This doesn’t just go for the moving pictures either – you could strip out the audio and repurpose it as an internal podcast, or take interview quotes you could use in your annual report.
Whether you’re a seasoned pro like Scorsese or you’re just feeling your way around the prospect of video, we’d love to have a chat to understand your business and your communication challenges.
Afterall, if you’ve invested time and money, why see the fruit of your labours go to waste? Why not kill two, three, four, five birds with one stone?*
*Metaphorical ones, not actual ones
