Video Production circa 2010
As people walk by a video crew, the first thing they say, “Is this going to be on the news?”
Video Production circa 2020
As people walk by a video crew, the first thing they say, “Is this going to be on YouTube?”
Two different questions but with the same implication: people want to watch video.
Video is ever present—from the multitude of screens in your home and in public spaces like lobbies, taxi cabs, and gas pumps. We are living in the world of Blade Runner, for sure. (Fun fact: Ridley Scott’s film is set in the year 2019. Yikes!)
Video really is the 21st century mode of communication and should be a fundamental part of your content strategy. Why? Because video can convey so much with so little. Its magic is that it can be as real or as fantastical as you want. It can leave a viewer with inspiration, knowledge, compassion, motivation—or it can be a (literal) nuts and bolts explanation on how to assemble IKEA furniture. It can convey in a few minutes what can take pages of white papers or slides and slides of PowerPoint decks to impart.
Better yet, video is flexible in its placement and presentation—from website landing pages and stadium screens to more personal one-on-one messages from leadership. Video gives authenticity, immediacy, and value to your content strategy. Video can document past achievement, acknowledge present needs, and envision future goals.
But in essence, video is a story. If you can tell a good story, you can implement your strategy goals. Video can be high end, but we don’t all have the budgets of Superbowl ads, and that’s okay. Best value video production can support your strategy across multiple platforms and production methods that fit your budget, timeline, and goals.
How can you incorporate video in your upcoming campaigns? How can you not? The ability to use video in your content strategy is as ubiquitous as the smart phone in basically everyone’s hand (props to those who still use a flip-phone, but I bet it’s probably right next to a computer with an open search engine window). In short, if there’s a screen, there can be a video.
Video can:
- Convey authenticity
- Portray multiple perspectives
- Embrace inclusion
- Promote awareness
- Generate compassion
- Create engagement
- Inspire dreams
But not all video is created equal, so I recommend three things to remember when preparing your video content:
- Who is your audience?
- What do you want your audience to know?
- What do you want your audience to do?
Who is your audience?
This can be specific—Fortune 500 CEO’s, healthcare providers, parents looking at school enrollment—or as broad as the “general public.” Either way, who your audience is guides your tone, language, and approach; do you have to be industry specific, or can you be universal and objective? In other words, you may want to “talk shop” with your audience to convey specific goals or be balanced and congenial to motivate the masses.
What do you want your audience to know?
Is your video a pitch for a new product or program? Is it an explanation of government regulations? A health and safety training module? Or are you sharing a discovery or experience to create joy and celebration? It’s best to stick to what you want the audience to know from this specific video. Despite how fantastic your mission/vision statement, core values, or data points are, you don’t want to mire the video with a panoply of information. It will dilute your message and you’ll lose your audience.
What do you want your audience to do?
There is a reason why the end of a video has a short statement—ENROLL NOW, GIVE TODAY, LEARN MORE—and, most importantly, information to complete that action—website url, phone number, email, a specific event time and place. This is your chance to remind your audience why they are watching the video in the first place and give them the tools to act on it.
How Yes& Delivers
The past year has seen exciting growth at Yes&. As an integrated brand marketing agency, Yes& has cultivated a deep bench of talent working across many sectors, including B2G, associations, healthcare, and more. The culture of Yes& is to collaborate with our clients and amplify the “&” in strategy, creative direction, design, and video production from start to finish.