It’s no secret that print is on the decline while viewership of video is growing. When it comes to news, the ‘instant gratification’ of live video streaming content and the feeling of watching news unfold with your own eyes can’t be matched by print. After print, people were talking about the digital wave but now even digital newsrooms are shrinking and websites are feeling the heat! People want news immediately and engaging newsworthy video content is what it is all about.
People have always been visual oriented and research has proved that visuals grab more attention and generate more interest than text. Cashing in on this fact is easy when you have some good videos. The consumption of video content by social media users has increased manifold. This is especially true of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
Embedded videos
The role of video editors is increasing. They have become much sought-after and many newsrooms are now employing technical creatives and editors who can craft unique videos that can be embedded into stories. Having a video embedded this way improves search, reach and social sharing.
Go for multiple formats
The on-size-fits-all approach does not work for video PR. You need to create different kinds of video content tailored to different audiences. The duration also matters, you might need to vary it for different video channels and social media.
Keep it real
Make the video look as natural as possible. Something that seems too scripted will lose its credibility and defeat the purpose of making it. Ensure that there’s adequate visual appeal and that it’s engaging enough. It must be concise, after all not everyone has the patience for long videos. In fact, for Facebook, videos with a run-time of at least 30 seconds would have lost one-third of the viewers that started watching it.
How to increase views
Have a catchy title. Make sure that it will grab the interest of your audience. Ask people to share the videos. Run video campaigns on social media. Pin the video to the top of your Twitter feed. Share the video to relevant online community, it could be a Facebook group from your industry, a Twitter chat, LinkedIn group, Reddit, or anything else. When running email campaigns, add a video thumbnail to it.
Research has revealed that approximately 85% of all videos on Facebook are viewed without the sound on. What does this mean for you? You must ensure that videos have adequate captions so that audio does not matter as much.
Animated explainer videos
These use animation to explain product features or benefits; it makes for a happy audience. Well optimized PR videos can rank incredibly well in search engines, especially in Google. They can also be optimised on YouTube to perform well for key search terms.
Promote your success
Whenever you have a successful campaign, make sure there are short videos that show your success. Prospective clients who watch such videos will be convinced of your credibility and expertise.
