Video could be your next best friend
16th March 2021 | Posted in Content creation
What happens when a school can’t show prospective parents around because they’re locked down?
I’ve just been working with a nursery group to tell online stories through the eyes of a child about the laughter and learning they enjoy every day. The script was my role, but the video came first.
In this guest blog, Rob Edmonds, founder and creative director of visual communication agency NRG Digital, explains the benefits of using video as a valuable element in your marketing mix.
As any Buggles fan knows, radio stars and video once had a strained relationship. But these days, video cameras are as much standard pieces of radio studio equipment as microphones and headphones. Video clips of celebrity confessions, political pomposity, impossibly idiotic phone-in callers, and carefully crafted ad-libs – all generated by audio broadcasters – can be seen in all corners of social media. Why? Because visual media is a highly effective way to maximise the effect of comms messaging.
Whether in the form of still images, infographics or TikTok videos, visual media is everywhere, permeating every aspect of our work and social lives. So how do you leverage the power of visual media to improve your profile and boost business?
There are a variety of ways to use video. Here are a few.
Explainer video
Video can also be a useful tool in terms of demonstrating products, explaining complex ideas or talking about changes. Often, we think about product demonstrations being on a one-to-one basis in a physical environment. Using video and animation can be an extremely effective way to demonstrate a complex idea or product to many people at the same time, in many different locations. You can, literally, show your customers how to use your service to solve a specific issue, including highlighting the end results.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Some content really does need professional help to elevate it above and beyond, but UGC also has its place. With the improvements in technology that are happening all the time, you can still generate great content without the need for everything to be filmed on a movie set. This can be particularly useful with teams that are spread across the globe, or even based at home as many people will be for some time to come. UGC can also be great for social media and peer review to help in raising a brand’s profile or when building trust.
Case study
By teaming an explainer video with a customer testimonial, you can build a case study that marries up the benefits of a product demonstration with the trust you get from advocacy and endorsement.
Trust is something every service provider needs, and peer review is a fantastic way to build trust. According to PR giant Edelman, “Trust is now the make or break difference for brands”.1 There is a clear shift in trust away from advertising and towards personal experience and advocacy. When was the last time you bought something purely based on an advert without checking the reviews?
Video testimonials are an unrivalled way for customers to endorse a service. Most people aren’t that keen to be on camera, so a customer happy to put themselves in front of the lens is a massive endorsement of trust in you.
The problems we face individually often contain elements of shared issues and experiences. Tapping into those shared experiences through the medium of video allows the viewer to connect their own experiences with the solutions that your brand can offer. People instinctively recognise in others what they themselves are looking for, making the video testimonial extremely powerful.
Trust is important, because if someone trusts your brand:
- They are more likely to buy your service or product, even if it is more expensive
- They are more likely to respond to your communications
- They are more likely to recommend you to other people
Which platform?
We have established that video and animation are great at distilling complex products and ideas into clear and concise messaging that works across multiple platforms. But which platforms should you be thinking about?
Website
Your website is often the first point of contact that people have with your brand. Video and animation can have a real impact here as visitors stay longer to watch the video and may share it.
YouTube
As the second most popular search engine, globally, posting your content here when you can, makes absolute sense because it will help:
- Optimise your video
- Increase sharing opportunities
Social media
Having a social media presence is more important than ever and visual imaging can vastly increase your reach:
- Cut longer videos into 10 second snippets for social media use
- Tease longer content on your social media channels
- Direct users back to your website with links
In today’s highly competitive world, we are bombarded with content 24/7 and it can be easy to get lost in the noise. Visual content, be it video or animation, is a highly effective mechanism for cutting through that noise, helping you to create effective and authentic communication to engage and inspire your audience, wherever they are based.
1 Trust Barometer Special Report: Brand Trust in 2020, https://www.edelman.com/research/brand-trust-2020
About the author
Rob Edmonds is Founder and Creative Director at NRG Digital, a visual communications agency with a passion for all things creative. Their clients treat them as a strategic partner, creating authentic content that inspires audiences and elevates brands. Formed in 2002, the team has grown significantly, winning an Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC) award for Best Change/Transformation Communication in 2020. NRG Digital works across the UK, Europe and the US, supporting clients with their internal and external communications campaigns.