Content is king. You’ve probably heard that if you are running ad or PR content on social media and websites. It’s still true, but some types of content can help you build connections with your target audience faster than others. Video is one of the top forms of content for connecting. That shouldn’t be all that surprising since a large percentage of the population tends to be visually oriented. Learning studies long ago proved that people retain more information when they use a combination of visual, audio, and written while learning about something, even when they aren’t initially that interested.
Yeah, But….
Video can help you make a killing in your business, but like most things, you have to spend some research time first. You also have to know that it’s not a one-video-fits-all-platforms type of situation. You need to know the specifics of what works best for your industry or niche, though there are some general rules marketers, PR specialists, and video experts have figured out over the last 10 years of so.
According to the founder of ReelSEO, Mark Robertson: “Nowadays, to take a YouTube video and put it on Facebook doesn’t work. In addition to thinking about what your story and your content is, think about the format of the video.” Sarah Gitersonke, Explore Media’s business development director, said: “The videos that work, work because there was strategy behind them and they have a purpose. There is a call to action or something that is leaving the viewer with a feeling.”
Some Specifics to Know
Many publishers have verified that approximately 85% of all videos on Facebook are viewed without the sound on. That means captions become imperative for videos on Facebook, and the audio not as much of an issue. You don’t really need to be told this though, think of your own FB scrolling experiences: how many of the videos do you actually “listen” to?
But that’s just one specific. FB videos also tend to get a lot more likes and shares, but don’t always bring customers to place orders. YouTube videos get more action responses, so they each bring something different. Shorter videos tend to work better on FB and longer ones on YouTube. In both cases, if the video doesn’t catch the viewer’s attention in the first 10 seconds, it’s not likely to do much good for a company.
For Facebook, videos that go over 30 seconds general have already lost at least one-third of the viewers that started watching it. And unless the FB video is very short, more than half are gone before the halfway point in a video. YouTube offers significant SEO benefits, but Snapchat accomplishes better target connection and timing. YouTube works better with professional and highly strategized videos; Snapchat works better with intimate or behind-the-scenes stuff. Live streaming video is working well on FB now and also starting to happen on Twitter and Instagram.
Brand Truth and Transparency
When making video for marketing and PR, it’s becoming increasingly important to be authentic and true to the brand. People are so used to social media and the many ways companies have used to get them just to look at their content that customers faced with “click-bait” content or unfulfilled promises may never darken the company’s virtual doorstep again.
This also holds true with running the wrong type of video on a platform where it doesn’t fit. If a brand is “interrupting” the viewing pleasure of possible customers, it’s not going to end well.
Ultimately, it’s time to tell your story in a creative way that fits the platform and the audience. That may take a bit of testing and research, but while testing your approaches make sure you speak your truth and blend well with the platform.
Public Relations has always been about telling stories – this is just another way we tell clients’ narratives.
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