Video and Your Media Strategy in an Increasingly Digital World

The rise of digital has brought traditional public relations to a whole new level, leveraging integrated media as a means to engage audiences through story-driven, multi-media content. Today, it’s not enough to just tell a compelling story. You have to break through the clutter and place the story where people are already engaging – on digital and social platforms – matching the formats and mediums that they are used to interacting with. Enter video.

• By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017. (Cisco).
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. (Insivia).
• 87% of consumers want to see more video content from brands. (HubSpot)

These stats speak for themselves. And you can see how news publications are capitalizing on them every single day. Take MSNBC for example: any story they publish is also being amplified by video or, at the very least, still imagery. The stories are also shared across owned social channels, like Facebook and Twitter, in order to maximize viewership and reach users instantaneously.

So what does this mean for brands? Is it enough to create a video, draft a supporting story and pitch it to the media or promote it to the masses? No. You have to create great video content that your audience will want to watch and engage with.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Develop the content with your target audience in mind. The subject matter of the video needs to resonate with your viewers. This seems obvious, but is very easy to stray away from. Ensure your content stays on brand by always keeping your audience and messaging top of mind.
2. Create content that you would want to watch. Think back to one of the best videos you’ve ever seen. Chances are it was very high-quality, employing proper lighting, audio, visuals and photography to capture your attention and encourage you to continue viewing.
3. Edit. Edit. Edit. Review and re-review your final piece. Make sure it tells a compelling story, is formatted for the platform you will be sharing it on (e.g. length, horizontal vs. vertical, subtitles) and that you receive impartial feedback from another source.

Brands should think of video not as an addition to their media strategies, but as an integral component – one that will help them connect, engage and impact the news cycle as well as their audiences.

Does your social media strategy need a tune up? Check out our social media dos and don’ts here.