Video content in PR strategies

In modern marketing, businesses can become so fixated on campaign content that they pay little or no thought to the physical delivery of their communications. By default, organisations fall back on press releases or social media posts to enhance awareness, but this won’t always achieve the desired results.

The overwhelming popularity of platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and now TikTok, shows an obvious demand for engaging video content amongst audiences of all ages. From a business perspective, this growing trend presents an opportunity for brands to capitalise, using the power of video to bolster their ongoing marketing operations.

Whether it be video case studies, interviews, adverts or short animations, there are a wide range of options that can and should be utilised to help engage your audience.

Less talking, more action

The phrase ‘a picture paints a thousand words’ springs to mind when discussing the importance of video within PR strategies. Of course, it would be unpractical to replace every piece of written content with a video alternative, but when timed correctly, the inclusion of video will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

It’s a statement that’s backed by statistics too, with video accounting for over 80% of all consumer traffic. Simply put, if you’re not already using video to promote key messages, then now is the time to start.

Generally speaking, your audience will find it much easier to resonate with messages that are shared through video given the emotive storytelling capabilities it holds. With writing, there is always the risk of losing the reader’s attention, especially during longer articles – this problem is more or less removed through the use of engaging video content.

Think of it as a way to bring your campaign to life, ensuring the story is told concisely and in a way that will connect with the audience. The very nature of video means that viewers can share the content with their friends too, boosting the performance of any content you produce.

Capitalise on its shareability

The shareable nature of video content is arguably one of its biggest benefits, as it tends to perform well in a wide range of settings. Social media is a great example of this, especially with sponsored content, as it transforms standard text-based posts into engaging pieces of multimedia content that viewers feel compelled to share with their followers.

Given that sponsored content aims to attract users that are not actively following your page/profile, video content is a great way to communicate the personality of your business, allowing the viewer to understand more about the people and projects you support.

It needn’t be a 10-15 minute video either, the very nature of social media means that editing your content into smaller clips can help you hone in on one specific key message at a time, providing you with enough content to spread out over a sustained period.

Whether your business/client is using LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or TikTok, video content should be utilised where possible to help you convey important messages in an engaging and visually appealing manner.

Where should you use it?

Whilst the benefits to using video are clear, there may be some businesses wondering how and when it should be relied upon. In other words, what content should be converted into video to ensure the best possible results are achieved.

The first place to begin is your own website – look at the services and information provided and ask yourself ‘would it be easier to digest this through the use of video?’ If the answer is yes, then you may want to create a short animation for each services page, detailing the benefits of what is being offered and how it has helped previous clients.

This feeds nicely into the use of case studies, which are a highly effective way of showcasing your expertise to potential customers. Usually, businesses will write case studies that go into immense technical detail about the challenges and outcomes of a specific project, but are audiences actually taking it all in?

Instead, video case studies that feature interviews with the client can be a lot more effective, as potential customers find it easier to resonate with the perspective and view the content as being more authentic and less promotional.

If you are running a PR campaign with the hopes of securing media coverage, then videos that utilise graphics to demonstrate data/trends will also perform well and give you a better chance of impressing journalists.

Make the process easier…

If your business is producing some excellent work, then why wouldn’t you want to share this information in the most effective way possible?

Directing, filming and editing a video may seem like a lot of effort, but you’d be surprised at just how efficient the process can be, especially if you enlist the support of an experienced agency that has the equipment and expertise to hand.

Remember, your competitors are already utilising film and video to drive awareness and secure sales, so the longer you leave it the stronger their advantage becomes.

If you’d like to discuss the inclusion of video within your PR strategy, then contact out in-house team of experts for advice.