Video content is huge, writes Eve Communications’ content manager Chloe Dunne.
By 2022, online videos are predicted to make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic and the use of video over social platforms continues to double each year.
Why is video so important?
- Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text.
- 78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day.
- 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video.
Relationships
The first step towards getting great video content is always a good relationship. Whether working with an existing client or a new one, it’s important to build up an effective dialogue so we can really understand what they hope you’ll achieve.
I like to get a feel for their vision and working style, and combine this with our own knowledge and expertise.
Plan and prepare
You can knock out a great video without planning it – but in our line of work we have to plan. Taking the time to plan ahead saves both time and energy – and generally makes for a better, more effective video.
To get the most effective results, we establish the five Ws:
- Who are you talking to?
- What are you saying to them?
- When should you say it?
- Why are you telling them?
- What do you want them to do next?
We’ve got to navigate these options and come up with the most effective and engaging content to reach your target audience. Storyboards are a great way to visualise this content and bring ideas to life.
Once we’ve got a plan that everyone’s happy with, a production schedule helps us tie it all together. As we might need to travel between multiple sites, this helps us map out how we are going to collect all the content, what we need to do at each location and other details like timing and equipment.
The big day
Filming days often mean an early start so we can make the most of the day.
Days are normally jam-packed, and there might be lots things going on at the same time, so our trusty production schedule helps keep us on track. An invaluable tip, especially as we’re often outdoors or working with animals, is to over-estimate the time we need for each shoot – 99% of the time something will crop up: interviewees may need coaching, the technology needs a nudge in the right direction, or animals just don’t want to play ball.
Clear communication is also key. You might be used to carrying out the same activity every day, but filming is a completely different ball game. We’ll work with you to put you at ease and make sure the lines you deliver are clear and succinct to create maximum impact.
Editing
After filming we’ll have hordes of useful footage – the next step is going through it to select the most effective shots to piece these together. We can add fancy graphics, background music or subtitles – or a stripped back approach if you prefer. We want to create a compelling video story which will help you engage with your target audience, drive results, and present you in the most positive light.
My favourite bit about this process is seeing how much content can be created from just one filming day. For example, we can use content to make a feature-length video for your website, snappy social media soundbites, or promotional videos for shows and events. This also highlights just how important pre-shoot planning is to really get the most out it.
Distribution
Even though it might feel like having a shiny professional new video to share means you’ve reached your end goal, there’s actually still a lot of work and planning to make sure you use the video to its full potential, engage with target audience and get your message out there.
There are a plethora of options available and a targeted plan can help you understand how to distribute your videos effectively to reach and engage with your target audience. We will look at what channels they use, what time of day they are they online and you can make sure they engage with you in the future.
If you’ve got an announcement make, press releases and feature articles can also be great way to generate awareness and drive traffic. Using our extensive industry networks we often send press releases and pitch articles to the most relevant and specialist outlets.
Monitoring
Now you’ve got (most) the hard work over with and you’re starting to see results. The final piece of the puzzle is utilising the huge amounts of information your campaign has generated to drill down into what worked, and what could be done better.
Websites, Google, and all social media channels have tonnes of useful tools to help you track metrics including how many people saw your posts, how many interacted with them, what they did as a result of seeing your videos etc. They can also break these down further by certain demographics including age, gender and location – the opportunities really are endless and give you loads of tips and insight to improve your future performance.
