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#ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos

by | Apr 15, 2016 | ContentWritingChat

#ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos

If you missed #ContentWritingChat this week, then you missed an amazing conversation all about online video creation and marketing techniques. Video content continues to grow in popularity online, with more brands joining YouTube or using live streaming apps. If you want to learn how to best utilize video content for your brand, read on for a full recap of this week’s chat!

#ContentWritingChat April 12 2016 Recap: How to Create Your Most Engaging Brand Videos


Award winning broadcaster and video expert, Michael Kinney, joined us as our guest host this week. Michael has been a regular at #ContentWritingChat and we were thrilled to have him share his expertise with us. He has over 25 years of professional television production experience and he shared some fantastic insight throughout the chat.

Q1: How can you tell your brand’s story through video?

Telling your brand story is the best way to connect with your audience and allow them to get to know you and what you do. But how can you tell your story more effectively through video? Check out these tips:

Michael suggests doing video interviews with the people behind the brand. This gives your audience the opportunity to get to know you better and also help them understand WHY you do what you do. Be sure to show how your brand is impacting customers and fans. Case studies, profiles, and testimonials are great for this.

Kristen agrees that giving your audience an inside look into your brand is a must. It’s the best way to show them how passionate you are!

As Searcy said, show your personality. Don’t be afraid to just be yourself. Your audience wants to get to know the real you.

Jeremy said to turn the focus to the characters of the story instead of making it all about you.

One important thing to remember about videos, as Pratik mentioned: Establish a strong emotional connection. Build that connection with your audience and they’ll be sure to stick around.

Co-op Social said it best: Touch hearts, not wallets.

Q2: What are best practices for writing/developing engaging, outstanding video scripts?

When it comes to video content, you need to make sure you’re grabbing the attention of your audience right off the bat. Creating a script ahead of time can really help with this. Here’s how to engage your audience with amazing video:

As Michael said, you need to write for the ear, not the eye. Speak in a way that is natural and conversational. Your words show flow easily.

Kyle said to keep it concise when considering your content and the length of your video. Your audience will not stick around for a video where you’re rambling on. Stay focused and get to the point!

Kristen and Varun remind us to consider our audience when creating video content. You need to speak in language that your audience will relate to.

Laura says to ditch the jargon and corporate-speak. This all goes back to knowing and understanding your audience. You need to speak in a way they will understand.

A great tip from Jim: Don’t forget to include captions/subtitles in your videos. Keep in mind that some people may not be able to listen due to their location. Having subtitles allows them to get your content without hearing the sound. Also, this helps you cater to hearing-impaired audiences as well.

Q3: What are the ideal video formats and lengths for your audience?

When you’re creating video content you need to consider the format and the length. How do you know what will work for your audience?

As Michael knows, video formats can vary. You can go for live-action, screencast, vlogs, interviews, documentaries, etc. There are so many ideas you can turn into a great video.

When it comes to video length, Michael says that a video should be as long as necessary to “concisely deliver the ‘take-away’ value of your video.” Focus on providing value to your audience and make your videos as long as they need to be in order to get your point across, no longer. If you start rambling on, your audience will tune out.

Keep in mind the audience you’re marketing to when creating videos. As Searcy pointed out, some will prefer shorter videos, while others are more willing to tune into long videos. Clair said to consider how much you want to share, but also how long your audience is likely to tune in.

Jeff said to consider mobile consumption when creating videos. We consume so much content via our mobile devices today and you want to make sure you keep that in mind.

If you aren’t sure what length of videos your audience prefers, test different options! Kristen suggested creating short videos and longer videos to see what your audience responds to.

Pratik said to consider the type of content you’re sharing, the platform you’re sharing it on, and what the goal of your video is when trying to choose the right length.

Your videos should be as long as the content is engaging. Don’t let your videos drag on. And as Jim said, you don’t have long to hook them!

Q4: What are some ways to get your video seen on social media? On your site?

Now that you’ve created some amazing video content, how do you make sure it gets seen? Check out these tips for promoting your video on social media and your own website:

Michael said to make sure you write keyword-rich video titles, descriptions, and summaries. This will help boost your organic search results. Don’t forget to include a transcript of your video content as well!

Another great tip from Michael: Include your video link in your email signature. Email signatures are often overlooked, but can be a great place for promotion.

Our CEO, Julia, knows that paid advertising works. Don’t write off paid advertising on platforms like Facebook. A small amount of money can work wonders to get more views and engagement on your videos.

If you have a video coming out that you know your audience will love, give them a little teaser beforehand. Pratik knows this is a great way to get their attention and get them excited about what is coming up.

As Alberto said, don’t forget to embed your videos onto your webpage, your blog posts, and your social media platforms. This is a must for increasing views!

A great answer from Dagmar: Upload your video to YouTube (or the platform of your choosing) and embed it on your site. Optimize your video title and description with accurate keywords.

Q5: Which video platforms are key to be on in 2016?

From YouTube to Vimeo to live streaming apps such as Periscope and Blab, there are so many video platforms available today. How do you know which ones are worth your time this year?

Michael said to make sure you choose a platform for hosting your longer-form video content. You can go with a platform such as YouTube, Vimeo, or Wistia.

He also said he feels the best video strategy is a combination of content-rich, produced videos and live-streaming videos. It’s definitely worth trying out for your brand!

As Kyle and Jeff said, consider your demographic when choosing the platforms you’ll use for video content. You need to be where your audience is.

Varun suggested YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Blab, and Snapchat. All of these are great platforms for video content.

Pratik and Clair know that platforms such as Periscope and Blab are great options for live streaming. Don’t forget Facebook Live, which has been growing in popularity lately.

Searcy and Brittany both mentioned Snapchat in their answers. Snapchat has become a great way for brands to connect with their younger audiences.

As Zala said, live streaming video gives your audience behind-the-scenes access into your business, which they’re sure to love!

YouTube is great for helping you to rank in search results, while Facebook is good for internal searching. Blab is a fantastic platform for live streaming Q&As, as it enables you to have multiple guest hosts on your broadcast. Snapchat helps you connect with your audience in a new, fun way. Great answer, Dagmar!

Q6: What video metrics for engagement should you be measuring?

You want to make sure you’re keeping an eye on your metrics so you can see how well your content is performing. These are the metrics for engagement you should watch:

Michael said to consider how many people are watching the video in its entirety. You want to make sure people are watching the full video instead of dropping off halfway through.

As Kristen pointed out, the drop off point in your video tells you about your audience’s attention span.

Searcy and Varun said to track average % completion, unique views, repeat viewers, and engagement (shares, comments, likes).

Don’t forget to keep an eye on user actions within your videos. Also, are people subscribing? Are they sharing? Are they leaving comments?

Q7: What are some tools or apps for creating great video?

Creating great video doesn’t have to be hard as long as you have some tools and apps to help you out along the way! Be sure to try out these suggestions from the chat:

You don’t necessarily need to have a fancy camera to record an amazing video. As Michael said, if your smartphone shoots HD video, it can be a great tool to use for filming.

Michael also suggested getting an external microphone so you can ensure the sound quality is great. A tripod and tripod mount for your smartphone is helpful as well so you don’t have to worry about unsteady video.

For editing on a Mac, iMovie is a great tool to use!

Kyle and Zala also agree that your phone camera is a great place to start filming video.

Dolores likes using apps such as Fly, Tempo, and Hyperlapse for editing social media videos on the go.

For simple video editing, Kristen recommends using Splice App.

For more editing options on your computer, check out Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas Pro, or Adobe Premier Pro.

Q8: Where do you see the future of video content going?

It’s obvious that video content is here to stay, but how will it change in the future? Here’s what some of the participants of Tuesday’s chat had to say:

Michael said video is going to become the standard for attract, engaging, educating, and persuading your audience. If that isn’t enough to get you filming video for your brand, I don’t know what is!

Scott shared some statistics from Cisco that stated Internet video traffic will increase to over 80% by 2019. Crazy!

Brittany, Searcy, and Rachel know the popularity of live streaming video apps isn’t dying down anytime soon. It only means we’ll be seeing more and more video content.

Dolores said video is going to get more personal and will encourage brands to use it as a way to connect with their audience and enhance storytelling.

With so many people turning to video, you’re going to have to get creative if you want to stand out from the crowd!

Final tips from Michael:

We look forward to seeing you at the next #ContentWritingChat! Mark your calendars weekly for Tuesday at 10 AM CDT for great chats centered around content writing and marketing 😉 

Tags: live video streaming | video content