Video Content in 2022
The year is 2022. It’s been exactly 8 years since March of 2020, or feels like it. Meetings turned to Zoom and “work from home” was no longer used as code for going to the beach. Many brands dove into using video content for the first time. Now, video, which was once a semi daunting nice-to-have is an expectation. So, what will you do with your video content in 2022?
We’ve developed this list of video content tips and 2022 predictions. Use it to get started strong in the new year with video content.
Think our predictions are right? Wrong? Let us know.
1. Modify videos based on placement.
Your videos are headed to your website, Youtube, Linkedin, Twitter, and your mom’s Facebook story about how proud she is of you. The first mistake to avoid is taking the same video across all platforms.
You don’t need to film a new video for each placement, but instead, modify it to fit.
Example - You’ve created a culture film with the goal of attracting top talent hires. When it lives on your website, place it on your careers page and let it be a full 2 minutes or more. Now, it’s headed to LinkedIn? Modify it down to under 1-minute run-time with a call to action driving people to the careers page. Onto Instagram where you break out short employee stories told in 15 seconds.
Thinking of this ahead of time ensures you capture all the right things for the unique placements.
2. Say bye-bye to buzzword scripts.
We’re tired of hearing the same things from every brand. More than ever video scripts need to avoid airy language like ‘changing the world’ and ‘disrupting the marketplace’. These and other buzzy phrases create videos that could have any brand’s logo at the end. Instead, focus on communicating and showing what truly makes your brand different. A helpful hint here, don’t do it by just saying, “we’re different” - figure out how to show it.
Find what’s real and intriguing within your organization or customers. Track down stories to use or riff off of for inspiration. Then, keep it short.
3. Video exploding in use for recruitment.
The final quarter of 2021 has been filled with conversations about using video as a talent recruitment tool. There’s a reason we used that as our example all the way back at Tip 1. Smart brands know that video communicates faster and carries more emotional cues than simply using a job description.
We believe 2022 is going to continue to be a race for brands to keep up with staffing needs and video is going to remain a critical differentiator.
Recruitment film by Union for Selective Insurance.
4. Video Content goes silent.
85% of video content on social media is consumed without sound. Smart content is made to be entertaining and understood without needing to turn the volume on. Even if your video is interesting enough to have the volume turned on, the viewer has already missed the first 3-5 seconds of audio.
So, how do you make video content for a silent world?
1. Show, don’t tell. Use your visuals to convey as much of the information and story as possible. A great example of this comes from Thai Life, a Thai insurance company that released this great series in 2014. Check it out below.
2. Add captions or subtitles. Whether they are burned in or uploaded as a separate file, captions are key in communicating everything you want to through your video.
3. Don’t rely on music as a story tool. Again, it’s a silent world. You need to communicate tone through the pace of edit, coloring, shot choices, and lighting styles.
4. Don’t forget about sound. After all the things you’re doing to prepare video for a silent world, remember, some people still do engage with audio. Make sure you’re still employing all best practices for communicating message and tone with high-quality audio.
5. It’s alive!
Sorry, we meant, ‘it’s live’! Since 2020 live video has seen major investment by all brands. Facebook reports that a live video holds viewers for 3x as long as prerecorded content and generates 6x the engagement. Doing thought leadership content? Consider recording it in a way that allows you to go live and then release the content prerecorded later as well.
Ready to start crafting content to humanize your brand? It could be your first time leading a video project for your company or you’re just ready to elevate the quality of your content. Drop us a line to chat.