How to produce great video for B2B PR
In our last post we explored the factors that underpin the effectiveness of online video as a tool in B2B public relations. Video in the digital has literally experienced a viral explosion and is now one of the world’s most popular mediums. Here are our tips for producing effective video for B2B PR:
1. Make your video professional
Your primary concern should be to ensure that the production value and quality of your video itself is high and so B2B appropriate. Today, there are numerous online programmes for customising the appearance of video for presentation on your website – such as in thumbnail popups with quirky, although commonly used, graphics. However, corporate websites should always present video in a format that appears professionally produced – not as an after-thought from a backroom member of staff. This video by Corning is a great example of a slick B2B video that effectively communicates the brand’s message. Gaining 18 million views, it shows video’s power to communicate in an increasingly crowded and diverse media landscape is not to be sniffed at!
2. Integrate your video
Video, like other elements of your homepage, should appear as a seamless part of your site’s design. The most recent or relevant videos should be prominently displayed and be obvious to the browsing viewer – you should aim to utilise every opportunity to have your video viewed.
3. Make your videos accessible
Displaying a photograph or graphic image in the video window, along with a prominent play symbol, will arrest the viewer’s attention and entice them to play the video. In this way you will distinguish your video content from other elements of the homepage such as buttons and plugins. In addition, to further encourage engagement, include a clear tagline or title labeling the video and explaining its content.
4. Know your audience
When devising corporate video, you must consider both the relevance of the medium and its content to their audience(s). Are they investors, customers, employees or trade press? Understand your audience in terms of the other mediums they engage with; the language they are familiar with and expect, the visual cues that engage and reassure them.
5. Keep it simple
Using complex formats (including those that take time to download or open), inappropriate music, complex graphics, or experimental editing styles might serve to alienate your target audience. When the opportunity to grab viewers’ attention is no more than a few seconds of their working day, simplicity in terms of format, presentation and access, is often the best strategy for achieving your primary aim – making them watch. Fundamentally, each element of your video’s production and presentation must be considered in relation to your audiences’ needs, expectations and understanding.
6. Deliver your message
When devising a video, firstly clearly define its subject and key message(s). B2B video for use across multiple platforms should, ideally, be short. You must formulate your message in shorthand: digestible chunks of relevant information, avoiding extraneous detail. Your message should fit onto a narrative framework that will engage the viewer and carry them from shot to shot.
7. Edit strategically
When considering the editing of your video, the viewer’s attention span is a key consideration. Viewers should ideally perceive, while watching the video that it is an effort-free exercise – your business has effectively done the work for them.
Create a dynamic timeline that includes clear illustrations of the video’s subject and narrative with a seamless and smooth audio-steam. Use B-roll shots, simple graphics, images, or animation in clips of no more than four seconds in length. Ensure that all clips are illustrative of what is being said and do not distract or confuse the viewer. In essence, good editing is key to formulating a clear narrative and delivering your message. For more on video as a B2B marketing tool, click here.
Online video as a public relations tool requires constant reconsideration as the digital spectrum expands, and so it’s a subject that we will return to soon. Stay tuned!