With
millions staying at home at the peak of the pandemic, analysts observed a
different trend in the consumption of digital content: 80 percent of people
admitted that they consumed more online content since the beginning of the
COVID-19 outbreak than in the previous years. Amongst the content that recorded
dramatic engagement during the pandemic, videos ranked top as the most consumed
of all digital content.
This change in consumer behavior is not
surprising, given that people had to survive the boredom accustomed to
isolation and social distancing by every means necessary. And obviously, it is
a change that has come to stay, owing to the fact that it is believed that
the demand for video content will increase from 2021 to 2026.
As people
rely more heavily on video content as their favorite medium to be educated,
validated, and entertained, individuals and organizations have leveraged this
interesting shift to growing their influence and revenue. Furthermore,
non-marketers and business corporations who produce quality videos that appeal
to a wide audience across different social media platforms, inadvertently
showcase their brand’s genuineness and dependability. Consequently, their
customer base experiences gigantic, steady leaps.
The Essentials of An Engaging Video
Making high quality videos no longer cost an arm or a leg in most cases. These days, videos produced with an iPhone or any smartphone will likely attract millions people if three essentials come into play:
A. Target a specific audience
Gone are the days when we assume that as
long as anybody can stumble on a video online, then the mission of creating the
video has been accomplished. Nowadays, you must pinpoint a particular set of
consumers who the video is intended for, from the planning stage. This can be
achieved by outlining the consumers’ demographics and analyzing their behavior
and interests to understand their expectations. Thus, you will be guided on the
type of video content the users appreciate and its presentation. Tools such as
website analytics, social media analytics, surveys, and even simple keyword
research on Google prove helpful in obtaining the information you need to
produce consumer-targeted videos.
B. Coherent, cohesive, and clear
Irrespective
of the brand, any video produced in an orderly, connected
fashion keeps people watching till the end. If in addition, the message being
conveyed is comprehended by a majority of the viewers, it won’t take magic to
convert them into buying customers. It makes great sense to develop and stick
to a style of beginning and ending your video which consumers will come to know
your brand for. Also, every segment of your content has to smoothly transit
into an integrated whole with a clear message not lost to the viewers. The
audio quality of your video has to stay audible, and if possible, incorporate
subtitles for muted viewing.
C. Tell a compelling story
Humans live for stories. Literally. That’s the
reason why gossiping and tabloids can’t go into extinction. Marketing a boring
product such as a hammer isn’t enough to excuse for saturating people’s online
space with passionless and uninspiring videos; unless you are gunning for a
huge financial deficit. Your video should revolve around a story that
ultimately empowers your target consumers, and helps them see the benefits of
the product or service when they patronize you. If you can, float an opinion
that could spark conversations about the role of your brand in upholding or
disrupting a status quo, as the case may be. Then, never forget to present the
hero of your brand or product’s video, whose strengths, opportunities, and
weaknesses are quite relatable with your target consumers. Keep the energy of
the story high all through the video, such that the audience will be glued to
the screen to the end.
So, what
type of video accelerated engagement during the pandemic? Considering the
variety of video content that many people watched during the COVID-19 outbreak,
it wasn’t easy selecting only three. These selections were based on the
writer’s choice of the most educative and impactful videos between March and
May 2020, at the peak of the global lock-down.
1. Educational Videos
Educational
videos contain instructional and informative materials on a particular
topic(s). The chief aim of a video for educational purposes is to communicate
to an audience, what they need to understand about key concepts to facilitate
behavioral and attitudinal changes. An engaging educational video isn’t only
concerned about engaging students and teaching for remembrance, but desires for
viewers’ thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to be enhanced,
alongside their creative abilities. “Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder” is one of such educational videos that capture viewers for their
originality and problem-solving prowess.
Created by a
former NASA engineer, Mark Rober, “Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird
Feeder” has amassed a whopping 71.3 million views and 92,000 comments (at the
time of this writeup), since it was published on YouTube on May 24, 2020. In
just two days after being uploaded, the video had 10 million views. Mark’s bird
feeder video stands out for its animated narration and comedic spice (you’ll
see determined squirrels dangling from a height with their furry behinds
popping into the camera). In addition, the character development of the video –
revolving around stealing squirrels and Mark’s bid to stop them by building an
obstacle course, is top-notch. He gave life to an otherwise boring mechanical
engineering video, and you can’t help but think that you were watching a ninja
action movie, involving a group of smart animals and an intelligent human.
Tip: Keep your
educational video lively with subtle background music and your enthusiastic
voice. Be sure to fully develop your topic to have enough information to share.
Finally, let your video be solving a need.
2. Promotional Videos
Shortened as
a promo video, it is utilized as a marketing tool in creating awareness on a
brand, an event, a product, or a service. Good promotional videos don’t strive
to be sales to the viewer, even though the goal of the video is to sell, drive
traffic to a website, and increase customer engagement. Rather, it relates with
the user on a personal level, speaking to their human desires and problems, and
leaves them with vital information which they will always remember the brand or
business for. Nike’s "Never Too Far Down You Can’t Stop Us" film stands out as a
relatable promotional video that captivates viewers’ hearts, and subsequently,
their pockets.
Produced on
May 23, 2020, and narrated by LeBron James, the 1.31 minutes long video
encapsulated the power of determination and tenacity attributed to
distinguished sportspersons. Even though it is an ad, the video contains
much-needed inspiring words and phrases that uplift and empower people during
the pandemic. “But it’s when we’re given no chance that we somehow found that
last bit of strength to keep fighting”, and “We came back when we should have
been long forgotten” were lines in between the video that captured Nikes'
audience. “Too Far Down, You Can’t Stop Us” has been viewed 118 million times
and has 41,000 likes. Nike certainly leveraged the power of human connection to
drive its brands' strength and increase sales amidst the global lockdown.
Tip: Your
promotional video should target human emotions, and have an empowering message
external to outright sales pitching.
3. Challenge Videos
Typically,
challenge videos trend for their hashtag and the scope of the challenge. There
are hundreds of individuals and organizations that upped their popularity
during the COVID-19 social distancing period, through challenge videos on
Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, etc. The World Health Organization’s Safe Hands challenge was an enlightening campaign that quickly went viral, after it was
initiated in the wake of the global lock-down on March 13, 2020. People around
the world took part in the challenge by uploading and sharing their
hand-washing videos on different social media platforms. In essence, the
#Safehands challenge was to educate individuals on staying safe from
coronavirus, by correctly and thoroughly washing their hands for 40 seconds.
By March 24,
2020, TikTok had partnered with the WHO to further spread the campaign to Gen
Zs with the hashtag, #safehandschallenge. Within 48 hours of that partnership,
the #safehandschallenge was massively welcomed and used as a TikTok hashtag,
1.7 billion times. Its public-health benefit aside, the #thesafehands challenge
fostered a sense of community between celebrities and non-celebrities, many
seeing their favorite superstars goofing away, all dressed down and on plain
faces while washing their hands.
Tip: An
engaging challenge video should be fun to do, and encourage widespread
participation.