I’m pleased to announce that we’ve officially launched our physical studio space at the Tannery in Newburyport, right across the parking lot from Matter HQ. Tomorrow night we’re hosting an open house, so area businesses can get a closer look at the incredible technology we have available for videos, live broadcasts, graphic design, and so much more.
If you’d like to join us, please RSVP here. It promises to be a fun evening.
If you can’t make it, please enjoy my post below about incorporating video in PR, which was originally published in PRWeek.
The statistics are everywhere: people are hungry for entertaining and informative online video. Overall, research estimates that video views among Internet users grew by 23 percent this year, and that number is only headed northward, particularly as smartphones continue to proliferate among younger audiences.
That’s a big, highly measurable opportunity for PR and social media firms that have the resources in-house to create visual content that people want to view and share. Once clients get a taste of success with video, the door is wide open for additional video and revenue opportunities for both the client and the PR agency.
Here are three ways that interesting video content can add legs to public relations programming:
1. On social channels, posting videos increases engagement by 100 percent or more, depending on which survey you read. So, if 50 people click on your text-based post, on average, then you can expect 100 clicks if you include video. More clicks means more chances to attract buyers and partners of your products and services. This is content marketing at work, folks.
2. News outlets are always looking for relevant and entertaining video content that their readership will click and share, because it helps attract ad dollars. If you understand the media landscape for your company, and actively identify the sites and blogs that accept video, you can essentially develop a syndication network for your content. That’s powerful, but the key is that the video has to be entertaining or otherwise add true value. Sales pieces generally fall flat, unless they’re outright spoofs.
3. Quality video can effectively humanize a brand by bringing the viewer “into the fold” of a company’s culture. When fans, prospects and others are able to see and hear your leaders talking, and when they can experience a slice of life from your company, they feel more invested in your success and are more likely to buy from you – or want to work for you.
The key to all of this is the quality of the video. More is always better for content marketing, but quality always trumps quantity when it comes to using the power of visual imagery for public relations. That’s why it helps to have an in-house creative team that works hand-in-hand with the PR team to weave together a compelling visual narrative over time.
What other ways do you think video helps with PR?