Read our latest blog written by our Senior Communications Executive, Gina Francey. 

As somebody who works in PR, my work normally sees me spend a reasonable chunk of my time meeting and ‘networking’ with clients, journalists, and key stakeholders.

Meeting someone in person is always helpful in making a good first impression and forging the relationship.

However, during the current lockdown we have lost this particular privilege. Gone is the ability to meet in our favourite coffee spots (and if you were wondering, mine would probably be 200 Degrees Coffee on Division Street) and we find ourselves relying instead on platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams to conduct team meetings, and indeed play host to the now home-based weekly pub quiz replacement with friends and family at the weekend.

For many, the use of video has become invaluable in keeping us connected which begs the question ‘should it remain an integral part of the wider communication plan for businesses ongoing?’. Arguably, yes!

According to a recent study from Global Web Index, we have consumed 80% more content since the coronavirus pandemic began and it seems that video content is what people are using most – with predications suggesting that by the end of 2020 the average person will watch 100 minutes of video content per day.

So where to start? – In today’s climate there are so many different options from going down a traditional route of radio and television advertising, to in-built video content on your website and social media pages, to collaborating with partner businesses to contribute to their video content.

When delving into the world of audio visual, it’s worth keeping front of mind how it can complement your existing strategy.

As a starting point, review your strategy to understand where video could help you increase value and add purpose. If you’re a service driven business you may be able to add authenticity a in creating vlog content from your staff members, for example. This will cement your written content and add faces to names, making your more approachable and attractive to new potential clients.

For those who work in consumer goods you may be eager to show videos of your products in order to highlight points of difference and demonstrate quality, or showcase how the products you are using are helping strengthen the local supply chain.

Once you have identified content, spend some time looking into what platforms. Technology has advanced so much in the past five years alone, and with most now owning a smart phone, video production should no longer be seen as something purely for the professionals. Simple tricks from placing your phone on a tripod and taking time to consider lighting can transform a poor-quality video into something which you can share with your audiences with little or no editing.

There are plenty of apps which allow you to cut and paste content into pre-made layouts making it even more accessible to produce videos with a professional feel without much training or resource.

Another thing worth considering is launching a YouTube channel. This is easy to set up – and gives you exposure to the whopping 2 billion users. It also gives you the opportunity to embed this content onto your own website and wider social media platforms.

Times of change usually generate opportunity. According to some statistics published by Wyzowl 59% of non-video marketers plan to start leveraging video in 2020. So, don’t get left behind! What are you waiting for? (And we’re here to help if needed….).

If you need any help in developing a communications strategy MK PR and Northern Communications Group can help. Do not hesitate to speak to us today.