Who doesn’t love a good video?
Whether it’s about cute kittens or an explanation of a complicated concept, videos help people learn and retain information in an enjoyable, engaging, and effective way.
In fact, you will retain up to 95 percent more information about a subject if you learn about it by watching a video, rather than if you were to simply read about it.
Obviously, this fact is profoundly significant for businesses to take note of—and it certainly explains why the trend of video marketing has continued to grow. Some companies have even created profitable businesses by selling videos to teach customers new skills, spurring a boom in the online learning industry.
But when it comes to using video for business purposes, many often glance over how it can benefit the PR team. Since video is so highly engaging with all audiences, it can be a spectacular tool to improve a company’s PR with both media outlets and customers.
Curious exactly how video fits into your PR efforts? Let’s discuss.
1. Work it into your PR pitch
Unless your PR team has a great relationship with a media outlet, getting your company’s pitch noticed by journalists and writers can be extremely difficult at times.
Most journalists are receiving dozens of pitches a day, with the majority of them being (quite frankly) boring emails that are trying to persuade a reporter why they should feature a company or personality in an article.
PR pros know the importance of standing out so their pitches have a better chance of getting picked up. Some outlets have strict limits on the length and layout of submissions; if a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is a videoworth?
Creating short pitch videos that are just one to two minutes long can help you communicate with media outlets far better than a traditional email—and improve the chances of getting published.
There are several ways to work a video effectively into your pitch. First of all, make sure that while it is brief, it is still adding value. A video should be supportive and demonstrative of the overall message you are trying to get across; it’s not just a normal advertisement that you would use to generate a lead.
So, try to use video that showcases the full scope of your work by representing your brand’s voice and personality.
In addition, remember that first impressions are critical and you only have a few seconds to capture the viewer’s attention. Similar to a traditional PR pitch, you need to hook the recipient immediately and get the main message across as concisely as possible.
2. Use it to build trust with your audience
Videos can also provide a solution for one of the greatest challenges that PR teams face: building trust with audiences.
According to the latest Edelman report, consumers are highly skeptical of both businesses andthe media—but 81 percent stated that they were far more likely to trust a company after seeing a branded video from them.
With this in mind, it is important that video content makes up a significant part of the trust-building strategy for any PR team. Since video can convey so much more information and create a stronger and more memorable visual image with customers, it can do a lot to convince newcomers to give your company a chance.
The key to building trust through any content medium is authenticity and relatability. Making your brand seem more “human” will help people trust you. You can see a great example of this with the promotional video for Mighty Leaf.
They wanted to show their customers that they could trust in both the quality of their products and the integrity of their production practices. Their short but highly engaging promotional video does a great job in building trust by taking customers behind-the-scenes for a first-hand look at how Mighty Lead does business.
3. Make testimonial messages more emotional
Customer testimonials are incredibly important in the modern buyer’s journey. These days, 86 percent of consumers will actively research reviews and testimonials before they decide to consider a product or service from a new company. PR teams know how important it is to include customer feedback to improve relationships with consumers, but using video can help to kick things up a notch.
Video helps to convey far more emotion than just a quote or star rating ever will. Again, this can help to build even more trust with your audience – especially when it is emotionally-forward.
Shopify uses this tactic by frequently sharing inspiring stories of entrepreneurs who have created successful online stores with their e-commerce hosting services.
Each video is just a few minutes long, but they receive incredible engagement, with several earning over 100,000 views. Since each story features a real person AND the face behind the review, it creates a more striking impression that makes the testimonial come off as far more genuine.
Conclusion
People will form an opinion of a brand in just a few seconds when interacting with them online. Video can work wonders to make this impression stronger and more memorable.
PR professionals are wise to incorporate of visual element into all aspects of their strategies. Let your creativity be your guide and search for ways to build nearly instant connections with your viewers through authentic, informative, and emotional content.
