In this blog, Mark Wilson, Creative Director at Whiteoaks, discusses:
- Why social-first video should be planned before filming begins
- How one shoot can create multiple assets to support business objectives
- How social-first video can strengthen wider PR, content, social and executive visibility activity
For all the hard work that goes into creating a hero video – think the idea, the script, the people, the filming, the edit – businesses all too often leave it all behind after one cutdown for social media. The shortened clip is posted on LinkedIn and left do all the heavy lifting.
But the point of publishing should really be the start of a video’s life. Every filming opportunity has the potential to generate a much wider bank of content. A customer story can provide credible proof points for different stages of the buying journey while a webinar can create material for an ongoing thought leadership programme.
That is where a social-first approach becomes valuable. By considering how video will support the wider communications programme before production begins, B2B tech brands can create a stronger and more consistent presence around the topics they want to be known for.
Start with what the business wants to achieve
Creating several short clips from a longer film seems straightforward, but knowing exactly the job that each one needs to do takes greater planning. That is why a social-first approach focuses first and foremost on the business objective and desired impact on target audiences, not the format itself.
If the business objective is to increase brand awareness, video content can help establish a recognisable point of view around an important industry issue or be used to tell a compelling brand story.
If the focus is on lead generation, video could tackle specific buyer challenges and provide evidence that supports consideration.
During a new product launch, it can explain exactly how a product works, answer common questions or queries about it and provide evidence via customer stories.
The important part is deciding the role video should play within the campaign before the filming takes place.
Building visibility across the wider marketing campaign
Social-first video becomes particularly valuable when it connects different parts of a wider PR and marketing programme.
Take original research, for example. The report itself might provide the substance for media relations and written thought leadership, while video gives senior leaders a way to interpret the findings in their own voice. Those perspectives can then support organic and paid social media activity and an executive visibility programme.
The same principle applies to media coverage. A strong story does not have to disappear once an article has been published. Video can give the spokesperson space to expand on the issue, add a new perspective or bring the discussion directly to the audiences the business wants to reach.
Over time, that creates greater consistency between what a company says through its corporate channels, what its leaders talk about publicly and the themes appearing in its PR and content.
For B2B tech brands with complex propositions, that consistency is important as buyers are unlikely to remember every claim, feature or technical detail they encounter. They are far more likely to build an impression of a company through the ideas, expertise and points of view they see repeatedly.
Think beyond the individual asset
This also changes how the value of video should be measured.
A hero film may still have an important role, but its value should not sit solely in the performance of one asset. A well-planned shoot can provide material that feeds a campaign over time, supports different communications disciplines and gives several people within the organisation a way to contribute to the same wider story.
That is particularly useful when brands are trying to establish ownership of a topic. Building that association rarely comes from publishing one strong piece of content. It develops through repeated, credible contributions that reinforce what the business knows, what it believes and where it can add value to the conversation.
Social-first video can provide a regular way of doing that without simply republishing the same message.
Make video part of the PR campaign from the start
The biggest opportunity with social-first video is therefore not simply producing more content from the same footage. It is making sure video has a clear role within the wider communications strategy from the beginning.
When PR, content, social, executive visibility and creative teams are working around the same objectives and themes, a single filming opportunity can support a much broader programme of activity. The result is a more joined-up presence and more opportunities for the brand and its people to be seen for the subjects they want to own.
Our creative team works alongside our PR, content and social specialists to make video part of the wider campaign from the outset. Get in touch to find out how social-first video could support your wider communications programme.
