How do you make sure your digital content really connects with your audience? We’re here with some top tips to help you create better video content.
Co-op Digital started their session about audience-focused Content Creation at the recent Arts Marketing Association Conference 2019 with this question. Drawing on their experience from working in a large company with different activities and big, varied teams Joanne Schofield and Hannah Horton shared tips on creating engaging copy and structuring written content for communication with staff as well as customers.
The Chocolate Films team attended the AMA conference and we were inspired! We think the Co-op’s content creation techniques are applicable to any type of organisation, including in the Arts. Moreover, the tips can perfectly be adapted to video content. Here are the top three principles from the session – and how you can apply them to create better video content.
1. WRITE FOR WHAT PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR WITHIN YOUR VIDEO CONTENT
You should firstly think about creating videos that answer your audience’s questions. Do you want to tell potential customers or visitors how great your organisation is? You can showcase this by using our top tips for creating better video content.
When creating content, first research your audience. Whether through written or video content, you are always communicating with someone. For content to be effective, you want to know who you are talking to. Where is your audience – what online platforms are they on, where in the world are they – and what are they looking for?
In this video we created for the Wallace Collection, they answer the question ‘Who is Sir Richard Wallace?’. It is one of the top results when Googling Richard Wallace and has been viewed over 58,000 times on YouTube to date.
By creating content that answers people’s actual questions, rather than reflecting what you would like them to know about your company, you can:
- Truly help your audience and show a human side
- Make your digital content an integral part of your venue’s identity and even strengthen it
- Prove your reputation as the go-to source for information relating to your speciality
- Grow your online traffic
- Tailor your content and create better quality videos
2. WRITE FOR EVERYONE TO CREATE CLEARER VIDEO CONTENT
You want your audience to understand your web and social media content, so you want to make it super clear. This means writing in plain language and using white space to structure your content.
In your video content, you want to tell a visual story. The ideal online video can be understood without sound. Many techniques can help to optimise this including exciting shots to attract attention, animation to explain complex concepts and on-screen text to guide your viewer through the content.
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With clever use of on-screen text and a tailored square format, this promotional video for the National Portrait Gallery ‘Tacita Dean: Portrait’ exhibition reached 14,000 views across Instagram and Facebook.
You are not your audience. Make no assumptions, instead, show your message in a way that is clear to everyone and create video content that resonates with your target audience.
3. Write for how people read
When reading online we don’t read every word – we scan the text for the information that we are looking for. Research shows users read web content in an F-shaped pattern. With online video, you want to stop people from scrolling and scanning! Front-load the key information and then develop the story once you’ve caught the audience’s attention.
Theatres’ Trusts’ video grabs your attention at the start with humour and the likes of Jack Dee, Siobhan Davies, Alexandra Burke, Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE and Lenny Henry, to then further develop their testimonials about what the Trust is and why they are ambassadors. Including branding at the start. This is always a good technique to develop awareness and recognition.
Take Your Copy Writing & Video Content To The Next Level
Video content can play an integral part in your digital transformation, engaging your audience with exactly what they want to see. Follow these three tips and start your route to digital marketing success or get in contact today to see how we can transform your video content.
