top of page
Writer's picturejordylucas3

Why you must invest in video content in 2021

Tiktok, Reels, IGTV, Youtube. There's no denying video content is KING right now.


I caught up with Renece Brewster, CEO of Visual Domain, to get the lowdown on creating effective video content and why every business needs to invest in it in 2021.




Jordy: 2020 has seen many businesses hit hard but yours has thrived, why has video content become so popular?


CEO of Visual Domain, Renece Brewster
CEO of Visual Domain, Renece Brewster

Renece: With 2020 we saw everyone forced to connect with digital content across all aspects of life and communication. With this becoming the new way of life like “going to the doctors” via telehealth, seeing friends and family over video we had no choice but to embrace what was the only possible form of communication for a while.


As we all became more comfortable with video as the “new normal”, businesses quickly realised they needed to embrace video to connect with audiences (customers and stakeholders) or risk being forgotten.



As a business we saw a huge increase in internal and external communications using video, and sharp growth in product videos with e-commerce taking off for many businesses as the only way to sell. A rise in animation also resulted as complex topics often needed pictures to illustrate and explain new concepts.


Not to mention, for a while there, we were unable to shoot “real people” in the field so animation took their place!

Jordy: In terms of performance and engagement, how does video stack up compared to still imagery on social media?


Renece: If you're looking to engage and capture the attention of your audience video is the best performing tool.


australian video content creators
Video content reigned supreme in 2020

The simple fact remains you only have a few seconds to win the attention of your audience, and within those few seconds you also need to build their trust. Video achieves what a suite of static images can’t. A HubSpot study found that 54% of people wanted to see more video content from a brand or business they support.


Also those people were found to be 85% more likely to make a purchase after viewing a product video.


Jordy: So why should businesses be investing in video content?


Renece: Businesses should be investing in video more than ever as video allows you to demonstrate the genuine nature of your business. It gives a face to the name. 2020 has been so difficult for many people, with many experiencing financial difficulty as a result of job losses etc. customers are more discerning than ever before about where and with whom they spend their money.


Customers need to feel a certain level of trust and connection to a business. As audiences are becoming more aware of what they want from a brand, the one campaign and catch all approach is no longer effective.


We focus on creating specific content for each different stage of the purchasing life cycle and we find video is the best way to do that. It builds trust, emotion and connection. Now more than ever audiences are more receptive to video as a form of communication and brands need to speak to their audience the way they best prefer to - so it’s proving the best solution.


Jordy: What are some of the keys to great video content? What really engages viewers?


Renece:


1. Know you who your audience is. You need to create your content for your audience and you need to be authentic to that audience. Authenticity is so important.


2.The first 5 seconds of the video is the most important factor. Audiences’ attention spans are shrinking! If in the first 5 seconds the video does not set the correct tone the audience will check out.


3.You need to know what channel you are creating the content for - this catch all approach is no longer effective. Create your content for the channel you are going to place the video on. Something that you place on tik tok will not be effective on Youtube, audiences will disengage with your brand if you don’t get this right.


Jordy: What trends are you predicting for 2021?

Renece:


Content Trends


1. More user generated content

2. More experiential content

3. More behind the scenes videos

4. More video across all stages of a business. For example: onboarding, Recruitment and loyalty videos, messages from the CEO.

I really believe that businesses will be more experiential in how they grow their audience and community in 2021. They need to steer the conversation within their community and provide value as audiences are expecting more than a good product or service.


I also think we will see a new hybrid form of events using a combination of both in person & digital alternatives to reach and speak to audiences.

A video series I’d be keen to highlight from our work in 2020 is - Food Corp - Delicious x Tour Australia: Know Your Producer. It is a series that really highlights the businesses that have been affected by so many aspects in 2020 and it highlights the importance of knowing who you support when you spend with a business. It was a really emotional video to create and so rewarding. Technically it was an incredibly complex video to make during Melbourne’s lockdown.





Comments


Black and White Minimalist Heart Wedding Banner-2.png
The latest in lifestyle

On the podcast

bottom of page