Lets be clear there are no experts in video marketing during a global pandemic. I have always had one guiding principle when creating video content and that is to provide video content that helps your audience.
This Is A Time To Help
“Make a habit of two things: to help; or at least to do no harm.”
Hippocrates
The same as everyone else I have spent most of the last few weeks online mostly at meetings or webinars.The purpose of these events was to help navigate the current crisis. Never was there more truth to Hippocrates words that while trying to help we should definitely do no harm. This I think should be our overriding objective as brands when sharing on social media and creating video content.
Helpful Video Content
The first thing to think about when creating video content during a Global Pandemic is how are you helping your audience. Understand that your audience may be in a completely different place than they were 30 days ago; they may be facing health issues, financial worries or struggling with enforced isolation. Now is definitely the time to create content that helps them.
Personally I would concentrate video content on three areas.
Video Blog
Start a video blog to share personal insights you have into this crisis. This could be a video blog showing how you are coping in isolation. Keep it as upbeat as possible as your audience have their news stations to provide them with a constant barrage of bad news. In your video blog share helpful tips, book lists and streaming content that they might like. Be as creative as possible with your video blog and always keep asking yourself, am I giving my audience something different and valuable.
Webinars
The key to creating a valuable webinar during a global pandemic is to pick topics that are relevant to your audience’s current situation and take into account the impact the pandemic has had on them. The best webinars I have attended over the last few weeks acknowledge the impact the crisis has had on peoples lives and provides useful advice on how to maintain a business in an online environment. They concentrate on motivating oneself and teams and how to use online tools you might not be aware of. The key is to put your self in your “audiences shoes” and pick topics that will really help and motivate them in these difficult times.
Tutorials
Tutorials are always great content. The key for a brand is to pick a topic that is relevant to your niche in these difficult times. When looking for topics think about the questions your niche audience needs answering.
Accept Your Limitations
“Hope is the only bee that makes honey without flowers.”
Robert Green Ingersoll
Most people were taken completely by surprise with this crisis and brand video creators are no exception to this. As a result you may be isolated at home without access to your video equipment. This is the time to accept these limitations and use what you have got. The cameras in your average Smartphone are quite capable of producing a decent video blog. It won’t be perfect but it will be enough. If you are in any doubt look at most news reports and see the number of reports they have to accept that normally would not be broadcast. If you need some higher quality content, you can use a video stock library or you can always get an animator involved. Most creative’s will be delighted to get some paid work in these extremely difficult times.
Be as creative as possible embrace your technical limitations and focus on the message. I am sure you will be surprised how much really useful video you can create when you give it a go. Keep safe and remember as the ancient proverb says,” this, too shall pass”.