Mark Miller — February 6, 2017 Follow @MMtwopointfiveBuild an elite team of video marketing masters.
It’s probably cliche to call 2017 “The Year of Video.” After all, it’s been an annual platitude among marketers since even before YouTube was a household name. That said, some big things are happening in the world of on-demand video and video production staffing that should make you take another look this year.
78% of people now watch videos online every week, and 55% watch videos online every day, according to Hubspot. Live streaming is exploding on a variety of platforms. And new technology, like 360-degree video, continues to reward innovators and early adopters.
Experience a 360-Degree Symphony at the Legendary Sydney Opera House
And it’s not just for reaching consumers during their free time. Video is emerging as a powerful B2B tool as well.
Organizations that have become interested in video marketing of any kind have long had the option to outsource it to a specialized agency. However, more and more are retaking control of their video production–especially in terms of recorded and live content that’s not intended for advertisements or commercials.
Insourcing an agency or building an internal video team of your own has several advantages over putting it in the hands of a third party. You retain full creative and strategic control over your content. Production speed and responsiveness are improved by trimming out agency processes. And of course, you get to avoid the (usually substantial) agency fees.
If you’re looking to build a video marketing operation from scratch, leverage video production staffing, or simply modernize an aging team, there are a few key pieces you should consider adding.
A/V Specialists
Part of the beauty of online video right now is the low barrier to entry. Initial costs are low, and almost anyone can get started with just a smartphone. You don’t have to have a lot of fancy equipment and a highly polished setup to be effective.
That said, you’ll probably want to go the extra mile to get your both your live and recorded video looking and sounding great. After all, you want quality of your content to reflect the quality of your brand. It’s almost always better to have pristine video and audio for your audience to have the best possible experience.
Investing into quality equipment, software, and Audio/Video production staffing can make all the difference between an unremarkable stream and a memorable one that stands out. That will put you on good footing not only with technical issues but also practical video considerations like lighting, framing, microphone placement, and more.
Creatives
The creative team in general is a great resource for content brainstorming or refining video ideas.
Copywriters are useful for video scripts, headlines, descriptions, and optimizing profiles.
Meanwhile, designers can contribute with graphics, logos, scene transitions, and graphic overlays.
Depending on your resources, it may pay off to have dedicated creatives for your video team. Digital creative staffing is an excellent way to source that capacity and expertise if you don’t have it on-hand. Alternatively, if your creative department has the talent and capacity already, you can coordinate with that team to get the assets and ideas you need.
Live Streaming Specialists
Who you want to put on camera will depend on your overall video strategy.
It’s not necessary to hire actors to produce quality content. Thanks to modern editing capabilities, almost anyone with a little confidence and some well-written lines can be effective. And in instances where you’re making recorded video, you don’t even need a person on camera at all–you can use slides, graphics, cartoons, and more (although today consumers prefer to connect with real people behind your brand).
But if you want to get into live streaming, you’ll want a very specific kind of person to be in front of the camera representing your brand.
Live video is an entirely different landscape from recorded content. It can be an incredibly engaging and valuable tool, but it comes with dangers. There’s no editing process, no way to cover up a crucial error–and once one is made, it could be preserved online forever.
Anyone on a livestream must be able to improvise and interact with the community in real-time. And that’s not a talent that comes naturally to most people, even practiced actors.
Live Community Manager
Surprisingly, one of the most challenging aspects of live streaming doesn’t involve the actual video content at all.
Almost all video streaming platforms now come with community chat rooms and interactive capabilities. That’s what distinguishes it from recorded content, and enables such remarkable customer engagement.
However, these communities can be notoriously difficult to manage and moderate. The anonymity of the internet means that users can be aggressive or unpleasant in a variety of ways, and the chat rooms can quickly spiral out of control. That not only makes life difficult for your streamers, but also ruins the experience of the rest of your audience.
On the other hand, a well-managed streaming community is an unbelievable asset to your brand. Few channels enable you to directly communicate with and support your audience like live stream interaction. It’s an excellent way to build loyalty and keep customers coming back time and again.
Influencer Marketing Managers
Getting into video marketing can be difficult for a brand, especially if you’re starting more or less from scratch.
Fortunately, there are innumerable individuals out there who have developed massive followings and success through their video content. They have impressive personal brands and loyal audiences you can take advantage of–if you play your cards right.
There are video influencers for nearly any imaginable niche. If you can develop relationships with them, earn their trust, and bring them value, you’ll likely be able to forge a mutually beneficial partnership.
Brand-influencer relationships can evolve in a variety of ways:
- collaborative content production
- sponsorship deals
- ad placements
- brand endorsement
- affiliate-style referral programs
However, developing those partnerships isn’t always easy, and requires a practiced, sensitive hand. Mishandling an influencer relationship can dramatically backfire or even put your organization in legal trouble. So make sure you’re able to find someone who understands the video influencer landscape for your audience and how to best approach it.
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