Get More, Better PR with Video

Video has always been the medium of choice for maximum engagement with the audience. And now that it has become cheaper and easier to create videos, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be using more of it for PR.

Video isn’t just for businesses that want to reach out to young consumers, either. Even if you’re in the B2B space, video could prove to be a highly effective way of enhancing your marketing and PR efforts.

Two of the findings of a Forbes study, “Video in the C-Suite: Executives Embrace the Non-Text Web,” are:

• senior executives are watching more business-related videos than ever before. Among the executives surveyed, 75% watch work-related videos on business-related websites and 52% watch them on YouTube, at least once a week.

• work-related video can spur action. 65% of respondents have visited a vendor’s website as a result of watching a video.

Ready to use more video for your PR? Below are some tips and thoughts.

What To Put In Your Videos

For those who are just getting started with video, it can be hard to think of what specific content can be translated into a video format. Here are some examples:

Executive Interviews

Similar to putting sound bites or quotes in a press release, videotape your company’s top executives answering questions with your key messages. If you have celebrity endorsers or spokespersons, capture them in video, too.

Product Demos

Some products are better demonstrated on video than described in text or depicted in a photo. It’s the next best thing to putting the product in the hands of a prospect. Create videos of your product in use, demonstrating its many features and benefits. Or you can create an introductory video like this from one of our clients, Quickmobile, that communicates to your target audience in a fun way what you do:

Special Events

If you have live events, always document them in video. Pick out the highlights of the event.

Man-on-the-street Interviews

Interview people participating at events, employees (about what they enjoy most about their jobs, for example), and other “ordinary” people.

How-to Videos

Show how to carry out various tasks related to your product, such as alternative applications, setup or installation, troubleshooting, care and maintenance. You can also respond to FAQs with a video.

Testimonials.

Feedback from actual customers and clients are more powerful in video than other formats, because video reveals so much more about the person. Try to get video testimonials from your customers, but also be on the lookout on YouTube and other video sharing sites for videos uploaded without your involvement.

Customer Case Studies

These are more detailed than a testimonial. Create a video focusing on a specific customer to show what problems they have solved with your product. If you can capture “before” and “after” video, that would be even more powerful.

Video Contest

Need an idea for a cool and potentially viral online activity? Try a video contest. Whatever you do, make sure the videos are relevant to your product or business. Have participants upload their vids on YouTube and you’ll get exposure for years to come.

Video Collaboration

YouTube celebs have done this (here’s an example). They ask their audiences to create and upload their videos, which are then edited together into one final video product. You need to have very clear instructions so the resulting video will be of good quality.

Animation

If you have tables and graphs, transform them into animated graphics. These can be used within video presentations, or left “bare” and shared for others to use in their own productions.

Now that you have video content, what exactly do you do with them to get more exposure and PR?

How to Get the Most Bang Out of Your Videos

1. Your News Release

The most obvious PR use of video is adding it to your press release. Sites such as PRWeb allow you to embed or link to a video to help tell your story. Here’s an example of how we used video in the Quickmobile press release.

2. B-roll

Raw footages edited together can be useful to broadcasters as B-roll or supplemental footage for their reports. Make sure your B-roll has establishing shots of events and locations, interviews, event highlights and other newsworthy footage.

3. Video Sharing Sites

Upload your videos to YouTube, Vimeo and other video sharing sites. YouTube videos rank highly in Google and other search engines, which means you can attract plenty of targeted traffic. These sites also allow your video to be shared and embedded in other websites, increasing your exposure even more. Plus there’s always the possibility of your video getting picked up by TV networks.

4. Social Networking

Share your video on your Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking accounts. Did you know videos can be pinned on Pinterest too?

5. Company Website

Embed videos on your website. Encourage visitors to share them and embed them in their own sites.

Are You a Video Newbie or Maven?

When it comes to using video for PR, are you a newbie or a maven? How have you been using video and what can you do to get more PR impact from it?

Share your thoughts below. Or post them on our Facebook page. You can also message me on Twitter.

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Elena is founder of a technology PR agency that works with startups to billion-dollar companies. She is passionate about helping marketers and small business owners with practical publicity strategies.

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