How’s this for a huge glimpse into the skyrocketing rise of video? Experts predict that, more than a million minutes of video content will be crossing IP networks every single second by 2021.1 Video is simply the most explosive and engaging form of communication around with multiple distribution platforms.
Why Is Everyone Asking for Video?
People retain 95% of a message they watch in video form, compared to just 10% percent of messages delivered in text.2 This statistic alone makes video an ideal medium for everything from advertising to spot-on training. No wonder your clients want videos in their communication tool chests – sometimes even producing their own. In response, more and more in-house creative teams are heeding their clients’ requests, either by creating a team to provide video services, bringing separate internal video teams into their fold, or expanding current video capabilities. These options raise questions about the best way to proceed. For answers, we asked Cella’s CreativeExecs Roundtable participants to relate their experiences in the field.
Is Your In-House Team Ready for Video’s Explosive Growth?
This thought framed our latest Roundtable series, Launching and Advancing Your In-House Video Team. We met with creative leaders across seven cities to discuss how to build an in-house video team and what its natural evolution might look like. Perspectives shared by Roundtable participants, some of which appear below, will help any in-house creative agency effectively meet the video demands of 2019 and beyond.
Roundtable Discussion Takeaways
Too polished? In-house teams are increasing the quantity of real-time videos that are shown on social channels. Forbes reports that users watch live videos three times longer than the pre-recorded variety. Live streaming communicates spontaneity and authenticity. While there needs to be some quality to the production value, if social videos appear too “slick”, those effects are lost.
Social Investment. To meet the demand for social videos, teams are bringing in new equipment specific to this platform (think multiple iPhones for shooting different angles as well as audio clarity). New staff members are also coming on board, often to fill hybrid roles such as producing and editing. Employees who contribute dual skills help keep the creative workflow humming.
Yes, MAM! According to Forbes, online content will consist of 80 percent video marketing by 2019. Presently mobile consumption of video content continually rises by 100 percent a year. Make no mistake – your inventory will keep on accumulating! You MUST have a hub where video assets can be stored / catalogued / recalled, plus a strategic plan or media asset management (MAM) solution for tagging and maintaining the items.
Time tracking. Roundtable participants stressed the need to make a business case for video and it all starts with time tracking. If you don’t use a time-tracking system, at least have your staff track half- and full-days spent on video projects. The resulting metrics will help prove your team’s value as well as provide rationale for future asks of additional staff and equipment as your business grows. Warning: If video teams aren’t given a creative brief, or at least an objective, they often spend a needless amount of time pitching multiple concepts.
The length. Don’t kick off your video project by declaring how long it should be. Lengths vary by video type (training, demos, executive communication, etc.) and sometimes by media buy. Instead, plot out the story first and consider the audience, the objective, and the distribution platform. And marketers beware - despite overall length, you have just 10 seconds to capture and engage an audience.3
Educate, educate. Participants also emphasized that clients require continual education on video strategy, workflow, and cost. Share your wisdom at every opportunity. Is video the right medium for the objectives? What is the one main point your client wants to convey (not 3-5 different messages)? What should the video accomplish? Does the project fit the strategy? Where’s the creative brief and is it clear and complete? Is there an up-front understanding of video’s benefits and limits? How do you synch people up to workflow? Resolve basics like these and you’ll gain real efficiencies and long-term cost savings for your clients and your company
Build your own. Technology advances have effectively shrunk the space, team size and equipment needed to create great videos. Design your studio around the types of videos needed. Use a phased approach to build out your studio, attaching a timeline to each phase. This strategy allows you to be in motion before the money “goes away” and you lose the chance to showcase your value in the video space. Lastly, start small and think big. Don’t get intimidated with what’s needed to stand up your video business. You can start with a small but mighty team, minimal equipment such as a workstation, a camera and a few lights, and, of course, a few clients, but still have the vision to grow as the requests for video increases.
Now’s the Time!
In our 2018 In-House Creative Industry Report, 71% of in-house creative leaders surveyed said their teams provide video production services. 59% expect their groups’ video production services will greatly increase. And 41% dedicate only one team member to supporting video services. These numbers clearly showcase the rise of video within in-house agencies, like yours, and that many start out small and then grow over time.
There’s a very good reason why video is gaining popularity – it works. It works at generating leads, it works at driving traffic, it works at increasing brand awareness, and it works at delivering positive ROI. Scads of statistics back up video's rocketing strengths in all these areas. So get on board. Position your agency for unprecedented growth and success -- in video and all your upcoming client endeavors.
1 Cisco
2 Forbes
3 AdAge
