Video

We’ve all seen a powerful video that makes us laugh, cry or take action in some way. But communicators must be able to craft video content that is both compelling and likely to drive business results—a common requirement from senior leaders before they approve a video budget. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done before you hit the ‘record’ button,” said Suhki Sahni, director of communications and consumer PR and Chris White, managing editor of content strategy at Capital One. Both spoke as part of PR News’ Video Boot Camp at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

We recently talked to Vince Wasseluk, video producer, and Clare Furman, associate marketing manager, at Klein Tools—who will be speaking about their video strategy and production tactics at the Video Boot Camp, Dec. 6 in D.C.—about what metrics they bring to senior leaders to prove their successes and earn more video budget.

As you know, doing more with less is a regular refrain in PR and marketing. As such, we regularly bring you tips about doing things on a tight budget. But can brands really create videos on a budget? Food Network didn’t think such lessons applied to it, but found out differently. Here’s what it learned.

Users logging on to Facebook today will notice a new television-shaped icon gracing the platform as the social media giant unveiled its latest video feature, dubbed Watch. The feature looks to do battle with YouTube for advertising dollars as it offers brand communicators a new platform for evangelizing branded content. Marketers from B2C organizations now have a new front to drive engagement with billions of users on the world’s largest social network, and for B2B marketers, Watch may offer the ability to engage more specialized, targeted audiences.

Facebook’s unveiling of Watch should come as little surprise to those who’ve been following the moves of the world’s largest social media platform. It’s a further blurring of the line between traditional TV and online video. It will also provide a place where brands can deposit their long-form content. But a warning: Watch allows viewers to comment on its “shows” in real time, so the bar should be high.

It’s far from breaking news that video is dominating many aspects of the social media scene. Despite overwhelming statistics affirming this proposition, many brands have yet to embrace a Facebook video strategy. So, what can you do to grab eyeballs with video? Here are Facebook video strategies that, when combined, will propel your brand.

In the 24 hours following statements made by President Trump and the Department of Justice that could endanger the civil rights of LGBT Americans, the ACLU rapidly established itself as the dominant counterpoint in the media narrative, and deployed successful calls to action from organizing rallies to soliciting followers’ questions and concerns, which were addressed by ACLU lawyers in a live stream that garnered thousands of views and shares.

LinkedIn is set to unroll its native video feature in coming months, so now’s a good time to get familiar with LinkedIn video’s upload process and capabilities. Tatiana De Almeida, a PR manager on LinkedIn’s corporate communications team, shared a 3-step guide to help communicators integrate LinkedIn video into their mobile workflow once the feature is rolled out, as well as 4 potential applications of LinkedIn video for communicators to keep in mind.

It may be a little late to the party, but with its upcoming native video feature, LinkedIn is poised to provide brand communicators with a new way to capture attention on the platform. PR News asked Tatiana De Almeida, a member of LinkedIn’s corporate communications team, about LinkedIn video’s likely applications for professional communicators, how to measure its success and how it’s unique among video features on other social platforms.

Everyone tells you that video is growing like a fungus. Fine, but how do you get started picking a topic for a brand video and then how do you craft a script? The social media chief at the American Chemical Society has a five-step method to creating videos that will gain plenty of viewers on social.