7 Proven Ways to Make Effective Video Content During a Pandemic

Video content has always been a powerful tool for our clients to get their message across. Now, this is truer than ever. Successful agencies know how to adapt and evolve along with the culture. In this new world of COVID-19 and quarantine, brands are looking to us for new ways to reach their audiences. Business can no longer continue as usual.

Here are 7 things to consider when producing content in a post COVID-19 world.

1. User generated content is now more forgiving.

User Generated Content (UGC) has always been a win-win for brands and audiences. By letting fans speak for the brand, companies are no longer marketing to consumers, they are marketing WITH consumers. UGC is a low-cost, effective way to prove your brand’s value.

In a work-from-home world, familiar interfaces like Zoom and Google Meet can be used as a part of your storytelling tool. The downside to UGC is that quality can be lacking. However, in this case, less-than-stellar quality can work in your favor, adding realism to your message. Just make sure the quality doesn’t become a distraction. Your video production team can come up with creative ways to mitigate blurry video, pixelated images and poor sound quality. Need someone to help? Our editors would be happy to give you a few ideas on how to make your fan’s content shine.

2. Be nimble

We’re all in this together. Around the country, nearly every brand is facing the challenge of a COVID reality. Sadly, your project might be dealing with sizable budget cuts. That’s why being nimble is crucial when producing content. It’s still possible to make fantastic content—it just might take a little more creative concepting to adjust for new restrictions. Don’t be afraid to stretch and go beyond your usual methodology.

3. Question the normal

You’ve heard it thousands of times by now: we are living in unprecedented times. The content we produce today has to be scrutinized from multiple perspectives. What is normal now? We have to consider how the actors in our content is depicted. Showing people in masks and social distancing can be jarring. However, showing people in scenarios that are no longer socially acceptable suddenly makes your brand look insensitive. For the time being, we must learn to ride the fine line of representing our brands with sensibility and thoughtful messaging.

4. Be honest

You’ve already noticed it. This is a rare opportunity for your brand to share honestly. More and more, brands are speaking openly about the pain around COVID-19 and #blacklivesmatter. It’s our job as content creators to continue give a voice to these very real, very painful issues. Don’t shy away from an opportunity to create genuine connections with your audience amid deep cultural issues.

One practical way to show how your brand is committed to making a difference is to move from words to action. Show the ways your brand is involved in the greater conversation, even if it’s on the local level.

5. Change the focus

In the past, content creators relied heavily on on-screen talent and large productions. Dealing with lower budgets and smaller productions forces creators to change the focus in new and creative ways. One idea is to center the focus on the product itself, removing the need for on-screen talent completely.

6. Animation

Animation is a fantastic solution to post-COVID restrictions. Just scroll through Facebook and count the number of animated videos that populate your feed. Animation is a great way to tell your story without the need for live-action talent and crews.

Invest in you

If you know me, you know I am a huge advocate for keeping a pulse on content innovations. Invest a little time to discover what kind of content is working now (and what isn’t working as well). It was important before, and I would argue it’s even more important now. And if you’ve made it this far in the article, you are already doing that! Keep it up!

If you happen to find yourself with even more time on your hands, take advantage of the opportunity and learn a new program or method that can help you create added value to your clients in the future.

The world is truly changing every day. Hopefully these tips can be a good starting point to help you produce content in the future.