How To Produce Great Videos In Times Of Crisis

What do people want to see on the internet?

It’s a huge question. ACcording to Octoly (2021), these are the most commonly viewed types of video on social media:

• Comedy or skit videos
• Human interest videos
• Tag or challenge videos
• Favorites or best-of videos
• Educational videos
• Unboxing videos

…and more. And guess what? In times of crisis, it doesn’t change.

That’s right: even when the world goes bottom-up, much like it has in COVID, marketers the world over are seeing more and more demand for particular types of content that a) keeps it real, b) helps maintain a positive outlook, and c) offers the viewer some kind of ‘take home’ message.

And so, with this in mind, why don’t we explore our top three tips for making video in times of crisis? In terms of your video production and social media content, it’s time to give the people what they want – and need!

1. Keep your video and social media content short

 As a video production company experienced in market research and observation, we’re constantly recognising that audiences in fight-or-flight mode have a much lower attention span.

That’s right – if times are tough, we want video and animations that are shorter, sharper and clearer than ever before!

Not so long ago, we discussed the merits of keeping your social media videos short. Under 30 seconds for most platforms, in fact, which these days is generally thought to be the ideal video length.

In times of crisis and social upheaval, it’s even more important to keep your message concise and focused. Try:

• Creating a narrative ‘arc’ – what’s the beginning, middle, end and CTA for your video?
• Opening the script/video with a great emotional hook – visual or otherwise
• Refining your script to include the absolute basics only
• Choosing to work with talent/actors that align with your core purpose and aims

Ensuring you keep your planning and scipt development nice and neat will help you develop a video whose message is clear and effective – a great way to engage viewers with multiple, comepting priorities.

2. Focus clever branded content that has a clear purpose human element

Hold up – what exactly is branded content, you say?

As opposed to aspects of content marketing and attempts at (not so) discreet product placement efforts, branded content is developed and designed to build recall and awareness of a brand by associating the brand with values, emotions and elements of human nature.

One of the most well-renowned examples of branded content and social media video production came in Dove’s ‘beauty sketches’ marketing campaign. Did you know that just 30 days after it was published, the  social media video production attracted over 115 million total views? Yep – it became the‘most viral video of all time! Check it out below.

When the socio-political environment becomes heavy, tiring and more challenging than ever before, there’s nothing that a solid piece of branded content – playing into the emotions of the time – can’t fix.

Above all else? It’s a fantastic way to show your audience that you understand and can empathise what they’re going through.