Add video to your news releases — it’s important and pretty simple to do
Video may have killed the radio star back in 1979, but if that was any indication of how overpowering video would become some 35 years later, then The Buggles should be getting way more credit for their one-hit wonder.
Let’s face it: when it comes to communicating consistent messaging and evoking emotion, there is no tool more powerful than video. What’s more, video is no longer an extravagance in our over-stimulated society fed by constantly evolving technology, but a requirement – especially when you are trying to get media attention.
Consider this real case study found that a video news release (VNR) had an average of 55.4% more views than one without video.
Here's an example of a recent news release developed by McCauley Communications for one of our clients that included a video.
It’s hard to even imagine life without YouTube, Netflix or Hulu? People have become so accustomed to entertainment at their fingertips that trying to get their attention for more than 3.5 seconds without something bright, colorful, moving and yes, entertaining may be just about as easy as getting a cat walk on a leash. It can be done, but why would you even want to waste the time?
So why would you consider trying to capture the attention of the fickle media without leveraging the most effective tool we have in 2014 for communicating? We live in an age of smartphones and simple video editing software that is pre-installed in most laptops. If you cannot film a short video to complement a story, evoke interest, or simply just capture the essence of a place, then you are probably still clinging to your flip phone from 2002.
Video is king. A little more time and effort on your part – regardless of whether you’re an amateur or professional - can make an exponentially larger impact when it comes to views, pickups and exposure.
Don’t be a radio star.
Heather Martin is a communications consultant for McCauley Communications. Email her at heather@mccauleycommunications.com.
