Anyone who has set foot on one of our sets or has worked with me knows I LOVE SNACKS. I love chippy things, dippy things and little bites as do millions of others out there. I mean, we are a snack nation. But I also know, deep down, as my mom always told me, that snacks ruin your appetite and can add hundreds of empty calories to your day...so yeah, we should keep snacks to a minimum, right? It's kind of the same way with video. Branding, marketing and ad people are yelling: VERTICAL! 20 SECONDS! QUICK! FAST! GET. TO. THE. POINT! It's become an ugly sea of snacks out there, people.
Because of this snack-happy, reactionary, marketing style, what we're left with is a series of scrolling snacks and no meat. No potatoes. No balanced meals, just empty calories. I personally want more from my content and so should you, Brand-person.
Here are three great reasons why we need the long form video and how it can save your brand:
1) Emotional Depth in Storytelling Creates Connection.
Without emotion, a brand or product has no way to create a real connection with the consumer or the audience and if you are in a highly competitive market, the only differentiator could be how you develop your relationship with your audience. Long form stories provide this gateway to connect in a way that a short snack can't. When you are sharing complex ideas and addressing challenges and needs that your audience can identify with, the long form can communicate this effectively. Buy-in happens because you are now speaking their language and addressing their issues.
We created this 'CITY PEOPLE' series for Live Baltimore that is focused on the thriving creative community in the city.
2) Culture Alignment is the Key to the Heart.
When a brand knows its people and demonstrates this through culture driven customer stories, a community is built. We now know through countless brands who have built their businesses through cultural alignment, community is the number one driver of social sharing and caring. Think Glossier. Think Away Travel. Think Sweetgreen. These brands were built on stories—they tapped in to their culture and kept their foot on the gas. Bravo.
So, this is a good time to ask: Who are your people? What's your brand ethos and is there a cultural sweet spot where it can grow and thrive? How can you talk to your peeps and be helpful to them? Inspiring? Engaging? Remember, it's not about selling-to, but sharing-with...
Another video about Erin Fitzpatrick, painter, in the 'CITY PEOPLE' series for Live Baltimore.
3) Long Form is an SEO Saviour!
I know, it's boring and tech-y, but man is it important! Long form works well for SEO because one, you are covering a topic with depth which allows you to include more long-tail search keywords in your video's metadata and two, engagement is longer, so you can keep visitors on your landing pages longer and send positive signals back to search engines telling them that your page is highly relevant for those coveted search terms. Another incredible bonus with Instagram and Facebook right now is, the stickier your content, the more these apps value you as a user and you get pushed to the front of the pack in terms of visibility. A study on Instagram engagement discovered that video posts receive 2x engagement of other post types. That's the good stuff right there.
Remember! Long is uh, more...
We know this style of video is not a cheap endeavor. Quality and good storytelling takes time and money, but with the right strategy and planning, you can get a lot of assets from this one production. If you haven't read our post on how to build a video eco-system, do it. A few quick ways though to maximize the long form:
• Create a series vs. just one video and have an ongoing campaign that strengthens your cultural connection and ethos.
• Utilize these smaller pieces to throw more impressions in the mix. Show and share characters, ideas and culture daily through teasers. (there's your snacks!)
• Grab stills (pro or iphone) and BTS. If you have the budget hire a dedicated photographer to capture stills along the way. If you're standing there with your hands in your coat pocket watching the crew doing their thing or hanging out too long by the craft table (you know who you are), take out your iphone and capture some Behind The Scenes. Trust us, your audience loves to be on the inside track and will eat that up!
To learn more about how we can help your brand tell better stories, email us: hello@shinecreative.tv