Video for PR

A. A PR agency should provide video pitches when appropriate, along with video editing capabilities for things like your site, social media, or even award submissions and other publicity related events, like the ability to play a video at your booth at events. Not all PR agencies have video-shooting capabilities, which can often be tasked out to freelancers, but they should be providing something like a video board, an idea of how the video should look and why, to coincide with the brand you’ve developed together.

A. Video has become the center of most platforms, garnering the highest engagement on sites like Facebook and Instagram, and even sparking video-centric sites like TikTok. It’s an incredible way to showcase your expertise in a field, garner brand awareness, and manage publicity, both good and bad. But, like most things involving media, it’s unpredictable. You can film, edit, and post content, but there’s no guarantee in the age of algorithm-led feeds that your content WILL be seen, it’s all the more important to having engaging and compelling content for your audience, but to also work with an understanding of current trends, the aforementioned algorithms, and search engine optimization.

A. Tips for video content can vary by the platform the video is being used on, but some generics are using short (1-3 minutes, max of 5), high quality videos, with plenty of b-roll and professionally edited. You’re the expert, and we should hear your voice, but staring at a stationary person talking to the camera (we call this ‘talking head video’) for five minutes is way less appealing than seeing a product in action. You don’t need a $1,000 camera setup to shoot video, iPhones and other smart phones are so high tech now and produce incredibly high-quality video, but minimize shaking with stability items like a tripod or mount for your phone, and make sure to shoot in the orientation your video will be shared in (horizontal video translates to vertical video a lot cleaner than vertical video does to horizontal). In an ideal situation, you should look the part as well: consider your attire, your hair, your surroundings. Other things that work well are videos that tell stories, share emotion or humor, explainers (especially in incredibly technical fields with a lot of jargon), or even behind the scenes.

A. Videos have a number of placements, from your own site, to social media platforms. A good note is that vertical video can live on YouTube (as a short), Tiktok, and Instagram (as a reel or story). On the other hand, horizontal video looks better when shared on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube…and in some cases, Instagram posts. If you’re creating content for one, maximize those efforts and share that content to the other appropriate platforms.

It’s helpful to think of it as a trickle down effect, where you might have a 30-minute podcast appearance, which can be uploaded in full to YouTube, then cut into compelling clips to be uploaded as shorts, reels & TikToks, or clips for Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Then you’re using one media appearance across platforms, garnering views on multiple clips on multiple platforms…which can also earn revenue through monetization on most platforms. And, everything should always link back to you, the source. Use the YouTube brief to link to the article, blogpost on your site, or your site in general. Use something like LinkTree to keep useful links in your social media bios for followers.

A. The subject of your videos can change with the objectives of your PR campaign, the target audience, and even the news of the day. These are all things you’ll want to define in your campaign and as you talk to PR agencies. It’s important to brainstorm topics, keep a running list of potential videos, and most importantly, a content calendar.