ist magazine May 2023

Feature

Seven Realities for Video in the 21st Century By Patrick McGowan T here’s a gap in most digital content strategies – it is the how, what and where to use video. Google

a free pass in 2020 and 2021, make the commitment and put in the work to show up like your videos matter. Treat it like the opportunity it is rather than a curse. You may surprise yourself at the ripple effect of what a more professional video image can do. 2. Zoom™ Is More Than a Phone Call with Video. Your video meeting is a point-of-sale. It’s your job to leverage the medium for what it’s designed to do. It’s been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. Today, video is worth 1 million pictures . The value of your brand should not be defined by a cheap webcam. 3. Video Is an Intimate Medium. Professional TV and film actors have known this truth for decades: The camera doesn’t lie . Our faces are the epicenter of emotion, and the camera captures more than we want to admit. We need to learn how to master this new medium and leverage its power.

is partly to blame since they don’t index videos for search and some workarounds do exist. But something else is going on. First, all videos are video content. You are likely producing video content daily in the form of video meetings, podcasts (with video) and livestreams. A compre hensive digital content strategy includes video across multiple channels – Zoom, YouTube or LinkedIn. Second, video is how you do business now. It’s a video-first market which should compel a video-first response. Video is a marketing function, not oper ations. You’ll be happier with the results once you make this shift in responsibility. So, when it comes to producing video in the 21st Century, here are seven reali ties to guide you along the way. 1. It’s Not 2020 Anymore. You can’t keep showing up like it’s the start of a pandemic. While we all got

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istmagazine.com

May 2023