Video is an extremely powerful tool to instantly capture the attention of your community and increase connection on a deeper level. With interactive and visual content being consistently preferred over traditional, text-based, or static media, it is no surprise that video content should be prioritized. In community engagement, video can transform a project and enhance information delivery – so here are 5 reasons why your team needs to use video content in community engagement.
According to a study republished by Forbes, “91% of consumers now prefer visual content over traditional, text-based or static media.” The versatility of video content makes it an effective tool for engaging diverse audiences with different interests and needs. It’s no surprise that video is becoming an incredibly popular and powerful tool for community engagement.
Videos are a great way to connect and engage your community by offering informative, insightful, emotive, or entertaining information. You see, videos are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways, from promoting community events and initiatives to providing educational resources or sharing personal stories. However, it’s important to understand the value of video and how it can help you improve your community engagement.
Also just a quick disclaimer, video content doesn’t have to be some big, outlandish production piece. Simply having a face or voice behind your project is a great start! So, what type of video content should you be focusing on?
What video content should you use?
Video content can come in various formats, which can include tutorials, vlogs, animated GIFs, live videos and webinars, recorded presentations, or even community stories.
- Tutorials are designed to educate viewers on completing a task or performing a skill. We’ve seen some great examples of our clients showing exactly how to provide feedback if they’re testing out a new participation method.
- Vlogs typically feature a person sharing their personal experiences or opinions on a topic. Sometimes an expert in the team can provide a more in-depth breakdown of a project.
- Animated GIFs are short, looping video clips often used for comedic effects or to convey a quick message.
- Live videos and webinars offer real-time interactions with viewers and allow you to have a conversation surrounding a specific topic or project. Already had a Virtual Town Hall? Great, share that recording on your project page and allow everyone to view!
- Recorded presentations are pre-recorded discussions designed to be watched later. These videos can help provide a more structured approach to complex information.
- Community stories feature individuals sharing their experiences and insights.
You may successfully deliver your message and engage your audience in a way that coincides with your communication objectives by selecting the best video format for your project.
Why you need to use video content in community engagement.
Video content is powerful and can be used to enhance your community engagement efforts. There are five key reasons why you need to be using video content, let’s take a closer look:
- Your community will absorb information easier.
- Your engagement team can repurpose more content.
- The SEO of your engagement project will improve.
- You will increase engagement, a lot.
- Your community trust and connection will soar.
1. Your community will absorb information easier.
Did you know that people obtain information easier through visuals than by reading plain ol’ text? According an Insivia 2023 Marketing Report, people can retain 95% of information when they watch it in a video format, compared to 10% when reading it in text.
Videos are a type of storytelling that allows you to combine information into a short narrative to bring attention to your community in a manner that text cannot. Rather than simply listing facts, you can make your content more memorable by providing information to help you engage with your community on a deeper level.
A significant amount of text translated into a brief video with a representative speaking on a project provides another avenue to reinforce your message and to better connect with your community. The more educated your community is and understands what’s happening around them, the more input they will bring to aid you in making better-informed decisions.
2. Your engagement team can repurpose more content.
Are you ever stuck for content ideas? Videos are excellent for repurposing opportunities, as they can be utilized in different ways to give your content a fresh new life. Community engagement practitioners can repurpose video content by creating short clips or a series that focuses on specific aspects of a project you’re working on.
For example, have you already hosted an online event or town hall? If so, then you can easily upload a copy of this to your project to help provide more context and information. These videos may then be shared on your social media, website, or even email newsletters to increase interest and engagement from members of your community.
You can also transform your lengthy project text into presentations or webinars to educate your community further on the project and provide a new layer of visual context.
3. The SEO of your engagement project will improve.
Improving your project’s site ranking with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) techniques is incredibly helpful for community engagement as it can increase the visibility of your online presence, making it simpler for your community to participate and connect. Search engines (such as Google) prefer websites with video content and rank them 53 times higher than those without.
Video can increase the length of time people spend on your site, which will lead to longer engagement times overall. This is also a positive SEO indicator as Google will deem your content relevant and of high quality to your audience.
Uploading a transcript or subtitle file to your video can also boost the SEO and discoverability of your project whilst also providing more accessibility options for members of the community.
4. You will increase engagement, a lot.
Using video content increases the likelihood of generating an emotional response from members of the community. People are more likely to share memorable and relatable content if it is generated and communicated in a memorable and relatable manner. According to Forbes, videos can generate 1200% more shares than text and image content combined.
Video provides an additional avenue for the community to connect, be informed, and understand more about a project. Especially, if there is a physical change or shift that the public can see being built or developed, then a video can really help to envisage that.
Thankfully, Social Pinpoint’s flexibility allows video content to be embedded anywhere within your project. This will optimize your engagement for different levels of information and understanding as you can decide exactly where your video is located.
Video also provides the opportunity to introduce new engagement tools that the community might not be used to. If you’re looking to expand on the typical survey for example and use a budgeting tool, you can show your video exactly how to contribute feedback and what that will be used for.
5. Your community trust and connection will soar.
Videos are great for showing transparency, as your audience can observe the body language and tone of the speaker, which builds credibility. When it comes to adding a face behind those who are delivering a project, it creates a sense of emotional connection and builds trust. Videos can demonstrate the knowledge and expertise of a person or the organization behind the content by presenting information in a clear and simple manner, which also increases trust and legitimacy.
Building trust is crucial for community engagement because it creates an environment in which people can express their ideas and opinions without worrying about criticism or retaliation. Without trust, you don’t have the power to make productive changes for the community.
Why is video content so powerful?
To put it simply, video marketing is a powerful tool for community engagement, as it provides an effective approach to interact and engage with your audience, through the use of visuals.
Video helps people remember more. Not only is it a powerful tool for helping people further understand and remember your organization, but it generally outperforms other content. Recently, HubSpot described just how insanely popular (and powerful) it is with more than nine out of 10 people reporting they want to see more videos from organizations in 2023.
Video helps build better community connection. Video allows you to use a combination of visual and auditory elements to convey emotions, ideas, and stories in a way that static, complex content cannot. Because of this, you are able to help viewers understand the people and issues involved in a community initiative, making it more likely they will feel invested in and motivated to contribute feedback.
