7 Reasons Why Video Will be Crucial to PR in 2021
Today’s PR agencies have an ambitious task at hand: break through the noise of a hyper-digital, multi-screen world. Not only this but maintain people’s interest in an industry where exciting news, research, and partnerships emerge daily.
How can PR pros elevate their strategy in a way that goes beyond the printed word? What determines a quick scroll from a captivated moment?
The answer lies in video.
Engaging, digestible, and creating new opportunities for coverage, video’s powerful form is quickly becoming the way to amplify your corporate PR strategy in 2021.
Here are 7 powerful reasons to prove it:
1. Video is Taking Over Digital Media
Video has never been more accessible, be it through our smartphones, laptops, webcams, or professional cameras. It’s this convenience that has created a major rise in video content and its demand. In fact, Cisco estimates video is expected to make up 82% of internet traffic by 2022.
Likewise, more platforms are prioritizing video as it becomes the most consumed and shared form of content. LinkedIn, a staple platform for most B2B executives, launched its live feature while Facebook announced its algorithm will prioritize videos to promote more meaningful interactions.
2. It’s How News is Being Consumed
With the decline of print and digital newsrooms, news video consumption across social media and video platforms like YouTube has seen a drastic increase globally. This information is vital to PR agencies who must be on top of the latest trends in news consumption; extending their distribution strategy to video-oriented platforms will only maximize coverage visibility.
3. Video is a Magnet for Engagement
At the core of PR is an appreciation for meaningful connections. PR execs work hard to create attractive written material, but without video, they will be missing out on a huge opportunity for engagement.
On social media alone, video gets shared 12 times more than text and images combined. Forbes also reported that 59% of senior executives prefer to watch a video over text; that said, video could determine if a future client reaches out to your agency or a senior reporter responds to a critical pitch.
4. It is Humanizing
Many companies lack “a face” alongside their releases or stories, making it difficult for media and future partners to feel a genuine connection.
That’s where video comes in. Creating a video campaign is a fantastic way to go beyond the press release, and turbo-charge your key messages. More than anything, video spotlights executives and gives a human touch to their industry knowledge. Content like this is also strategic as it creates traction, helping to support placements and thought leadership articles across key industry trades.
That humanizing effect goes beyond thought leadership. Video helps make important conversations on social issues, company culture and other topics not just shareable, but memorable; studies have shown that viewers retain 95% of a video’s message compared to 10% when reading text, making video a powerful tool for tackling difficult topics, developing authenticity, and creating lasting change.
5. Video is an Effective Way to Repurpose Written Content
The ongoing pandemic has driven a demand for PR services that can help businesses work through a crisis or broaden their thought leadership during a time when digital media engagement is at an unprecedented high.
With fast turnarounds required to appease both clients and an ever-increasing online audience, agencies will find that repurposing their written material through video is an efficient strategy to produce a diverse portfolio of highly in-demand video content like vlogs, event recaps, interviews, webinars and more.
6. It Improves SEO
A website is 53 times more likely to reach the front page of Google if it includes video, making it a crucial addition to PR agency websites and initiatives. Research also shows that a web page with video will cause people to stay 2.6 times longer on average.
7. Virtual Events Will Continue, Even After 2021
While the future of in-person events is uncertain, 71% of marketers agree that virtual events won’t be fading out anytime soon. Virtual conferences are in fact more budget-friendly and immediately accessible to businesses. And with the steady advancements to both event tech and event experience, virtual event conferencing will remain a key networking opportunity for PR folks attending or producing an event.
Using these 7 reasons can help PR pros navigate the increasingly digital and complex world of public relations. As agencies head out of a largely remote year of communications and into yet another, it’s important to keep in mind that video will only continue to thrive as the most impactful, personable, and memorable form of content in the online ecosystem. Likewise, adding video to your 2021 PR strategy will not only create more coverage, but distinguish experiences that can lead to long-term partnerships, clients, and followers.
About Anabela Savulescu
Anabela is an Account Coordinator at Bob Gold & Associates and a graduate from University of California, Santa Cruz, where she majored in literature. She has a passion for storytelling and bringing life to content across an ever-changing media landscape.