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This article was initially posted by Adnews you can find it on this link. Renece Brewster, CEO and Co-Founder of Visual Domain
There is no question that this year’s lockdowns have been tough for businesses, particularly the video industry.
After a stop-start in 2021 for much of the country, month-long shutdowns across Victoria, and an adjustment to working from home and the ‘new normal, this year’s lockdowns, particularly across New South Wales and Victoria, have hit even harder.
In 2020, it was easy to adapt. Zoom, virtual events, and remote working became the new normal, and many business and video production companies, including Visual Domain, shifted to different ways of creating video content.
Now? There is without doubt fatigue creeping in – questions of ‘how much longer do we need to do this?’ and ‘when can we go back to normal?’
However, creatives are problem solvers. This is our time to shine and we look forward to the challenge, so I propose a different way of thinking - instead of being at the mercy of change around us, businesses should take the control back and lean into lockdown.
Businesses should embrace the change that COVID has given us (or forced onto us), and look at how they can harness new approaches to creating incredible video content for customers. Because it is times like this that people rely on
communication and video is one of the most effective and emotional ways to do it Here are my top three pieces of advice for business owners and video content during lockdowns.
Keep content going – don’t wait until lockdowns are finished to film.
Don’t turn your content off. While it's important to be sensitive to how your community is feeling, your audiences need to see and hear you. More than ever, people want to connect. They want to consume content that is relatable and content
that is engaging.
In a time where our attention span might be too short to read a book, or we’re feeling too overwhelmed to read a long social media caption, consumers are more likely to lean into video, which is why businesses should be embracing it too.
Rather than pausing, this is the time to be creative.
Lean into different kinds of video content
Video doesn’t need to be an overly polished production every time. If you're a brand with highly polished content don’t be afraid to embrace a “lockdown” style to your content in addition to your standard look and feel - people understand it but more so they appreciate it.
At Visual Domain, we’re taking the approach that no matter what position we’re in, whether we’re working remotely or in the office, we can offer lockdown-friendly content solutions to our clients. This might mean using Zoom or iPhone to film content, or utilising great stock footage. Lockdown doesn’t need to prevent you from creating content, in fact, it should inspire you to think outside the box.
Look at where you can pivot – can you use consumer videos to create a hype reel for social media? Can you get your team or ambassadors to film content on their iPhone or via Zoom and cut it into a video, or is it the time where you can utilise
screen recording to show customers how a process works?
Maybe it is time to dabble in animation! Don't be scared of animation and motion design. An animation is an amazing tool that can tell stories, show products, and explain complex issues. Plus, there is always a style to match your brand.
Or, why not host a lunch video session or another virtual event that is designed to support your audience, not market to them. This could be entertainment, or even as simple as meditation. Everyone is in a weird state where we are sick of our
screens but it's also our only way of connection, so let’s find ways to do this that our nervous system can cope with
Look at what you can control
As a business owner, one of the hardest things to deal with at the moment is the lack of control. We don’t know when we will be back in offices and no longer home-school children. We don’t know how long the restrictions will last. What we can control are things like scheduling content, leaning into new ways of creating video content, and supporting our team, clients, and other stakeholders. No matter what environment we’re in, hold onto what you can control. After all, the show must go on eventually!
Check out some of the video content we have been working on for our clients below. If you want to check out more check out the rest of our lockdown productions here.
