When HFA member John Rose learned a competitor was spreading false information about his furniture store, J.R. Furniture, he decided to set the record straight through social media video.
But Rose knows social media isn’t always what it seems. With so many filters and editing tools available, who can tell if that picture of your niece on prom night is the real deal? So Rose pulled out his cellphone and made a video. It was anything but polished, but it was also authentic.
The best part of creating a video for a platform like Facebook Live is that what you see is what you get, says Emily Warner of Art Plus Marketing. It’s authentic and doesn’t require post-production. This gives a raw and humanized look at a brand, and that’s what audiences are craving in a world of stunning manicured photos and videos.
“Your viewers want raw, unrefined content,” says Warner. “Content that reflects the core message of your brand. Content that allows your viewer to relate to your journey. Fancy tools don’t foster authenticity – edited content isn’t what people want.”
Open and honest
You want to be open and honest, use humor and try to relax, Warner says. Try to think of how you can be approachable and create a one-to-one connection with your audience. Here’s another video by Rose.
And while it’s good to be authentic in your productions, Warner says your video still requires thoughtful consideration of its content. After all, you still represent your brand. So, now that you’ve determined the objective of your video, it’s time to devote your focus to what you’ll be speaking about. Warner encourages a dry run before going live. This will help you discover which talking points are most interesting to discuss. It will also mitigate technological difficulties and reduce nervousness.
