Using Video to Educate and Connect: A Bufferchat Recap

Sarah Quinn of Wyzowl stopped by #bufferchat to share her insights on the best practices for using video to educate and connect. We had a wonderful chat all about how videos can be engaging, the best recording and editing tools to use, the elements to great video content, and more!

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Why is video such a powerful medium?

From Sarah:

• A video is SO easy to watch & captures attention fast! It can be used to entertain, educate, and explain your offering.
• Oh & let’s not forget, 74% of all internet traffic will be video by 2016 – it’s the future!

From the community:

• “Say a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how many “pictures” are there in a video and how many words is that worth?” @j_rouser
• “Video lets go of the impersonal wall b/w you & your audience. It introduces them to real people, and allows them to relate.” @margotcodes
• “Video more than any other medium, communicates so much powerful info in a short time. Story, Visuals, Emotion.” @dubblebee
• “Video requires focus. That focus allows viewers to connect with the visual and then it elicits an emotional response.” @ashleyatvest
• “Multiple senses engaged, tons of possibilities, it’s familiar. Our minds enjoy the break.” @coupercox

See all the great answers to question 1 here!

What are the elements to a great video?

From Sarah:

• The very best videos are concise, engaging, benefit-led, informative & targeted to YOUR audience!
• Our fav videos connect with emotions and tell a story, like the @johnlewisretail xmas ads: http://bit.ly/1LOgp2a
• Engage, engage and engage some more!

From the community:

• “The story. Tell the story – stay real, stay human and that’s how people relate.” @lisettevdvalk
• “Videos need to have a hook at the beginning, just like a written article. Otherwise, viewers will lose interest fast & skip.” @mktgInnovator
• “Editing is king! Whether it’s a slo-mo, looping GIF, reverse — all the good stuff happens on the chopping board.” @mstopham
• “Quality, creativity, transparency, clarity. I love watching videos that push the envelope and do things differently.” @v_dunne
• “I think one key ingredient for great video is the same as for great comedy: surprise.”  @SageBolden

See all the great answers to question 2 here!

What are your go-to video recording or editing tools?

From Sarah:

• We are BIG @adobe fans, we create our graphics in @illustrator and edit videos in @AdobeAE. Anyone else?
• For our website and app videos our go-to choice is @screenflow & @reflectorapp

From the community:

• “Being not as advanced in video, iMovie is my jam. However for @instagram I use PicPlayPost and Squaready!” @lafitara
• “If you are on a budget then a simple tripod for your phone, a lapel mic and windows movie maker or imovie will be fine.” @EliteYouTubePro
• “Audacity for cleaning the audio (something usually skipped) & Premiere for video. Honorable mention to iMovie.” @WhatJeffTweets
• “For me it’s a GoPro or iPhone, then for editing I really like how easy Camtasia is to work with.” @caribou_chris
• “InstaVideo to crop, slow-mo, doublespeed, Split videos (easier to use than iMovie) plus video collages can be quite cool!” @debbiediscovers

See all the great answers to question 3 here!

How long should videos be on different social sites?

From Sarah:

• The shorter the better on ALL platforms. Social moves fast, quite like this chat!
• A video should be the hook, rather than the manual – especially on social.
• Did you know we have shorter attention spans than goldfish?! Think about that with your video http://qub.me/0dM70b

From the community:

• “Long enough to make your point – but not any longer than that.” @becca_stickler
• “Instagram :15 sec, Vine :6 Facebook: under a minute and a half. Twitter – up in the air.” @CarrieKintz
• “Hard to make an overall rec, though there are certainly best practices. Test (!!!) what YOUR audience responds to.” @cateelise
• “Depends on content and purpose, but standard rule of thumb is 60-90 seconds. But I don’t like rules – do what you need.” @JonPepp
• “Caveat to short and concise is best… live streaming breaks the rules… I’ve seen 2+ Hour Blabs, Periscopes.” @darcyschuller

See all the great answers to question 4 here!

What are great techniques for engaging viewers?

From Sarah:

• Tease your audience like @playstation did with the PS4 release: http://bit.ly/1NaWWGE – this is awesome!
• Don’t be afraid to mix it up, have a bit of fun like we did on Halloween! http://bit.ly/20rcBLS
• Sharing life hacks like this @DirectLine_UK one http://on.fb.me/20refgz – people love problem solvers!
• For more help, here’s how to make an awesome script: http://qub.me/bwKpd2

From the community:

• “Relevant content, ask them to engage with you beyond just viewing the video, comments, shares, etc. Interactive features.” @WeintraubL
• “Find out what your viewers and followers love, want, and need! Tailor your items to them.” @deirdreemme
• “Engage as if only one person is watching. The depth that creates, plus the individualization, works wonders.” @beajumarang
• “Your first few moments need to grab your audience or you risk being ignored. Be authentic and close with a call to action.” @Josewats
• “Actually talking to people can be incredibly engaging. That’s why live streaming is becoming such a big deal” @Matt_Aunger

See all the great answers to question 5 here!

What companies or individuals do video well?

From Sarah:

• We LOVE @Honda for creativity: http://bit.ly/1KZZgoQ
• @generalelectric for educational videos: http://bit.ly/1ksdVgA
• @innocent for entertainment: http://bit.ly/1NdzRmO
• Hate to say it but….We dooo! Check out our showreel: http://bit.ly/1Pm2JOj ?
• Absolutely love @nike too – so inspiring and perfect for their audience.

From the community:

• “Publisher-wise: @TheAtlantic, @nytimes, @VICE, @BusinessInsider, @BBC, @Vox, the recently defunct @grantland33 & tons more” @emilyesteck
• “I always have enjoyed @wistia and @MailChimp (esp the @replyall Freddie giveaways) for videos.” @J_Rouser
• “@BuzzFeed has revolutionized social video consumption. And I love it.” @lilfrankie_13
• “I LOVE @JackHarries of @JacksGap– really incredible work, @CaseyNeistat, @funforlouis and a bunch of other YouTubers.” @V_Dunne
• “@Converse and @Sharpie are some of my faves to follow! Always engaged! They’re doing social media right!” @char6529

See all the great answers to question 6 here!

What is the most powerful video you’ve seen?

From Sarah:

• We think the @savechildrenuk campaign to help Syrian children is SO powerful: http://bit.ly/1KXosFQ
• The @always #likeagirl advert is also a powerful video: http://bit.ly/1nLhkS0 . Anyone seen it??
• Our top tips? Anything that tells a story, connects to your emotions and makes you think, is how to create a powerful video.

From the community:

• “MUST WATCH 10 years of research 500 interviews of successful people condensed into 3 min http://go.ted.com/be34 ” @debbiediscovers
• “@TimHarford‘s TED talk on trial and error absolutely changed the way I live/work. Not flashy, but so life-altering.” @beajumarang
• “I watched this video: “Can We AutoCorrect Humanity” a while back. Very powerful: https://youtu.be/dRl8EIhrQjQ ” @MktgInnovator
• “What @ProctorGamble did for moms during the Olympics in 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeFfJ1XuEk ” @emilyesteck
• “The xmas video by @WestJet made eyes all watery. http://youtu.be/zIEIvi2MuEk ” @caribou_chris

See all the great answers to question 7 here!

Thank you so much to everyone who joined in on this great chat!

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Image sources: UnSplash