Video: A peek behind the scenes!
One of the most popular types of video on social media both for views and for engagement is ‘behind the scenes’ short-form video. Cisco has reported that video streaming reached a massive 82% of internet traffic in 2022.
Have you used video to showcase your business or charity yet?
A ‘behind the scenes’ (BTS) video is a very cost-effective and efficient way of showcasing your organisation and telling your story. It is much cheaper than other content and can be produced on-the-fly without any editing needed.
Viewers’ attention spans are getting shorter, and short-form content is quick and easy to digest. With practice you can produce BTS videos regularly for your business or charity.
You may have seen a TV show’s social media content, such as Strictly Come Dancing, where BTS and sneak peek videos get more engagement than the actual videos of the full dances. This is due not only to how entertaining the video is but also the audience feel that they are getting special access backstage. We are naturally curious and we feel included by getting a glimpse of what is happening behind the scenes between the weekend shows.
BTS videos can humanise your organisation, in contrast to a faceless brand.
Be authentic!
This can lead to deeper understanding and trust and really build a connection with your audience.
Keep it real, it doesn’t need to be glamorous! By being authentic, and in some cases filming on-the-fly, you have the opportunity of being much more intimate with your audience and therefore more approachable.
You can have a real mix of styles – don’t be afraid to occasionally make them fun or silly.
You can really show how your organisation is unique!
A few ideas for behind the scenes videos:
Setting up an event.
Show workplace culture (this may be beneficial for recruitment)
Introduce a staff member, what do they do and why do they work for you?
Tour of the building (this may help people who have been apprehensive visiting)
Unboxing: sharing opening a box of your new product, or a piece of equipment that will help your business.
Teases: a hint of an exciting product or event in the pipeline.
Quick chat to ‘check in’ and update viewers on what is currently happening in your organisation.
A live video - maybe you’ve just arrived at a conference or have just come out of a productive meeting and wanted to share news.
Joining in with the latest TikTok/Instagram dance or challenge.
Fun with the office pet!
It may be a nice idea to show how something came together: perhaps the design process behind a new logo, or why you decided you needed to introduce a particular service. You can show off your skills, passion and quality of work. This leads to greater understanding and insight. It also educates your audience with what is involved in your work.
You could also provide more details about your staff members. It can be very interesting and friendly to share some personal details such as a favourite hobby, what pets they have and even what their favourite biscuit is! It’s all great material for building a stronger connection and humanising your organisation.
By the way, if I ever visit you – feel free to get the Hobnobs in!
These short-form videos can be beneficial to your organisation in another way too. They can document your work, and you can utilise them for annual reports and for evaluation. The videos can act also as supporting material for projects.
You can repost these videos in a few months’ or years’ time on social media to comment on what you have achieved since you first posted them. Or simply share them again if they are funny and achieved a high level of engagement!
The more engaging the videos are, the better they are for marketing your organisation. Short-form entertaining videos stick in people’s minds.
They bring connection and people invest in your future posts and your organisation's values!
For all video content make sure you get permission from everyone who is being filmed and be sensitive with the material you film and the information you share.
So go ahead, have a play and see what original and creative content you can produce for your social channels to humanise your business. People buy from people. People invest in other people.
BTS videos are simple but can pack power!
Images from UnSplash by: Toa Heftiba, Christina @ wocintech.com, Clay Banks and Davide Carpani.
