Using video to engage tribal members & the community
For most of us PR and communication pros, creating video content is this intimidating undertaking that consumes a whole lot of precious time and resources. The preparation and learning of a new skill consumes us which takes away from the daily PR duties and tasks. We watch Youtube tutorials on camera gear, camera bags, lenses, editing software, and cool transition tips and tricks. And even after all of that, you still feel ill-equipped to produce content for your tribal organization.
But for those willing to put themselves out there to be critiqued by Tribal Council, tribal members, naysayers, and anyone else who can do your job better than you, the results of your efforts can be glorious.
In my years of leading the communications and public relations for the Ho-Chunk Nation, I have experience with the full spectrum that is video production. From cell phones to 4k cameras, to freelancers to huge marketing agencies with full production capabilities, I’ve come to the oversimplified conclusion that there are two ways to approaching video content for your tribal organization.
Option 1) Just hit record.
Grab the DSLR camera or your cell phone and just hit record. This is the route that I’m most familiar with and have had mixed results. The results are subjective of course in that ideally I would have this beautifully polished piece of video. But, I’m not an expert. Nor am I ever going to be a video pro. As a communications professional, it’s nice to have that skill on your PR tool belt but your time might be better spent focusing on your strengths and video might not be high up on your list.
If you do have to just shoot it, don’t be too harsh on yourself. Your video content should tell a story whether that’s a few seconds or a long form video. As you muster up the courage to hit publish, you’ll feel a sense of relief along with anxiety as you’ll be constantly checking on the analytics to see how the video is received by your audience.
Pros
Fast
Inexpensive
Full creative control
Less polished final version
Cons
Less polished final version
Tendency to overspend on cameras and gear w/out familiarization and expertise to know how to use all of its functions
Spend time & resources trying to learn video and editing skills
Option 2) Outsource it.
Hire the pros. The freelancer or agency you hire to create content will typically be able to deliver a higher quality product faster than it would take for you to produce it yourself. One of the upsides is after working on a few projects, they become familiar with your tribe and develop a better tone and understanding of the desired outcome and scope of your projects and campaigns.
Pros
High quality video production
Peace of mind knowing the pros are on your team
Use of high end video gear and equipment
Cons
Cost
Requires more feedback and edits to reach final version
Internal tribal controls & bureaucracy to get signed contract
I’m leaning more and more towards outsourcing especially when there are big events and big campaigns we’re putting together.
Make video content a priority
We recently made a conscious effort to up our video game in both of the methods mentioned. If you’re able to convince the Tribal Council to pony up a little more cash in the PR budget, the money spent on video content is well worth every penny. In the past few weeks, we have been putting out more videos that have been very well received by the tribal membership and the community. The videos have attracted over 40,000 views which is way out of the ballpark from our normal, in-house produced videos.
What really matters is getting your message out there. We all know there are multiple mediums and channels to do that but video production should be a top priority for those tribal organizations looking to build community and reach a wide audience.