How, what and who: How businesses can be better at vlogging

Over half (54%) of consumers now want to see video content from brands they support, according to statistics from marketing software company HubSpot. To find out the best way to vlog, online marketplace OnBuy.com independently consulted social media specialists, branding experts and marketing professionals.

Key findings

• 74% of marketing experts believe ‘documenting employees working’ is the best content strategy for businesses to get started with vlogging
• Thereafter, 68% think companies can centre their vlogs around ‘simplifying complex industry topics’
• A significant proportion of professionals think ‘influencer sessions’ (68%) and ‘employee roundtable discussions’ (57%) are worthwhile vlogging ideas for businesses
• The least important element to vlogging according to experts is a ‘weekly recap/take on impactful industry news’ at 40%.

Top tips for vlogging

Document employees working – 74%

Give people a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the daily responsibilities of an employee (senior or junior). This will allow others to see the processes and hurdles they must go through to get an idea/product/service to market. In turn, such insights will reveal the work ethic and passion embodied by the employees.

Simplify complex industry topics/issues – 68%

This is great way for a business to showcase their expertise. It could involve an employee simplifying or explaining common industry jargon. Similarly, providing a concise five-minute vlog which breaks down an industry topic to make it more digestible and less confusing will make it more appealing.

Run Industry and non-industry influencer/personality ‘sessions’ – 65%

Identify prominent as well as less established influencers and invite them in to have an informal chat. Give them the opportunity to talk about their career and share their expertise on a range of topics/issues. The aim should be to create a relaxed environment, where both the host and guest can have a free-flowing conversation.

Show product/service demonstrations – 57%

Don’t turn this into a promotional video. The whole point of the vlog will be for someone from the company to demonstrate the product/service and highlight its features. By the end of the video, the consumer should feel confident enough to take full advantage of the product/service in question. If they are still unsure or forget, then the video adds further value by becoming content that they can refer to at any point.

Employee roundtable discussions (about industry opportunities, threats, trends, etc) – 52%

Facilitate a relaxed environment where a group of employees can get together and express their opinions on a variety of industry-related topics. This could include discussions about the imminent threats facing the industry or how emerging technology could transform the industry for the better or worst. The vlog could also set-up an opportunity for employees to reflect on their existing projects and gain constructive advice from their fellow colleagues.

Have weekly recaps on impactful industry news – 40%

On a weekly basis, go through as many stories as possible and then make a vlog which shares the most significant industry insights. Furthermore, businesses are open to give their view on any news which they strongly feel/predict will develop in a certain way.

Most of the experts agree that businesses should aim for a combination of these vlogging methods rather than striving for a specific one to broaden appeal and establish a strong following.

Alex, a marketing consultant from a leading digital media agency, comments: “Vlogs are fantastic gateway into the inner workings of an organisation. They give clear context as to what a business does and all the faces working tirelessly behind the scenes. Likewise, vlogs add a layer of character by capturing how their personalities and perspectives are actively contributing towards the results and growth of a business. Simply put, regularly vlogging should be in the arsenal of any business serious about producing captivating content”.

Methodology

The consultation with the social media specialists, branding experts and marketing professionals/consultants’ for the research was a mix of telephone interviews, face-to-face meetings and online communication methods – dependent upon the individual and their scheduling availability. All responses were analysed to get a general consensus – they were given much opportunity as possible to give detailed responses.

Written by Cas Paton, managing director of OnBuy.com