Disclaimer: I work mostly in the life sciences and tech, where the information to be communicated tends to be largely educational (as opposed to promotional). If you’ve landed here and you’re in a different industry, keep this in mind moving forward.
In this day and age, everyone’s telling you how much you need video.
This is normally followed up with a list of (at least) 10 different kinds of videos you’ll need to be successful.
But sometimes…
They’re lying to you.
Video isn’t always the answer.
There, I said it.
Flashback to the time I pleaded with a potential client to consider another alternative.
Paraphrasing…
Me: “No! You don’t want this! This isn’t the right path to take!”
Them: “The director really wants a video…”
Me: “But, you’re gonna waste your money!”
Them: “We have a budget in place for video.”
Me: “That’s not the point!”
Them: “Video.”…
Also them: “Sooooo….can you make us a video or not?”
That’s a dangerously close representation of an actual conversation I had recently.
So, where is video perhaps not the right path? *clears throat*
Situations where:
* You’re not sharing something that’s important or directly relevant for the viewer
* You’re not showing someone how to perform something
* You’re not answering a specific question
* There’s no story – we don’t get to meet the author or researcher, there’s little background given and connecting on an emotional level is difficult
I can hear you already.
“What the heck is left?”
Essentially, anything that’s simply data (or information) will often fall into this category and, if it does, an infographic will often suffice.
I’ve also found that, before embarking on your content creation path, there’s one question you can ask yourself before you commit to video:
‘Who’s the hero?’
So, instead of making you an explainer video explaining situations where you don’t need an explainer, I made you an infographic explaining situations where you can use an infographic.
BONUS: There are a few links embedded in the infographic that serve as great examples of video done right. Be sure to check those out!
Disclaimer: I work mostly in the life sciences and tech, where the information to be communicated tends to be largely educational (as opposed to promotional). If you’ve landed here and you’re in a different industry, keep this in mind moving forward.
In this day and age, everyone’s telling you how much you need video.
This is normally followed up with a list of (at least) 10 different kinds of videos you’ll need to be successful.
But sometimes…
They’re lying to you.
Video isn’t always the answer.
There, I said it.
Flashback to the time I pleaded with a potential client to consider another alternative.
Paraphrasing…
Me: “No! You don’t want this! This isn’t the right path to take!”
Them: “The director really wants a video…”
Me: “But, you’re gonna waste your money!”
Them: “We have a budget in place for video.”
Me: “That’s not the point!”
Them: “Video.”…
Also them: “Sooooo….can you make us a video or not?”
That’s a dangerously close representation of an actual conversation I had recently.
So, where is video perhaps not the right path? *clears throat*
Situations where:
- You’re not sharing something that’s important or directly relevant for the viewer
- You’re not showing someone how to perform something
- You’re not answering a specific question
- There’s no story – we don’t get to meet the author or researcher, there’s little background given and connecting on an emotional level is difficult
I can hear you already.
“What the heck is left?”
Essentially, anything that’s simply data (or information) will often fall into this category and, if it does, an infographic will often suffice.
I’ve also found that, before embarking on your content creation path, there’s one question you can ask yourself before you commit to video:
‘Who’s the hero?’
So, instead of making you an explainer video explaining situations where you don’t need an explainer, I made you an infographic explaining situations where you can use an infographic.
BONUS: There are a few links embedded in the infographic that serve as great examples of video done right. Be sure to check those out!
Ready to start your next project?