Your New Video is Called a ‘Virtual Event’ Now, Apparently

And even as a video agency owner, I’m a bit surprised by that glamorous title. But it’s a very, very good thing.

When’s the last time you had people sitting around waiting to consumer your video marketing? And get this – they’re calling it the “event” of the week!

I’m willing to bet that you personally know a handful of people who will ‘go live’ at some point today. Add to that the people you don’t know (but do follow) and you probably have at least a dozen – even two dozen – choices for fresh content that you could consume today.

I won’t even mention all of the brands you know that have put together epic lineups for all kinds of these virtual events.

And that’s just the live stuff. Throw in all those TikToks, Instagram Stories, YouTube videos, and broadcast television.

You can see where I’m going with this. The amount of content being produced feels more infinite than ever before. It’s intimidating to even think of throwing your hat in the ring and going after an audience’s attention.

But you should. Because here’s the thing, virtual events are currently fulfilling our desire to be entertained, social, and even educated. There’s truly never been an opportunity quite like this one for video marketing.

But as I alluded to previously, you’ve gotta be ready for some serious competition. This is your playbook.

So you have lots of options for consuming media. But what’s the last thing that caught your attention? What’s the event that you actually put in your calendar? The video that finally made you click play?

I’m willing to bet it was one (or all) of these things:

1. Hyper-Relevant

2. Personalized

3. Timely

Hyper-Relevant Content

The use of “hyper” in “hyper-relevant” is the key to all of this. Almost every piece of content I’ve come across in the past few weeks has been relevant in some way. Some topics have included:

• COVID-19
• Marketing in a Crisis
• Being an Entrepreneur in a Crisis
• The Economy
• Personal Finance

It’s not bad. In fact, it’s relevant enough that it catches my eye. But the reality is that I blaze past a lot of this stuff because I simply don’t have enough time in the day to watch or consume all of it.

Being relevant just isn’t enough if everyone’s doing it.

For me, it’s exhausting or even wasteful to watch more than 2 hours worth of content a day. And yet, I could probably spend all 24 hours consuming genuinely relevant content.

But if you want to easily capture my attention, take one more step into hyper-relevancy. As a video agency owner, I can practically guarantee you that the following content would go straight into my schedule or be consumed at some point:

• Running a Video Agency During COVID-19
• Economic Outlook for Agency Owners
• Running a Video Agency from Home

You get the point. The more specific you are, the more likely you are to win an audience over.

Personalized Content

This is why ‘live’ is hot right now. A new video from one of my favorite follows is great, but I can access literally billions of videos on the internet at any time, so it’s not a high priority (unless it’s hyper-relevant or timely.)

But what I’m seeing more and more of now is that experts (and just about everyone) are more accessible than ever before. If you’re offering me a chance to actually connect with you on a group video call or even if you’re hosting a live event, I’m prone to jump in and get involved because I might never have the shot to personally interact with you ever again.

Timely Content

This is the simplest concept, but it’s also the hardest to control. The fact of the matter is that you can score an audience just by being in the right place at the right time even if you flop on the other two elements.

Basically, your content just has to be the best option at a given time – not the best on the entire web. Consider when your audience might have a free moment or a time when there might not be a lot of other content to compete with and go from there.

Hopefully, no one stopped reading after the first section. Because those viewers you just got are going to leave just as fast as they appeared unless you have a voice.

Even once you’ve niched down into a hyper-relevant audience, personalized the content, and found the right time to get in front of them, you need to go farther.

You have to have something to say. I know it sounds elementary, but apparently, it’s not. You can find videos published every single day that simply regurgitate basic information.

Why even both making that video? You might win a few viewers and get some brand exposure, but at what cost? Next time I see your video, I’m going to assume it’s filled with more basic info I already know.

For crying out loud, I understand that I’m supposed to wash my hands to prevent COVID-19. I really do.

Tips for Having a Voice in Your Video

Assume your audience is filled with people who know 90% of what you know about the subject you’re an expert on. Maybe it’s just the last 10% that makes you worth listening to.

That may or may not be true, but assume it is. Because I guarantee you won’t waste time sharing information everyone already knows.

It’s a big deal to pick up even one tidbit from a video that can absolutely revolutionize your life or business in some way. And if you successfully give one away to your audience, they won’t soon forget. In fact, you’ll probably gain some viewers for life.

Don’t dumb things down, don’t turn an article you once read into video form, and don’t hold back your best ideas. That’s how to stand out in a crowded content marketplace.