How Your Existing Content Can Fuel Creative Innovation

Introduction

A common practice for businesses is to curate blogs or other social content from company news, values, thought leadership, and other content to show expertise for clients and customers. The effort put into research, writing, and editing of these articles is tedious; yet, keeping up a consistent schedule helps a business get found as audiences read and learn from them.  

At Bulb Digital, we've learned a thing or two about this process. We have even been able to take it a step further and build an engaged audience of 23,000 over the past years by offering a new way to share this same information - YouTube videos. These videos have an algorithm engine behind them to get more attention and establish the expertise for our authors, but of course this all started with a single video. A single video can kickstart this kind of attention and growth for your company as well.

As the full time Video Editor at Bulb Digital, I am going to walk through some of the key tenets and behind the scenes of how we create our blogs into videos and how you can try it at your workplace. One of our core values at Bulb Digital is to Embrace the Unknown. If you can persist through solving unforeseen challenges with one blog or other piece of content, you have the right mindset to get started. Let’s break down your next steps.

20% Planning

Before you hit the record button, it's crucial to plan out your process using your blog as a guide. Turn this into a script by breaking down what should be recorded and spoken, what will be seen by the audience, and what is the ultimate message the viewer will be getting from the video?

Just because you are a business doesn’t mean this should be selling products. Imagine this as giving your expertise or opinion for free. It’s a trust exercise that is won by being the first to share with others. Having someone watch or learn from your expertise is a vote of confidence like we got from this early video on the YouTube channel.

We have learned to spend a considerable amount of time trying to articulate who, specifically, will find a video helpful. We created this announcement video not to just be a news filled review but to lean into the real problems and questions we still had. Creating a conversation around the topics you are knowledgeable in gathers similar minded people, and probably your customers.

Consider the type of content you want to make as well. Is the blog really a conversation, where making a podcast could be helpful? Or a demonstration that could be a video tutorial? Finding the right context for your information changes so much of how it will be received.

💡Quick Tip

Over time, we’ve found that the written word and video don’t always overlap nicely. We talk with each of our authors prior to recording to get ideas on what will be shown visually or how to better structure their words when it isn’t seen. Be careful to avoid reading because it is easy.

10% Recording

Now, this is where we get to the fun part. Recording is a daunting task, if you let it be. You’ll need to suspend your frustrations for a bit and rely on the work you did in the planning process. Deliver a performance that has energy and good pacing. It is okay to have slip ups, just pause and repeat the line to fix it later once you get to the editing step.

In recording, take a second before you start setting the stage by thinking about the video's background. Perhaps take a short clip to hear how the recorded audio sounds. Consider moving lights or choosing what effect the light has on your face or the background as well. These are good things to consider but prioritize your performance as the outcomes of your recording will be largely based on this.

20% Reviewing

After recording, the reviewing phase is like dumping out a box full of puzzle pieces. Building your puzzle might seem like a good next step, but getting an understanding of the edge pieces, grouping similar patterns and colors lets you know what you have access to. You’ll want to watch everything back, not once, but twice! This step is at least twice as long as the recording step. Analyze what could be improved and consider how that transition from written word to spoken word went. How's the recording looking? Check sound, lighting, and framing. What could you do better?  

Once you have watched it all, not once, but twice. It’s time to organize all your puzzle pieces and create the full picture for your viewers.

40% Editing

Editing is where the magic happens. Adding elements like music, captions, and visual graphics all enhance the viewer's experience. There are many editing apps and programs which are just as important as the technical gear used to record. This is the time to be ruthless and cut out things that are extra, trim unnecessary moments, and be decisive. The key here is to be empathetic toward your viewer. We love leaning into this idea of empathetic marketing at Bulb Digital. Make decisions on the context a viewer will have and how you can help them understand everything you wanted them to learn.

This is 40% of the work. Don’t be surprised if you must, like a puzzle, leave it unattended and work on other projects. Your mind is holding the pieces and ideas you have and putting them together when you are away. Just make sure you still finish the video!

10% Posting

So, you think your masterpiece is ready for the world? But wait, there's more to it than just hitting an upload button. You created something for humans; telling a story, putting ideas into a structure, and hopefully creating it for connection. But now, it’s time to create for the robots to deliver it to your viewers. Along with uploading your video, include succinct keywords and tags to help a robot suggest your video. In the end, it’s always about a person choosing to watch, but feeding the robots doesn’t hurt as they deliver it.

Once your video is out into the open, share it while getting more ideas from others. One video is the start of your journey. Building a channel, series, or full experience makes a significant difference in separating your time creating the videos to time others are watching them.

Conclusion

Embrace the trial-and-error process. Converting blogs or other content into videos is an evolving journey. Start with your own blog posts, get creative, and you'll be surprised where it can lead – perhaps to new business opportunities or a fresh creative outlet for your company. While there is an allure of silent expertise, there is a bigger opportunity in starting the conversation and being a gathering place for empathetic problem-solving.

So, gear up, embrace the unknown, and let the creative journey begin. It's time to turn those blogs into captivating videos that resonate with your customers!