A well-produced video can expand your audience, drive loyalty, and increase the value of your digital content. Because audience demand and expectations are so high, digital publishers are now forced to produce engaging video content faster than ever before and in much more significant quantities.

But accelerating video production doesn’t have to come at the cost of quality. A streamlined approach to creating compelling video content can be easy if you follow three steps.

1. Simplify your production

The barrier to entry with video production used to be enormous. The tools to create the content required special training and a steep learning curve. Today, new video product solutions are designed with intuitive tools and user-friendly interfaces that empower users with no specialized training to generate and air studio-quality content much more quickly.

Although sophisticated content should still have a place in your content calendar, breaking news waits for no one, and being the first to air with critical information can be a valuable advantage for grabbing viewers’ attention. In addition, you can go live quickly when severe weather strikes or threats to public safety. Finally, equipping your team with tools to create these videos will remove bottlenecks when posting content.

Also, be sure to find a tool that enables your teams to create videos using their laptops or mobile phones from virtually anywhere with an internet connection. Think of these solutions not as a replacement for professional production workstations but as a way to extend their capabilities. The tools often use a browser-based interface and cloud capabilities to access content, graphics, and production tools remotely, allowing users to report on breaking news and weather stories immediately.

2. Use pre-created templates

A repository of professional and pre-created templates can help you quickly publish updates using high-quality videos that engage audiences and build trust. Simply populate these pre-made templates with essential information so you can be the first to air when news breaks.

Consider templates that embed a customizable lower-third or brand logo. Also, look for templates that leverage a two-box format showing two speakers or one speaker alongside associated video footage or B-roll.

Alternatively, you can place the speaker in the bottom left corner, as vital information is displayed more prominently in the middle of the screen. Some solutions also offer map templates if your story relates to a specific location or geographical area.

Experiment with different templates to determine what works best across your digital platforms. You can find which templates will extend watch time or increase engagement by testing different kinds of content and formats. This information will help your team as they decide which templates to use when news breaks.

3. Add more voices to the screen

Fake news is an increasing concern for viewers in the U.S., particularly on social media. Adding expert opinions from inside and outside your organization can improve the credibility of your content while increasing overall productivity and driving new monetization opportunities.

Remote broadcasting capabilities make the process of creating meaningful content with new and diverse voices to your content far simpler. With the right tools, you can incorporate experts, thought leaders, and sponsors with the click of a button, regardless of their location.

This approach is effective across content categories. For weather, feature experts from impacted and adjacent areas to help viewers understand the extent of a weather event and respond accordingly. For sports or elections, interview local correspondents to add more context and relevance. You can also offer digital sponsorship packages such as native ads that include sponsor interviews, improve campaign effectiveness, and increase viewer satisfaction. For example, you may include a technician from a local heating and air-services sponsor to share tips on reducing energy usage in the summer.

Adding these new perspectives and insights will also help you produce unique content that may be reformatted and repurposed for different audiences and platforms, generating further revenue opportunities.

Better video starts here

Exceptional video content is essential to any good digital content strategy.

By leveraging these tips when choosing a video storytelling tool, you can accelerate your output without adding resources and attract a bigger audience and more advertisers.

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About the author

Jim Politis is part of the Max Weather solutions product management team at The Weather Company, where he focuses on Max Velocity, Max Engage, and Max Social. He was first part of the Max Quality Assurance team, and over the last decade at The Weather Company, Jim has been involved with nearly every product within the Max ecosystem. Prior to joining The Weather Company, Jim served as a broadcast meteorologist in Iowa. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in meteorology and an associate’s degree in computer science from Northern Vermont University-Lyndon.