Having an effective and far-reaching communication strategy is key for any organization, and this especially holds true for federal, state and local, and tribal government agencies.
There is a vital need for government organizations to do more than just transmit information. More so than in any other kind of industry, they have to build trust and transparency with the people they serve—and oftentimes, they have to do this with millions of people. People who don’t always understand what they do or stand for.
A successful communications strategy is one that meets the target audience where they are. And that place is online video.
When it comes to sourcing information about products and services, many people, especially millennials and Gen Z, go to videos first. Over the last couple of years, the amount of time Americans spend on online video consumption has been steadily increasing. In 2021, the third most popular online video category (after TV shows and movies) was video that was recorded and uploaded on YouTube and Facebook.
Based on a survey by Google, half of YouTube users said they didn’t know how they’d get through life without video. This same survey also showed that the second most popular reason for watching video is, “It teaches me something new.” Other reasons are “It keeps me in-the-know” and “It addresses social issues that are important to me.”
All this points towards the fact that if government agencies want to reach and deeply connect with larger audiences, online video marketing is the way to go.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing has to do with the strategic dissemination of video content through various channels such as television and social media, with the purpose of promotion, information or entertainment.
For governments, this could look like a PSA on the dangers of mold or an advertisement announcing the latest infrastructural developments in the county. These could be shared on platforms like Facebook or TikTok, based on where the target audience typically consumes content.
Here’s an example of a PSA our team at Rock Creek Productions made for the EPA, on the dangers of lead-based paint. We made this PSA in both Spanish and English for wider accessibility, and managed a social media campaign that reached over 160,000 people.
Rock Creek also works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Lab (PMEL) to produce short videos that promote NOAA’s scientific research projects related to weather patterns and climate change. Since 2019, we’ve also produced the “Arctic Report Card” video which synthesizes important research into the ongoing climate disasters happening in the Arctic.
When video production is done well and combined with a solid video marketing strategy; it becomes a powerful way to engage large audiences and connect with them in a manner that other forms of content simply cannot achieve.
4 benefits of video marketing for government agencies
Video marketing is all the rage right now, and there are many great reasons. Here are just a few of them:
- Economy
Videos at the outset can seem expensive, but they pay back their value many times over. A single video can be split into bite-sized snippets to populate social media; and video scripts can be repurposed into press releases, blogs and even podcasts. - High levels of engagement
51% of people are more likely to share video with their friends than any other type of content according to WyzOwl, making video the most ‘shareable’ type of online content. - Communication at scale
Billions of people use social media, irrespective of age, gender and occupation. With most of these people spending on average 19 hours per week watching things online, video is the strongest tool in your content distribution toolbox.. - “Stickiness”
Video content is infinitely more memorable than other types of content. According to a report by Insivia, viewers can retain about 95% of the information they get from a video, but only 10% of information that comes from text.
Why government video is a game-changer
Government agencies often have to communicate complex information to an audience,sometimes in the millions. These audiences typically vary greatly in demographics, psychographics and sometimes, even literacy. Video storytelling is a universal language, making it one of the most effective tools at a government agency’s disposal.
Well-made videos with superb scriptwriting, attractive visuals and humanized, relatable characters are a big draw. These can evoke emotional responses in the audience, or even persuade them to take an action, like voting or exercising more.
No matter how tough-to-understand the subject matter is, as long as the video effectively imparts context and meaning to a complex idea, it will work beautifully to reach your goals.
Leave it to the Experts at Rock Creek Productions
Whether you have a clear vision of how you want your video to look; or you’re at a more nascent stage of project development, you’ll want to hire a professional team with years of experience..
Our award-winning team of producers, writers, and skilled production specialists have decades of experience creating impactful content from PSAs to documentaries and training videos for federal, state and local, and tribal governments.
Empowered by state-of-the-art tools and technologies, we create stunning, high-quality videos for many government clients such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).A well-done video is a long-term investment that you can use over and over again. Learn more about our services and contact us today!
