5 Benefits of the Video Brief

The way the world works has changed for good. We are now working from home, or wherever we are most productive, as well as the office. One of the opportunities this has brought is ways to improve our processes, especially for effective communication and collaboration.

Having worked remotely for the last 7 years, I’ve already been trialling a few tools which help replicate the benefits of in-person meetings and presentations.

In this post I wanted to focus on one of the areas which personally I feel is under-utilised and offers the opportunity to add lots of value; the video brief.

Sure, we are all familiar with Zoom calls and meetings over Teams, Skype and so on, which all really have their place. What I recommend however is a one-way video briefing process for marketing projects and here’s why.

1. Focus

Solely focusing on recording a particular topic (we recommend tools such as Loom, which has a free option) reduces distractions and keeps the focus on the project which is being briefed. A simple structure can be provided by roughly following a marketing project brief template to keep the video on task.

This approach takes many of the benefits of the video call (such as the ability to see the person, view the screen and see anything demonstrated) and uses the fact that the recording is created in a one-way method to its advantage.

Not to say that there won’t be a point where a video call becomes a useful tool. As an example, an MD could create a 15 minute video brief, talking through an issue or what they would like to achieve, sharing on their screen some analytics, a slideshow or vision board. The team could then jump on a video call to review if needed, before running a video call with a marketing consultant to discuss the brief (which they would already have viewed prior to the call). As everyone on the call would already be up to speed, the call itself also becomes more focused and becomes more about creating a solution to the problem and collaboration than simply information sharing.

2. Flexibility

Another key benefit to creating a brief by video is more logistical. Avoid issues with tying up calendar appointments across multiple teams and keep that headache for when a call is most valuable.

These days video software is easy to access across laptops, tablets and smart phones, so your next video brief could be created in the middle of the night on a mobile phone if needed!

The video itself can be kept confidential and shared privately or if so required can be made public, via the settings in YouTube, Vimeo etc. You could even use WhatsApp to share yours (send us a message on 07974 536925 to submit your video brief!)

3. Future reference

Once created, as a physical ‘paper brief’ in Word, this can be referred back to in the future. From my experience as a consultant I have certainly found this useful to ensure my work is on brief and keeping on track to meet the objectives and issues set out initially.

From a client perspective it also helps to avoid any scope creep and provides a timestamped record of the initial situation, which may come in handy further down the line if any areas need to be reverted or issues were to arise.

4. Context

Video briefs are rich and informative, and well worth the relatively short investment to create. They provide valuable context to any written brief. You may still wish to create a written brief, but to use a video brief to talk through what you have written, giving examples and sharing screenshots to demonstrate your thoughts.

I often use video to add value to the digital work I have created, in a similar way, to convey a particular point in more detail or to share a worked through examples in a more dynamic way.

5. Shareability

Of course video briefs can be shared, before during and after the marketing project. In the example in point 1 the team are able to add value before the brief is submitted to any external parties. The brief could even be a collaborative recording if appropriate. Whereas in a direct call, there wouldn’t be an easy option to share the video as it is a private conversation.

As a business looking to outsource part of the marketing function or to find a freelance marketing consultant, video briefing represents a huge time-saving opportunity. Rather than scheduling 15 individual Zoom calls, creating a one-off 15 minute video brief which can then be shared among your shortlist of suppliers saves precious diary time as well as being a more effective tool for both parties.

So what are your thoughts, will you be using a video brief as part of your next digital marketing project?

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