How good is your ‘corona-proofing” content strategy?

Companies that started 2020 without digital content as part of their overall awareness and marketing strategy were already behind the curve in our digitized world. Thanks to the Coronavirus, companies without a digital strategy now, are struggling to catch up.

In a sea of “unprecedented times,” one thing is clear for creatives operating across all industries: there has never been a more important time than now to be able to communicate to your target audience in a unique and authentic way.

However, between the lack of human touchpoints and the barriers of creating within a safe social distance, crafting authentic content that is pandemic-proof is easier said than done. Not to mention the additional challenge of pushing sales/fundraising while also being respectful of consumers during a major economic downturn.

Establish a Virtual Connection with Your Audience

One consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the very idea of what it means to produce authentic content has changed. For instance, the landscape of the events space changed irrevocably in the forefront of the pandemic. But the real shift in how creatives are thinking about content for virtual events occurred in the months that followed the initial stay-at-home mandates.

Back in April and May, virtual events were considered a temporary solution for many of those who could not hold their events in-person as planned. It was even considered more authentically human to have speakers over a lower-HD platform such as Zoom, and technological errors were expected. There was a disconnect for people between the high-tech and human.

Now, as virtual events are being rethought of as a part of the marketing mix, the quality of production is being rethought as well. To achieve the human connection, video production companies and content creators are ensuring they have really solid scripting and professional cues throughout.

Additionally, there are tactical tweaks you can make such as ensuring that speakers are focused at eye-level to appear as if they are speaking toward their audiences, avoiding podiums or any shots of an empty crowd and making sure content is short enough to hold attention and focusing on.

Consumers are now realizing that you can have that same human connection that they get through one-on-one platforms with poor quality and utilizing high-end industry production technology to delivery the same connection through professional equipment and production techniques.

Learn to Go the Distance for Content Creation 

Video production on the other hand, especially videos utilizing 3D animation rather than live-action video, is a great option to use during the pandemic as it can all be done remotely—making it immune to the effects of the ongoing pandemic.

By utilizing 3D or 2D animation, alongside great scriptwriting and voice talent you can create a great story with tactics that are all done remotely as well. 

When the goal of a piece of content calls for live action video production, the precautions and resources needed are far greater; but this video can be implemented by establishing on-set COVID-19 production protocols to ensure the safety of clients, crew and talent.

During the social distancing mandates, video production companies have conducted remote video production shoots where directors and clients oversaw the production through a setup of monitors and cameras for two way video communication. This setup helps ensure the safety of the limited crew and actors on set, as well as cut costs for the client who might have flown across the country to be on location.

This option of remote production is not only working, it’s also proving to be a preference for many due to its time and resource-saving efforts, and is expected to continue after the pandemic subsides. 

High-Touch Meets High-Tech 

Prior to the pandemic, Augmented Reality (AR) was already being utilized as a great marketing tool for sales or as a part of an in-booth experience at trade shows to help prospective customers interact with products.

These types of augmented reality experiences are not limited to the trade show floor but are also a great option when in-person meetings aren’t an option. Now we’re even seeing AR being used to replace the booth experience altogether to allow the booth to come to the user. Now with social distancing mandates restricting in-person presentations, AR is proving more valuable than ever before as more people begin to see the practical values beyond entertainment.

Because AR can be either a singular or shared experience, people are finding more practical ways to use it. Further, because of its mobile accessibility, AR is proving that you do not need to be “high-tech” to access it.

For this reason, AR has quickly become one of best ways to market, communicate, engage, and teach, and ultimately help bridge the gap of the human touch with an entirely digital solution. 

The Digital Economy at Scale

Despite all of the pandemic-proof content creation strategies out there, there is no denying that we are in the midst of an economic crisis, with budgets being slashed and where consumers are struggling.

For companies who want to survive and still be seen, they must keep in mind that regardless of financial situations, there is an aspect of digital content creation for you. Whether it is graphic creation, video that relies on remote work or even cleverly repurposing stock b-roll– if you have a target audience and a goal to achieve, you can create a winning strategy by incorporating thoughtful storytelling through digital solutions.