How to Create Authenticity?
Authenticity is simply being genuine in your communication; connecting with others in an open and honest, human way.
Creating authentic video, then, is about building deeper relationships, connecting through emotion and relatability, and placing the attention on the consumer’s needs and desires rather than your business's sales goals and product offerings.
While there are several ways to achieve authenticity through video, and while it largely depends on what your intent is, whether marketing, entertainment, business, or leisure, the following are the most effective ways to do so.
First, if you’re a brand or business, implementing UGC (User-Generated Content) into your content marketing strategy is extremely effective. Without getting into too much detail, UGC is simply content generated by real users of your products or services. This could come in the form of video reviews, testimonies, and more, largely shot in a raw format through mobile video.
Second, and as a great segue, use real voices and faces. Consumers see right through disingenuous content. Valuing transparency over everything, the best strategy for customer service, marketing, or any other department is to be real, open, and honest. The best way to portray this through video? Use real company faces and voices.
Finally, shift your focus towards mobile-shot video over studio-shot video. While this is an in-depth topic that deserves a longer feature, the bottom line is that mobile-shot video is the future. Not only are camera qualities better than ever before, but they’re also raw, real, and authentic.
Where studio-shot video seeks perfection and often portrays an sense of acting, mobile-shot video is more human, allowing audiences to connect more easily. Not to mention that mobile-optimized content is king, with video consumption on mobile expected to double each year for the foreseeable future!
Why Mobile-Shot Video is the Future
It’s no wonder that video platforms like TikTok and YouTube are today’s social media leaders, with the likes of Instagram beginning to adopt similar video features (such as, reels). It’s also why the new celebrities are digital creators who create raw vlogs, mobile-shot video, and personable content that’s both relatable and human; it’s what converts in today’s digital world.
To quantify these statements, YouTube sees over two billion monthly active users, with over a billion hours of watch time daily! That statistic alone should illustrate where the attention is.
Additionally, mobile-shot ads on Instagram have been shown to outperform studio-shot ads. While some will argue that this is just a platform-specific claim, the fact of the matter is that Instagram is the largest social media platform in the world. The attention lives here, so why ignore it?
It’s not to say that high-quality video doesn’t have its place in media and marketing. It’s simply to say that the direction of content consumption and consumer desire is shifting in a major way.
The Bottom Line
Being real and relatable online comes down to being human. This is accomplished through open and honest communication, authentic content, and truth over hollow storylines. One of the best ways to portray a sense of realness and authenticity is through authentic, raw video, and more specifically, mobile-shot video.
Content doesn’t have to be perfectly manufactured, which is why mobile-shot video is so effective. Reflect your brand in an authentic way, represent what your values are in a relatable way, and connect with your audience in an open and honest way.
Because a shift is being seen in consumer interest and desire, so too is there a shift being seen in video marketing. Mobile-shot video is here to stay, so adopt it while it’s still an advantage!
