How do you create videos that engage your audience on multiple platforms?

Knowing whom you are making video for is perhaps the inescapable starting point. But after that, good "thinking in visuals" is a major driver among elements that pull the maximum number of eyeballs to the screen. How apt are the tools you choose to express your point? When do you decide that a close up shot is better than a medium close up? If you employ speech, how apt is the script? What visuals make the most impact? For instance, if you want to demonstrate the ferocity of a monkey, which visual is preferable? Is it the one showing two monkeys fighting or one showing a monkey attacking a man? Video making requires inner thinking that creates outstanding clips.

Well, all too obvious. Of course, different platforms nourish each other in different ways, but it is not a question of understanding the preferences, behaviors and expectations of the "so-called" target audience. The determinant is the number of simultaneous actions that must be triggered from a maximalist and nexialist view.

I agree 100000%. The majority of content I create is for internal purposes only. Having been in the role previously that I am now making content for has been a huge advantage. I am blessed to work for an organization that values its people. Getting to know and understand more about the organization and the people who make it go gives the work purpose. We find people where they are and deliver content that educates and is entertaining but always moving the business forward.

Knowing your audience also means roughly estimating its size potential -- and level-setting expectations of performance / engagement against that potential. As an example: my first content effort was specifically targeted at CMOs in 1-2 niches with certain company parameters. I was starting with a cozy potential compared to, say, marketing professionals. As a result: I made targeted content that maybe didn't have huge numbers at first on its face, but that engaged the right people... and I credit knowing the audience with being able to see past cozy numbers.

A platform first approach works when it comes to storytelling through videos. The audience on each platform is there for certain kind of entertainment or information. Once we tap into that, we automatically start thinking in a way our audience is going to receive it. A combination of audience data and platform preferences allows us to stop the scroll.

Just as an illustration, let's revisit the scenario of creating a video to promote a job advertisement. Suppose you're targeting two different platforms: a professional networking site like LinkedIn and a trendy short-form video platform like TikTok. For the LinkedIn audience, which predominantly comprises seasoned professionals, a more formal approach would be fitting. The video might focus on the job's qualifications, the company's reputation, and the potential for career growth. On the other hand, when catering to the TikTok audience, which tends to be younger, a different strategy is necessary. Here, the video might adopt a more creative style, highlighting the job's exciting aspects in a concise and visually appealing manner.

It's worth noting that this practice takes time. Each platform audience, though perhaps comprised of the same people, and consuming the same format of content, behaves differently. For instance, I produce video for a creator economy podcast. We publish across three short-form video platforms... one performs well, and the other two typically trail behind. I'm learning every week -- and acknowledge that tweaking is sometimes necessary to achieve uniform results.

It's not about adapting, it's about making really different products that complement other different videos created for other platforms.

Content repurposing is a great way to squeeze every ounce of your content production. There are bridges to be easily built between Instagram reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts for example. Horizontal content will strive better between YouTube and LinkedIn in the opposite. My advice? Just try, analyse and do better every single time :) And please: STOP CALLING ON PROFESSIONNAL VIDEO MAKERS FOR EVERY VIDEO. Your ROI will be dissapointing and you'll struggle explaining why a 10,000€ production only produced 5,000 views while the CM made a quick edit on his phone which made 2x more views.

One of the best things you can do is when you are creating an SOP for video creation, set a step in there that has the editor of the video create a standard horizontal version as well as a tall / vertical version. The platforms will choose which ones to play. For example, TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and FB Reels are great for vertical, but you wouldn't want a strictly vertical video on youtube or vimeo.

There is no trick. The first seconds must propose, question, surprise "The power to surprise is what makes a mind revolutionary, capable of creating transformative changes." - Bryant McGill

A few seconds? More like 1, 2 if you're lucky. Think about how quickly you swipe through TikTok or Reels or even scroll down your YouTube homepage. For me, I might give each content piece 1 second of direct attention before moving on, if I'm not hooked. Now that I'm firmly on the other side of the content -- the production side -- it's easier to understand the sheer input that needs to go into that 1-2 seconds to keep people around. Heck, MrBeast obsesses over his hook -- thumbnails -- so much that he even knows whether to have his mouth open or closed. He knows the power of attention... and if he cares at his scale, we all should obsess at ours.

Continuing with the scenario of creating a video to promote a job advertisement, let's delve into how to implement this step effectively. Imagine your video begins with a striking visual—perhaps an enthusiastic employee accomplishing a remarkable task or a snippet showcasing the vibrant work environment. Accompany this with a compelling statement, like "Unlock Your Career's Potential" or "Your Dream Job Awaits." These initial seconds are your golden opportunity to establish intrigue and evoke curiosity.

You have 7 seconds to grab your viewer's attention. Use editing effects and the most important words or sentences to start your video on a "wow" effect.

It's very important to have the captions on the title screen because volume levels are automatically silenced. Having eye catching captions, stunning backgrounds, and a hook in the first 5 seconds of the video (telling people what your video is about) leads to great responses and conversions.

Delivering value looks different for everyone. In the world of B2B, or education, or "edutainment" -- I keep a phrase in mind which Alex Hormozi uses a lot: "Give away the secrets. Sell the implementation." It's an unwieldly pill to swallow at first -- give away the secrets? -- but, if you're truly devoted to your craft, you should know that few people are going to implement your secrets in an optimal way, or devote the time/resources into implementing on their own at all. Honestly, I don't even do it that well, and I have that phrase burned into my brain already. Like I said, delivering value is different for everyone. But that's a frame which might help you think about your content differently.

Taking the context of producing a video to promote a job advertisement, consider how you can infuse value into your content. For instance, if your target is young professionals seeking their first job, you might incorporate segments that provide tips for acing interviews, crafting an impressive resume, or navigating the early stages of a career. This kind of actionable advice directly addresses the needs of your audience, positioning your video as a valuable resource. Similarly, if you're targeting seasoned industry experts, you could feature insights from current employees or showcase the company's innovative projects.

People are seeking a great ROI on what they give their time to. If they are quickly dissapointed, your video will belong in the internet's recycled garbage can. You rather propose a quick, synthetic video going straight to your point than broad around your subject. VALUE, VALUE, VALUE.

Value comes in many forms, and it boils down to entertainment, inspiration, information and education. By sharing what you know with a specific intention, you engage your audience and encourage them to watch more videos. Entertainment involves making an emotional connection with your audience. Storytelling is ideal here. Information could be reporting on events that are happening now, with news-style content. Education means breaking down complex topics into language that is easy to understand and is helpful for the viewer. Inspiration involves thought-provoking content that can comfort the viewer, support them or urge them to take action, such as productivity or motivational videos. These 4 pillars help you deliver value!

We've played around with this quite a bit. We find that the more value we deliver in a video, the higher the cost per lead, but it ends up being a much more quality lead that's much more likely to buy. The lower the value in the video (especially shorter videos) will lower the cost per lead of the video, but require more effort to close and turn into a sale.

Encouraging engagement plays a pivotal role in ensuring that your job advertisement video resonates with its audience. To achieve this, you can begin by posing thought-provoking questions that capture viewers' attention, such as asking about their ideal job or career aspirations. Additionally, integrating interactive polls within the video's content can foster a sense of participation and curiosity among viewers. Another effective strategy involves organizing a comment contest, inviting viewers to share their best job-seeking advice and experiences in the comment section

Asking questions at the end of the video, or encouraging people to share their perspective and story works best for us. We do this on a lot of our video campaigns. Additionally, we may even create videos tailored to specific comments we've received and then run those as ads. The engagement informs our copy and advertising goals.

Here I strongly disagree. Efficiency is not based on the same message, which was only adapted to be forwarded on various platforms. The complementarity of messages will generate the necessary movement. Maximalism, with the complementarity of nexialism, will generate the necessary impact. Different messages, different audiences, different approaches, different logical arrangements. We will have really different contents, but with common concepts and purposes.

I call this a "content engine" because a piece of content should have a few gears to it. Long-form standalone, a multitude of short-form clips, transcripts for blogs, text bites for still imagery, audio ripped for podcast...the list goes on. You're making the content already. There's no reason not to get as much juice as possible for the squeeze.

For instance, you can adapt your job advertisement video for different platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok. By tweaking the video's format and style to align with the unique dynamics of each platform, you can effectively reach wider audiences without creating entirely new content from the ground up.

While repurposing your content can be very effective, I'd also look into recycling, reediting your content. For example, a 3 minute-video could be turned into 4 45s YouTube Shorts if it was thought ahead of shooting the video (or maybe not, some videos can be well-cut after the fact)

To make your video content easier to repurpose, you need to have a solid script to: 1. Easily create subtitles for your video 2. Create a newsletter, blog and text-based social media posts 3. Cut your video into short clips for YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok videos. When you have a collection of content that covers the same topic, you can create a short PDF Ebook using Canva, Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Infographics can be created with the help of a designer too. By repurposing your content, you get more mileage out of it - and you serve multiple audiences on different platforms. This gives you omnipresence across the internet and buys you time to create future content. See what performs the best and reiterate.

By understanding your audience, adapting content to platform nuances, capturing attention from the outset, delivering value, fostering engagement, and repurposing content smartly, you pave the way for videos that resonate deeply. Each step is a brushstroke on the canvas of audience connection, transforming your content into an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression.