3. Use video’s strengths and appeal to emotions. Pictures, music, people’s stories told in video help you
connect with people’s emotions in ways you can’t in other media. If your video is just words on screen and no hu- man faces, you are missing a chance to make an emotional connection. If your video presents facts with no compel- ling values to support your cause, you are missing a chance to connect with a message. Human faces, human stories, real problems and solutions keep people watching and move your audience to support you.
4. Posting bad video is not better than posting no video. We’ve all seen them – the shaking video with bad light-
ing, poor sound, and dubious editing. What message does that deliver for people? Who’s going to vote for a candidate that looks shifty and dishonest because of poor lighting and a bad microphone? This is not the place to cut corners. Ditch the video altogether rather than post bad video. Hire a pro with a lighting kit and a good camera and microphone. Unless he’s James Cameron, the candidate’s uncle shouldn’t be shooting the web video. The handheld feel can be effective if used correctly and
with creative intent, but that does not mean bad lighting and, worse, bad sound will be forgiven. Did someone say lighting and sound? Compare these two video announcements for runs for governor in the US:
http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=HtTu8GcAtEI
and http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=OGoEDCs4-RE&feature=related
6. Funny gets forwarded, no question. People are always looking for new, compelling and funny
ways of describing the upside and downside of policies or candidates. But caution is advised. Political humourists like Rick Mercer and This Hour Has 22 Minutes attack all sides equally so their humourous jibes have balance even when they are based on hyperbole. As a partisan for a candidate or a cause, your attacks have
to be backed up by truth to succeed in moving undecided voters, not just ramping up your base. Humour can also be a double-edged sword – driving people to a solution or action you didn’t intend. Always ask: does the humour reinforce my message? Does the humour drive people to my candidate or cause? Consider the effectiveness of these videos. Mike Huckabee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =MDUQW8LUMs8&feature=related
Moveon.org contest:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn55ZdmBPJ4. Did they get shared? Did they position the candidate well? Did they win votes?
7. Remember the principles of good political communications. Just because it is ‘only a web video’ doesn’t mean it
5. If you post it, and they don’t come. Getting the video made and up is only part of the battle.
Using social media to get people to see it and share it is the other part. YouTube is still the most popular video sharing tool out there but there are others to choose from (vimeo. com offers great quality). But don’t wait for people to find you, share it and encour-
age others to share on Facebook, Twitter and the like with a line or two on why audiences should check out your video. Send it to all your contacts and suggest to them a reason they should share it with their networks. Make it as easy as possible for people to find you and share why your video is interesting. A great helper is
www.AddToAny.com that offers a fantastic, free sharing button you can put on your web pages.
shouldn’t follow best practices in political communica- tions. Does it tell me what you are for, as well as what you are against? Is it delivering a message about your biggest strengths up against your opponent’s biggest weaknesses? Is your candidate or cause appearing likable, trustworthy, authentic? Whether it is the script, the production values, the visuals, images, supers or music – all these elements con- tribute to whether your web video successfully connects with your audience and moves them with your message.
In the days of drug store HD cameras and movie edit-
ing software on your laptop, everyone thinks they can make a video. But buyers of online video-making services must beware. If someone says they can make a video for you, ask to see other videos they’ve made and evaluate them on whether they’ve demonstrated their ability in all these areas. At the end of the day, an online video is a success if it helps you persuade voters to support your candidate or cause.
Marie Della Mattia is President/CEO of NOW Communica- tions Group Inc., a full-service advertising agency specializing in social marketing, union and non-profit communication, and electoral campaigns across Canada.
June 2010 | Campaigns & Elections 53
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