Content that converts: How to co-create powerful video stories that keep audiences engaged all year long

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Abstract: At a time when trust in brands and institutions is low, the growing preference for content that is authentic, passion-driven and human-centric is accelerating. It is no longer enough to simply create and curate high-quality content consistently. To cut through the noise in the crowded digital landscape, organisations must find ways to invite the community to join in the conversation. People demand to be active participants in organisations’ content, not passive consumers of it. User-generated video offers a powerful means for organisations to achieve these goals. By collaborating with the real people at the heart of its mission to produce authentic user-generated video content, an organisation delivers content that people actually want to engage with. This paper examines how: 1) communication preferences and digital marketing trends are reshaping the future of community engagement, 2) to use the Hero’s Journey framework to tell video stories that resonate and drive real results and 3) simple steps to get started with user-generated video.

Keywords: video marketing; user-generated video; user-generated content; engagement; authenticity; content marketing; content co-creation

Michael Hoffman is the co-founder and CEO of Gather Voices, a technology company that automates the creation, management and publishing of video content. He is also the founder of See3 Communications, a digital marketing agency in Chicago and founder of the DoGooder Video Awards which honours the best social cause video on YouTube each year. Hoffman has been an advisor to association and non-profit leaders for more than a decade and teaches marketing at the University of Chicago. He is an internationally sought-after speaker and trainer.