M&G Agency Life
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M&G Agency Life
Let's Talk Tech - Social Video (How to Stop the Scroll)
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In Episode 6 of M&G Agency Life: Let’s Talk Tech, Aimee and Pete dive into one of the most powerful tools in digital marketing right now, social video.
They’re joined by M&G’s Content Creator Weronika and Digital Marketing Manager Ryan to break down what actually makes video content stand out in a busy feed. From the importance of the hook and clear messaging to why a strong call to action matters, the team explore how to create videos that don’t just get views, but drive results.
They also discuss the balance between polished and authentic content, share practical tips for filming your own videos, and highlight the key things to focus on when it comes to framing, setup and equipment.
🎧 Because in a world of endless scrolling… your video needs to earn attention.
Got a question? Send us a text message!
If you’d like to hear more about anything we’ve covered just drop us line. You can find us at www.mearns-gill.com, on Instagram @MearnsGill, or check us out on Facebook or LinkedIn, just search for Mearns & Gill.
Welcome to MNG Agency Life. This time we're going full tech mode.
SPEAKER_05Yep, series three is all about the tech. The power of the work we do here at Mars and Gill.
SPEAKER_01Because behind everything we do, there's a whole lot of clever stuff happening behind the scenes.
SPEAKER_05And we're here to break it all down. No jargon, no complicated waffle, just clear practical insight.
SPEAKER_01We'll be chatting SEO and web builds.
SPEAKER_05Video that grabs attention in the first few seconds.
SPEAKER_01Digital retargeting that actually works and lots more.
SPEAKER_05So whether you're a business owner, a marketer, or just someone who loves understanding how things work.
SPEAKER_01This series is for you. Let's talk tech. Shall we do this? Oh heck yeah. Welcome back to MNG Agency Life Series 3. Let's talk tech.
SPEAKER_05So far in this series, we've covered everything from SEO to creative.
SPEAKER_01Don't forget Digi-Redoing, because we covered that last time, didn't we? Yeah. Today we're talking about one of the biggest drivers of engagement right now, and that has to be video.
SPEAKER_05Yep, specifically video for social. What works, what doesn't, and how to create content that stands out in a busy feed.
SPEAKER_01Joining us today, we have Veronica, our content creator. Hiya Rons. Hello. And we also have Ryan back in the podcast room, our digital marketing manager. Ryan, welcome back. Hello.
SPEAKER_05Hello. So by the end of this episode, you'll have an understanding of how to create a social video that grabs attention and drives action.
SPEAKER_01That is the aim of this episode. So I guess let's start simple, like we like to do. Firstly, why do we think video is such a big deal right now for social? Ryan, Veronica, who wants to go?
SPEAKER_00We've published lately a digital forecast from our team. Right. The Marines and Guild Digital Forecast, which actually a piece of that looks into the rise of uh video in in sort of a marketing landscape, and particularly the rise of short form video. I think we can all agree that 90% of the time now when you go on social media, you come across a video on all channels now. I think it, you know, it's not just Instagram, it's not just TikTok, it's on Facebook, it's on LinkedIn, it's everywhere. You know, short form video is kind of the way we're now more and more consuming um content on a daily basis. So I think that will naturally sort of fall into the the marketing plan, the marketing campaigns. It's it's crazy like just how much that you know, ta like, for example, on YouTube, 200 billion daily views a day.
SPEAKER_03That's wild, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00You know, um TikTok is there's an average of 35 hours a month a user spends on TikTok. And that's just Amy.
SPEAKER_01Obsessed. So it's super competitive. And I know later in this episode we're going to talk about well, how do we make people stop? So I'm excited to hear your views on that.
SPEAKER_05What do you think makes video different from other types of content then?
SPEAKER_04So I think like it's the only format when you get a voice, expression, and movement. Okay. Um so and it tells a story. Um it feels more like a real interaction as well, um, which is it tends to connect better than like a static post would.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that point about static posts is so true because a lot of the work we do, and Ron's a lot of the work that you do when you're writing about filming kind of replaces some clients that might just previously have posted a static graphic where it gets all the information across, but is it stopping people? Which I guess leads on to the next part of this podcast. How do we stop the scroll? So, what actually makes someone stop scrolling when they see a video?
SPEAKER_00I think it starts with a very strong hook, as in as if with all marketing assets, you know, you need you need something compelling on there. But I think with video in particular, you know, the first few seconds count. They're critical. So I think you need to ensure that you're up front with the message that you want to communicate, that you are, you know, being clear, um, that you're not overcomplicating it, that everything in terms of the sequence, the the music, gra the graphical elements, or the the way people are speaking, it's clear, it's not overwhelming, that kind of thing.
SPEAKER_05Let's go back to that hook you were speaking about. It's obviously really important um for video content. What's some examples of that?
SPEAKER_00I would say, you know, the the challenge or engaging with people in a way that they can resonate. So, you know, whether that's a shared challenge, a shared opportunity, you know. I think and you know, we spoke about this briefly in our um uh content strategy piece, but I think it's it's just knowing who your audience is, knowing who you're talking to, and then being able to shape that first upfront message that they'll see to really sort of talk to them clearly.
SPEAKER_01When you're aware of this and you get into the pro the process of following that video structure of let's start with a hook, let's get into the messaging really quick and let's end on a really clear call to action. If you follow that process, you're more aware of it. It's really interesting. We did uh a because we do presentation training here at Murns and Gill, and we had um a group in that are they journalists, they're really good at what they do, but they're doing more and more pieces to camera. And at the very start, we did a well, let's look at your video content now versus how it looks at the end. And a lot of people suddenly get to the first couple of seconds and they haven't really said anything, or maybe they've just said their name. Whereas, you know, if you start with a question, have you ever wondered why this happens? Or anything that's relatable. I guess if you get yourself into a mindset of what would make me stop and watch a video.
SPEAKER_00And I think as well, when you apply that structured approach, you'll find that video content is all of a sudden a lot shorter, which it should be. I think sometimes people tend to ramble on, they don't really know what what they're saying, what the kind of point of the video is, finding sort of the objectives of the video. So that's that's the other thing I would say is, you know, I think in social media, in particular, social media marketing, video it's all it's short form video we're talking to. You know, it's you know, there's a there's a trend where you know um 30-second videos have 200% higher completion rates. So um yeah, I think short the shorter your video the better, particularly for for marketing purposes.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Ross Powell Ryan loves the stat, doesn't he?
SPEAKER_05I know it's like you've m remembered them off.
SPEAKER_01So this one to Veronica, you might have thoughts on this. What role does messaging and captions play in these short form videos?
SPEAKER_04I think it plays a massive role, especially because so many people watch videos on mute. Um so captions make content like very accessible and they reinforce the message. And if someone's half listening, the text keeps them in.
SPEAKER_01Especially if you're maybe, you know, doing a little bit of sneaky workplace scrolling with the volume off.
SPEAKER_05Or just like on public transport or anything like that.
SPEAKER_01You don't want to be Yeah, not just in the workplace. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, we're working at work, we're not doing anything else. Um so yeah, so how important is then a clear call to action?
SPEAKER_04So I think it's really important, but it needs to feel natural. Um so if the whole video has been genuine and then you suddenly go hard selling um just people feel it, then the call to action should feel like a logical next step. Yeah, not a gear change.
SPEAKER_00Totally. And I I think like the you know, we're talking before about you know having an idea of the structure of the video, the objectives and the the things you want to clearly communicate, they should almost all be formed by that ultimate call to action. So as Ron says, it it feels natural. It feels like you're not all of a sudden just you know throwing a marketing statement at them, you're actually just nurturing them into that sort of final um next step.
SPEAKER_01Aaron Ross Powell And it's kind of what we do on podcasts as well, or the advice we might give to clients is you know, no one likes being sold to, but you can subtly say, you know, if you want to keep this conversation going, reach out and we'll have a chat. Or, you know, hit me up for more information. Don't know if anyone says hit me up. I don't I don't think you should.
SPEAKER_00I'm so unclear. I'd like to know like the video content leading up to hit me up.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, exactly. So in terms of the content itself, does the video have to be really polished and to perform well, or is it more just like realistic like kind of content that you want to be pushing out?
SPEAKER_00Social media marketing and video in particular, it there's been a huge rise in lo-fi content. And when I say lo-fi content, I mean there's a few ways to to name it. You know, it could be user-generated content, but we kind of we call it lo-fi content, which basically means it's it's intentionally meant to look unpolished, you know, and and it's not obviously there are things that need to be in place, you know, it needs to be clear in terms of the sound and the quality, but yeah, it doesn't have to be perfectly edited, it doesn't need to have that sort of glossy feel. And and as I said, I think that more and more companies are now intentionally making sure their video looks uh you know, generate you know, homemade almost, because as you said, there's that level of authenticity and people can connect with it more easily. And I think that's why TikTok is leading right now, because you know, we've all seen those cringe marketing videos of of you know influencers trying to sell a product on TikTok. But they weirdly, a lot of them weirdly work. Yeah. And it's because it's just someone in their house that has a camera and they're using the product or or wh whatever it is they're promoting, and it it works.
SPEAKER_01Can we take a look at your TikTok shop history, order history?
unknownI have to I had to delete it.
SPEAKER_00It's dangerous, isn't it? But it's because but it's because you see people using it. I could and because the way they make the video, you're like, ah, that's that looks like me in my bedroom.
SPEAKER_05I'm in front of that mirror.
SPEAKER_01So going back to this piece about polished content, so maybe very well produced compared to, you know, quite quick. I guess the point of social media is that we can be quite reactive, so we can push content out quite quickly. Whereas you have that top-tier level of production that we might film for some clients, which is studio-based, whereas we can go out and film. You can f as Kevin has said on the podcast previously, you can film really good content just by the device that's in your own pocket. Is there a balance, I wonder, between authentic and still looking professional?
SPEAKER_00Is there a line there, do you think? I think there is. I think that a brand piece needs to have that, you know, that kind of content that talks to the legitimacy of the brand, the authority of the brand. But with that said, you know, audience now are are becoming increasingly immune to brand narratives. You know, it's it's really easily t easy to tell now when when you know a piece of content, you know, like a video is talking from a brand perspective versus a person's perspective.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And a person's perspective will almost always be more captivating. So I think that yes, from the sort of brand sort of integrity point of view, there you know, there could be sprinkle content there, but you know, if you've got a video, a solid video content strategy, you want to also get your people out there, get your, you know, get get voices out there that aren't just a logo music, a voiceover. Yeah. We are powering, you know. Okay. So authenticity important. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05So do you think like overly polished content can actually put people off then? I think so, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Especially on platforms like TikTok or Instagram reels where the c culture is quite raw. Um so if something looks too produced, it can feel like an ad and people just scroll past it. So there's almost a trust gap with overly polished content now.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01And just on the flip side of that, is there a risk, do you think, Veronica, of going too far the other way?
SPEAKER_04I think so, yeah, definitely. Devaluing your brand, maybe. Yes, something that looks quite, you know, dimly lit and maybe doesn't really make sense in content-wise, so yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_01I think that leads us nicely on to filming your own content because obviously we are we're content creators, we're creatives, we do a lot of this for our clients. But sometimes we'll work with clients that want to film their own, and we can give good guidance on that. For businesses creating their own content, where should they start? Any thoughts on that? Veronica?
SPEAKER_04I think I think just just start. Um so pick one format, whether that's a behind-the-scenes clip or a simple product shot or anything that you want, and just get comfortable with filming before you worry about anything else. I think just start. Just play around, have a bit of fun.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, storytelling as well. You know, I mean I think that it's one thing to get in front of a camera, but you know, knowing what you're saying is, you know, don't worry about the filming equipment, don't worry about I mean, worry about lighting, of course. But but the most important thing is how you you communicate what you want to communicate. And there's there's ways to do that. There's different frameworks, whether that's like hook value, payoff, or challenge, consequence, and um solution. Um you could do like a listicle, so you could talk to you know the top three products in this space. Yeah, you know, whatever that is. But you know, knowing what you you're gonna say, I think is is what is a is a is something I think a lot of people miss in that and when they do start uh producing content.
SPEAKER_01Have you ever done a come get ready with me video? Come get ready with me is a day is a content creator.
SPEAKER_00I've not done that. Have you done that, Rollins?
SPEAKER_04No. I think you should.
SPEAKER_00I actually would like to see Pete do one.
SPEAKER_01Probably done one.
SPEAKER_05What are some simple tips for framing shots properly then?
SPEAKER_04So some of the tips I would say is try and film at eye level rather than looking down into the camera. That's definitely one. Notice. Um keep your subject in the center or use the rule of thirds. Oh yeah. Um and always check what's in the background before you press record.
SPEAKER_01Ah yeah. Okay, you don't want to get caught out with a rogue logo or something. Or bomb or something. Something. Especially if you're out in the street filming as well. What about the most common mistakes people might make when they're filming?
SPEAKER_04So I think filming vertically for a platform that needs vertical content, but then not filming the frame. Oh, yeah. Um, lots of dead space.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Oh, right. Fill that frame.
SPEAKER_04Yes. Okay. And and not check an audio before they start, which is a really easy thing to do.
SPEAKER_01And I've seen you do that in action. Ryan, Veronica, I've seen both of you. Can you just tap your mic? Make sure that the mic is working. Because you'll get a great take and then there's no audio.
SPEAKER_00That would be true. I think that poor audio is it that's the thing that would just kill a video in entirety. Yeah. You could almost like you know, scramble something together if like the lighting isn't quite right, or you know, if the shot's a bit too wide, you can maybe pull it in. I mean, it's certainly not ideal, but but if your audio is um bad, then you could consider it scrapped.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I know that we can sometimes try and recover these things. You know, we spoke about text on screen already, captions, but still audio. It's a very important part of it, yeah.
SPEAKER_05So what should people avoid straight away?
SPEAKER_00Well, you know, when we talked to the we were talking before about the brand piece, I think that there's so many times I'm scrolling on LinkedIn or now Instagram, and you see brands come up and they've got this their logo there and and this long intro sequence, and you're like, what is this? This isn't a TV show, yeah. Um and the thing is on social media the logo's already there by the the the the page that's posted it. So you don't need that, and I think that that is crucial time being wasted on, you know, because as we said before, the first few seconds are are yeah pivotal. So if that's being wasted on just a generic logo or a generic company message, you know, you're you're going to lessen your chances of people actually stopping and and and engaging with the video, paying attention.
SPEAKER_01Hence the need for that hook we spoke about totally. Right, let's get into some of the kit and some of the setup that you guys might use. Do you need expects of equipment to create good video content, do we think?
SPEAKER_04No, I don't think so. An iPhone is genuinely capable of creating great content. Um the difference between a phone video and a professional camera is a lot smaller than people think when everything else is right.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00I think strategy and execution matter way more than equipment.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, because I feel like the iPhones are getting like phones are getting so much better these days, aren't they?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_05So what's the basic kit you'd recommend for getting started then?
SPEAKER_04I think your phone, a well-lit room, and a small tripod or phone stand. So you're not holding it. That's honestly enough to get started.
SPEAKER_01What's that other thing that you use, that cool little handheld thing that you almost walk around with Ronce? What's that called? A gimbal. No, the little camera.
SPEAKER_04Oh, Osmo. Cosmo Pocket C, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's they are not cheap.
SPEAKER_04They're not cheap.
SPEAKER_01So I would say this is a basic kit. Right, not cheap, but great. If you can get that, great.
SPEAKER_00If not, an iPhone can still do. You also get like mics and stuff that attach directly to the iPhone. So I mean lots of um sort of accessories you can get for your iPhone to enhance that video making piece.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Level it up a little bit. So what do you think makes the biggest difference? Camera, lighting, or audio? I think what did you just say there, Amy? Camera, lights, action.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_04I think you've mentioned this, but definitely audio without a doubt. Uh people will forgive slightly grainy footage, but they will click off immediately if they can't hear you properly. Okay.
SPEAKER_00Some interesting points. Bad background noise, it actually will make me stop watching a video.
SPEAKER_05Or even if they've got music over their voice and the music's too loud like that really grates on me. I'm like, stop it. I can try to hear what you're saying. Um so let's chat about how we make videos work then. So, how should businesses think about video within their wider strategy?
SPEAKER_00Video should always support marketing goals now when it comes to any campaign, particularly digital campaigns. I think there's sort of a misconception that, you know, when it comes to the strategy piece, you know, behind a marketing campaign or you know, whatever the activity is, that video is is something that will propel awareness, potentially engagement, and and that's that. But you know, it it can do a lot more. It's quite a powerful tool, and it just depends on how you use video content. I mean, if we're talking organic social, then yeah, that's most likely the case. But you know, we we've started running a lot of paid ads with video content because the same principles apply. So people stop, they see it. And that in itself is is awareness and and engagement. But what we find is we can actually tailor the video content to drive click-through a lot better than you could a static ad. There's there's more and also just getting people's attention in the first place, you know, because it's moving, it's interesting. What is this? And then we can actually encourage click-through, as I said, whether that's through sort of animation or you know, subtle, subtle animation. Again, there's there's easy tools to use online to enhance that, you know, mechanism, whether it's Canva or Cap Cut. But yeah, I I I think that video can ha influence sort of all areas of of the marketing funnel.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01And I guess the reason we're posting video or you're posting video is for results, right? How do you know if your video content is actually having an effect? How do you know if it's working?
SPEAKER_04If you look beyond the views, watch times and saves are the ones that I pay most attention to.
SPEAKER_01Watch times and saves.
SPEAKER_04Yes.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_04Um so if people are watching it all the way through or saving it to come back to, that tells you it's actually working.
SPEAKER_00Right. Okay. Ryan, have you got any thoughts on this? Yeah, as as Ron said, you know, you saves are a really valuable way to measure the success of video content, any content actually, because it shows that people are are that much engaged that they they want to save it and watch it later, which is highly engaged, which is good. You know, and uh you know, as again, as Ron said, watch time is important, engagement rate. As I mentioned before, you know, looking at the click-throughs of video that can tell you a lot. Did your message land? Are people watching it all the way through? I think there is um a few you know, they vary from channel to channel, but there there are metrics that actually show you, you know, how mu you know how much of a percentage of video peop of the video people are watching in its entirety. So that that can be a strong indicator of whether or not the the content is resonating. Is there a benchmark? What's the average watch time? Is there a good is there a are we a couple of seconds? Roughly around eight seconds is is is I mean it totally varies from channel to channel in terms of benchmarks. But I think if you're getting around eight seconds of of people watching your video, that's deemed as as good. Um you know, very the very, very top performing reels you're looking at 15 to 20 seconds, which is ideal. Um and I guess I think that also justifies why short form content should be prioritized. People don't have time to sit and watch, you know, two, three minute video. They need to, you know, they need to go into the next thing. But if you can get everything you need to say to them and capture attention, get that hook in there, get that call to action in there within 20, 20 seconds, you're more than likely to get the reaction from them that you're looking for. Um with paid ads as well, I think where video is really valuable for us is we we use videos not only to, as I mentioned before, you know, grab attention in a sort of more enhanced way, but it's also we can measure how many people you know how much seconds people are watching of said video. And if that goes over a certain amount of time, so say there's a 20-second video and people have seen the ad and watched 11 seconds of that video, we can then retarget those people based on the the watch time.
SPEAKER_05Interesting. Okay, um so what should people be testing or improving over time then?
SPEAKER_04Cooks are the best place to start testing because they have the biggest impact on whether people watch at all. So try different opening lines, different styles, an opening shot and see what keeps people watching for longer. Okay.
SPEAKER_01Wrong with you know, say you're stuck in that only 200 views point in TikTok. Just deleting it and just chucking it up again with a different hoop? Do people do that? Is that a thing?
SPEAKER_00I think you can certainly repurpose content. So I mean, you know, if if a particular video didn't land um as well as you'd expect that it would, then there's nothing wrong with take I wouldn't I would never um repost the video verbatim because there's obviously something not quite working. Um but you can certainly take elements of the video. Um we've done that for a few clients where they're posting like again, uh they're posting like two, three minute videos, and it's like, what is this? Nobody nobody is going to watch this in its entirety, and it's too difficult from a narrative stance to actually communicate all the things we want to get across over that amount of time. We're really stretching it. So if we if we can take that content that they've worked hard to get and we can condense it and tell a shorter, snappier story in again, like I said, 20 seconds, yeah, we can do that and then repost.
SPEAKER_01Cool.
SPEAKER_00Wonderful.
SPEAKER_01All right then, it is time to move on to Amy's favorite part of the podcast.
SPEAKER_02This is called Foro Four Answer Not Fund. Don't look at me like that, Veronica. I am a robot.
SPEAKER_05I feel like Veronica's very much in the same boat as me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, what do you think of this, Ron? I hate it.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Brilliant. Brilliant.
SPEAKER_05I just don't think I've ever said I hate it before. How does it work, Amy? So, yeah, none of these questions make sense. The answers don't matter. So it's simple.
SPEAKER_01You can say anything. We're gonna go quick fire at this. Amy, why don't you go kick this off?
SPEAKER_05Okay, so if your camera role has a personality, what would it be? I would say mine is chaotic.
SPEAKER_01Chaotic. Right, next one then. If a bad video could apologize, what would it say? I'm too I'm too long. I'm too oh wow. I didn't anyway. No, it's fine. It's fine. Let's move on to the next one.
SPEAKER_05What's the most dramatic thing someone could say before pressing record?
SPEAKER_01Have you ever had this? You guys ever had this? No. Action. I was thinking, could it be something like, I'm not ready?
SPEAKER_04Or like, this is the one.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. And then it's not. Alright. Uh if captions could argue back, what would they complain about? I don't understand your accent. There are some accents out there for sure.
SPEAKER_05Okay, so if just one more take was a person, what would they be like?
SPEAKER_00Someone that's deeply insecure, chasing perfection.
SPEAKER_03Oh god.
SPEAKER_05Like you looked at me in the eyes if you said that.
SPEAKER_01Actually did. He looked right through you.
SPEAKER_02Guys, thank you very much for taking part in our 404 and 75 part of the podcast.
SPEAKER_05Oh, that went a bit weird.
SPEAKER_01Right then, let's do a bit of a recap. If listeners remember one thing about social video from this episode, what do you think that should be? Short form is the way forward. Okay.
SPEAKER_04And that you don't need to be a production company to make content that works.
SPEAKER_01That's two things, but they're very good points.
SPEAKER_05Very good. So the first few seconds matter the most. Your hook, message, and call to action all play a role. It doesn't need to be perfect, but it does need to be clear. And good basics, i.e., framing, lighting, audio, go a long way.
SPEAKER_01Do we agree with all of that? Absolutely.
SPEAKER_05Yes. Yeah, I was listening.
SPEAKER_01Well done, Amy, for listening. Right then, that is just about a wrap on this episode. Veronica, Ryan, thank you so much for joining us.
SPEAKER_05Yep, and as always, if you'd like to know more about anything we've discussed or need help with your video content, drop us a line.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you can find us on Instagram at MernsGill, and you can also find Murns and Gill on Facebook, LinkedIn, or online.
SPEAKER_05You can also message us directly from your podcast platform. We'd love to hear from you.
SPEAKER_01So now we know how to stop the scroll with video. Where does AI come into things? We're gonna get into that next time. We'll catch you then.
SPEAKER_03Bye bye.
