With COVID19 restrictions, many conferences and trade shows have moved online. For those of you who are invited to speak as a pre-recorded keynote presentation or at a seminar, this represents a unique opportunity. An opportunity to prepare a seamless talk, combined with other graphical media to keep the audience engaged! But the true value lies in the ability to re purpose this video content. In this blog I talk through how you should go about it.
- Script it, but don’t deliver it scripted. Scripting helps gather all the information, and it will enable you to become familiar with the content. It will enable you to rehearse the content, but don’t over rehearse. When it comes to actually delivering it, if you really feel that you need an aid to keep you on track (like I do), I write down bullet points on a whiteboard and place it to the side of the camera. Although you can’t see it, it just helps me keep on track. If you’re used to using a teleprompter, you can put this material on the teleprompter. But in bullet point format, what we’re trying to achieve here is a genuine, authentic presentation performance, because people will relate to you, as opposed to you reading it, line for line word for word, which frankly, can be quite a turnoff from an audience’s point of view.
- Add cutaways, so do cutaway to overlay footage, or B roll of interesting things that you can represent, perhaps visually, what I’m talking about here, give me some examples. For instance, if you’re talking about a software product that you you use, you can cut away to screen recordings of that software in use. If you’re a manufacturing company, and you’re talking about your process your systems and processes, then take some footage, we call it B roll of those systems and processes and cut them into your presentation. It makes for a far more engaging experience from the audience’s point of view.
- Stand or sit? It’s up to you. And really, I think you’re presenting your business your brand. So I do ask the question, though, of clients. Would you give a physical presentation standing up or sitting down? And usually, the answer is standing up, I find you just get more energy from standing up.
- Branding components. Yes, comply with your branding, it’s a great chance to get your branding out there. I’m talking about the fonts and the colours digitally. But I’m also talking about graphic design. Think about your opening titles, your chapter titles, your name tags, and your call to action at the end of the video. All these need to be designed in accordance with your brand.
- Adhere to the conference organiser’s guidelines, the conference provider will provide specific guidelines as to how long your video should be, don’t go overboard, because they probably weren’t accepted. But also they will more than likely say to you this is not a sales opportunity. It’s not a pitch.
So stick to point. But what I would say is this. - Repurpose. You’ve made all this effort to get here in front of camera. And you know, really that you would like to do a pitch. So why not just do an alternative version, whilst you’re here in front of camera, an alternative version or an alternative intro or ending or call to action, make it your sales video, make it your pitch, and then repurpose that amongst all your platforms and different audiences.
I hope this video helps you get started with producing the most perfect virtual keynote, pre recorded video. Thank you for watching.
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