How can you make better decisions to produce video content that performs? Francis Jette, a consultant in digital content strategy and social media, offers practical answers through two new training courses. Interview on current trends and the levers to activate.
Video is generally at the heart of organizations’ digital strategies. Yet many still struggle to adapt to platform codes to engage their audience. What does that inspire in you?
Francis Jette: Personally, I’ve been telling my clients to think “video first” since 2018! The place of video in content strategies is therefore not new, even if I recognize that some organizations need time to adapt and get up to speed with the new platform norms, which push video more than ever.
On Facebook, users now spend more time on the video feed than on their main news feed.
The other reality to mention here is zero-click marketing. Previously, you wrote a blog post and then shared a link on social media to redirect people to your website. Today, audiences want to consume content directly in their feed. So corporate announcements are over; instead, you have to start thinking about turning your messages into vertical video content that matches users’ expectations.
It’s not just making video for the sake of making video. It’s thinking about the different codes so that your content is seen by as many people as possible.
With a premium now placed on vertical formats, which have gradually taken over.
Francis Jette: Indeed, it has become the default format for at least two years now on Facebook, for example. TikTok exploded thanks to this format starting in 2020, and it then began to become dominant across all platforms.
Except that, once again, there is the reality of the algorithms and that of organizations. This transition is still underway. But the message is clear: you have to think “vertical first.”
Do you see any current best practices for making videos that have impact?
Francis Jette: First, we can mention AI, which has an impact on how brands are perceived online. It is even more important today to build an authentic bond of trust by putting forward human ambassadors who reflect the organization’s values. This high added value immediately stands out from AI-generated content or content built with stock photos.
Also, with the arrival of TikTok, we saw an explosion of video trends. It used to be good practice to draw inspiration from these trends and copy them to integrate them into your strategy. However, that works less well now: many brands try to follow trends that are running out of steam faster and faster.
Today, you need to base your strategy on strong concepts rather than necessarily following temporary trends at all costs. That means putting more and more emphasis on scripting the video, making sure the same people are always in front of the camera so there is a recurring face, creating a simple shooting format that can be reproduced over time… These are all questions I address in my training courses, and they help increase the impact and watch time of your videos.
Speaking of which, let’s talk about length. It feels like slightly longer formats are gaining popularity.
Francis Jette: Indeed, all platforms, whether TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram with Reels, have gradually raised their video length limits. We’ve gone from about fifteen seconds to 3 minutes today. On YouTube, the average video length has risen by 50% since 2020.
The real question, however, is finding the right length for your creative concept and the message you have to deliver. Before thinking about length, you have to think about the value for your audience. Today we see some very good micro-documentaries of a few minutes that stand out from AI slop.
What I often tell my clients: you are no longer a brand, you have become a media outlet. Concretely, that means knowing how to feed a content calendar by finding formats that make the brand unique for its audience.
The goal is not just virality, but maximizing visibility. You are not looking for viral content with millions of views, but a good recurring level of performance with content that showcases the brand’s uniqueness. That is the challenge for managers.
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