The communication of EU projects has suffered a 180º change over the last years with the entry of new trends such as the short-format video content. In this article we will explain how the power of video may help you to increase the scope and engagement of your audience in 2024.
A paradigm shift: from text to image
We have the attention level of a mushroom. Well, maybe that’s a bit overkill, but we as a society are losing the capacity to get focus for a long period of time on a single task. Part of this effect is caused by social media and the negative effects associated with the 24/7 multitasking according to the experts [1]. Regardless of the reasons, this phenomenon has an impact on how the communication works, and what are the trends that must be followed in order to generate an effective communication for a project.
Video is king. The data suggest that this media will represent + 80% of all IP traffic this year [2]. In this scenario, there is a great need to incorporate video on every communication action, from social media to the websites of a project. This might be challenging since EU projects relies historically on traditional media such as newsletters and press releases. Let’s get into how to create an eye-catching video for your projects.
The holly 4 of communication
Format, content, audience, and channels. These are the four pillars of every communication, and what must be considered at the time to develop a video for an EU project. Here are some insights to consider:
- Format: If you are going to create a long video, horizontal format might be the best option, while for something quick to be distributed on social media, vertical videos with less than one minute of length would be the right choice. Just make sure to make them Dynamic!
- Content: Your project may be great, but if the way the content is expressed makes it boring, you have lost the fight before starting. Draw a clear storyline and follow it throughout the video. It may be answering a question or explain a statement!
- Audience: Are you talking to a general public or a panel of experts? Make sure that your vocabulary and expressions go in line with what is expected with your public. This will directly depend on the platform that you may use for a video, from a congress to social media.
- Channels: In EU projects this point usually escapes out of your control since it is on many occasions specified of the Grant Agreement. With this in mind, the best strategy usually comes from adapting the content and format, so it will fit better your channel, which will reach a broader audience. Of course, it’s easier to say than to make, but there is no secret ingredient in here.
Need Inspiration? Here are some examples
As we have seen on this article, the video is a great tool for the communication of EU projects. Depending on the platform and use that you would like to give them, format and content must be adapted but as a general rule, videos in vertical format for social media are greatly used among EU projects. But how to talk about this topic in a catchy way that may work?
The best you can do is to find references from different sources and search the parts that makes them work. Innovarum is creating some videos in short format to make EU projects more accessible and easy-to-understand for the general public. Here I leave you some examples, but you can find many more on our social media! YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.