Good Video Content gets Better with Age

There’s a misconception that if you make a video, it has a specific lifespan. Once your video is 6 (or any made up number) months old, then it becomes stale and no one will watch it. 

That’s bullshit. 

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Good video content, like wine, films, books, video games, etc. will only get better with age. Now, I’m not much of a wine conseur, but I will happily play The Legend of Zelda, Ocarina of Time, released in 1998, over and over again. Here’s a more objective example- the book, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie that was published in 1936. This self help genre book is still a leading piece of literature used in college programs today. If you haven’t read it before, I’d highly recommend it!

So what about video content? How do you make a video that stands the test of time? 

The answer is both simple and complex. 

The simple answer is- just keep making videos. Consistency is key. Just like every wine, film, book, or game, the best rise to the top, while the other 99% are long forgotten. As time goes on, you’ll know when you made a memorable video. When people keep referencing it years down the road, then you know it’s working.

**As a side note, just because a piece of video content doesn’t rise to the top, doesn’t mean it didn’t serve a purpose at the time of its release… Look at the tons of entertaining IG reels that no one will ever remember. Fun in the moment! But I’ll never have the urge to rewatch them.

Now the complex part… 

Complex is probably the wrong word to use here. The more accurate term would be, intention. Because when you make the decision to produce each and every piece of video content with a specific intention, then you start building up a library that has memorable value to your customers. And no, your intention can’t be “I want your money” when making your videos. 

Your intention has to be benevolent towards your customers and audience. Your videos have to provide real value that they care about. It can be as simple as answering frequently asked questions (I dive deeper into FAQ videos on an interview with media trainer, Paula Rizzo), or creating transparency with behind-the-scenes videos that show people how you make your product. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to be authentic and intentional.

Take note that making this type of video content is not supposed to be salesy! Don’t incorporate promo deals or limited time offers. These videos are meant to strengthen the brand of your company, not get you short term sales. People can smell bullshit from a mile away, so don’t try anything sneaky. 

**Another side note- sales videos are also great to have! They won’t stand the test of time, but they’ll get you some fast cash!

So the great thing about memorable video content is that it doesn’t just have to be re-watched… It can be reused! Marketing company CEO, Gary Vaynerchuk, does this best in my opinion. He has over 10 years worth of video content of him and his company. Most of it has been forgotten, but the video nuggets that stuck out to people, get culled and repurposed into “newly released” mashup videos.

What better way to create branding than taking what people already like about you, mashing it all together, and repurposing it so that it’s more accessible, for even more people to enjoy. Gary’s video content strategy is super long term, and he’s allocated the resources to make that possible. But even if you don’t run a $200M/yr company like he does, you’re still in the game. Every business needs some level of professional video content, but every business can also supplement their video content strategy with their iPhone (or Android if you’re into that kinda thing). 

The whole point is to just keep making videos, intentionally. Be mindful of what your customers want, and do your best to deliver. There will be videos that only get watched once. But the ones that really hit home, make it all worthwhile.