Video Content and Social Media for Unions
The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and the need for adaptation and innovation comes with it. With their rich history of advocating for workers’ rights and welfare, labor unions are no exception to this paradigm shift. Technology has become an integral part of our lives and embracing a digital transformation is paramount for labor unions' continued success and relevance. Engaging with union members where they spend their time has become mandatory for most businesses. The problem isn’t whether we should start but where, what, and how.
This article explores the significance of embracing highly produced union-centric content for digital placement and how labor unions can leverage video production and social media to foster member engagement, amplify their advocacy efforts, and ensure workers thrive for an inclusive future for all members, young and old.
"The human brain processes visuals 60,000 times faster than text. Eye-catching images, short videos, and bold design elements are more likely to capture and retain attention than lengthy paragraphs of text.” - Kelly Shearer, LinkedIn
Enhancing Union Member Engagement Through Video
Engaging with union members is more critical than ever in the age of social media and instant communication. A well-designed and produced social media marketing campaign and digital platform give labor unions powerful tools to connect and communicate effectively with their members. By utilizing video production and social media platforms, unions can encourage active participation, exchange ideas, and address members’ concerns promptly. This technology facilitates personalized communication, allowing labor unions to tailor messages and updates based on individual member preferences.
You can target people right where they are, including geographically, politically, age-wise, and many more variables. From email newsletters with updated, engaging videos to mobile apps with shorts, unions can reach members through channels that suit their preferences, enhancing overall engagement. Unions have stories of member solidarity, news of ratified contracts, or members utilizing benefits that have already been told; in many cases, they need to be reconfigured for a new audience or market.
Digital platforms enable labor unions to create vibrant online communities where members can interact, share experiences, and collaborate on various initiatives. This sense of community fosters a stronger sense of belonging and unity among union members, especially younger members, ultimately strengthening the collective voice of the labor movement.
"In 2022, YouTube earned over $29.2 billion in advertising revenue. Better yet, Facebook earned over $113 Billion in advertising revenue in 2022. We already knew that the day of the newspaper was over—but these numbers put many other mediums to shame. Cable TV, the next largest advertising competitor to social media, is facing struggles as their revenues are dropping down to $22.4 Billion, from $93 Billion in 2000 (Revenue, 2023). This is lower than even YouTube’s advertising revenue.” - Shubham Singh SEO, DemandSage
Expanding Advocacy Reach in Unions
The digital transformation presents labor unions with new opportunities to enhance their advocacy efforts. By utilizing curated social media campaigns, online petitions, brand identity content, and targeted advert placement, unions can raise awareness about pressing issues affecting workers and garner support from a wider audience. This can include policymakers, the general public, and other unions.
Number of social media users by 2029:
The strength of social media lies in its capacity to make information and ideas viral/edible/shareable. When labor unions effectively harness digital platforms, their advocacy messages can quickly reach millions of individuals. Compared to antiquated print or internet article content, this broadened outreach elevates public consciousness around workers’ rights matters and creates pressure on decision-makers to take action while also playing on your member’s constant need to be entertained and informed. Additionally, unions can acquire valuable insights into their members' needs and wants by employing data analytics and digital tools. This data-driven approach allows for more targeted and impactful advocacy efforts that address the specific challenges different worker demographics face. By focusing on particular groups and crafting tailored messages, labor unions can significantly influence their members' most critical issues.
The Future of Unions and Video Marketing
Social media will not go away any time soon. Looking at the projected numbers for the future of social media usage denotes a significant uptick in users nationally. It’s where the eyes are looking, and with an emphasis on the next generation of workers, it's paramount to curate, produce, dream, and incite within this budding market. Currently, social media has been around for just under 13 years. This number illustrates a fresh brand new stage for broadcasting efforts and budgets. Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing Report reveals that 88% of marketers credit video with generating leads, while 78% say it has directly boosted sales.
So, as the world is spending more time watching videos, the copywriting industry is moving more into creating relevant video scripts and narration to accommodate the high demand that has come with this shift. Unfortunately, all this fast-paced content does not come without a social price tag. According to research by Dr. Gloria Mark, in 2004, the average attention span was between 2.5 minutes, which dropped to 75 seconds by 2012, and has since decreased to between 47-8.25 seconds when referring to “internet users” between multiple age ranges in our current market. Needless to say, creating content with an eye-catching hook and an emphasis on brevity is mandatory.
The next leg of the race is making a brilliant call to action and a platform funnel to engage the audience and direct them to the end goal. This is not an ad hoc approach but an interwoven network of collaborative apps, advertisements, and websites, bringing the user to an end goal. Not all content has the same goal; some are meant to inspire or fill the heart. Some want to evoke a dopamine response, others wish to enrage, but the overall goal is to gain eyes and push narratives of your union.
The Opportunity for Unions and Video Production
Americans’ diminishing attention spans are not a limitation but an opportunity to refine marketing and visual storytelling strategies by prioritizing brevity, clarity, and visual stimulation over complexity. In a world where every second counts, "less is more" isn’t just a strategy— it’s the key to capturing the eyes of your members.
Dynasty Video Productions has been collaborating with organized labor for over 40 years, producing high-quality videos to meet the needs of our diverse clients. We have witnessed video production evolve over the decades and study current trends to bring valuable expertise while remaining at the forefront of an ever-expanding field. Whether you're looking for a video to be produced, a production audit of your current strategy, production logistics, campaign management, or a production consultant, we have you covered. We've worked on numerous campaigns for top-tier companies, including Apple, T-Mobile, Red Bull, HBO, Respawn Entertainment, Electronic Arts, and PG&E, to name a few.
If you're interested in learning how we can assist your union, visit our website and drop us a line. We look forward to collaborating with you and bringing your vision to life.
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