4 myths about video content—debunked

Moving pictures can be dangerous, like the video of me from 1988; I was clad in acid-washed jeans with a shock of hair that resembled a dump truck in full tilt.

The same thing applies to a new generation of video.

When it comes to branded video content—even content that supplements an online story or your slick, new app—if you have the wrong mission or focus, things can go south faster than a bender in Tijuana.

This year I’ve provided video content for a TV network, and I’ve learned a lot. My network is an in-airport network that broadcasts to nearly 4 million passengers a month at Washington D.C.’s Dulles International and Reagan National airports. We have 50-inch, flat-screen monitors everywhere, except the bathrooms. (That’s another goal for another day.)

Our screens roll 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our “program” is a 20-minute loop that changes weekly.

What have I learned? That I was wrong about almost everything. Here are the myths I debunked:

Myth No. 1: No one pays attention to video, except for the “S#%* people say” meme on YouTube.

Don’t bet on it. Video content is everywhere, and can fine-tune or define your message and brand.