Video Strategy
Part of Video content strategy for business websites and owned channels
Choosing a video format for a specific customer question
Match a customer question to a demonstration, screen recording, interview or written answer, then check what the audience needs to see and read.
Choose a format by asking what the customer must see or hear to get an accurate answer. A physical demonstration shows an action; a screen recording shows an interface step; an interview conveys a person's experience. If showing or hearing the answer adds little, use clear text.
Narrow the question
“Tell people about our product” is too broad to guide a format choice. “How does the latch close with one hand?” identifies an action to show.
Write the question in the customer's words, then list the starting state, action, result, relevant conditions and next step. Decide which details must remain in text alongside any video.
Choose the format for the evidence it can provide. An interview can describe someone's experience, but cannot establish that every customer will have the same result. A screen recording can show a software task, but may not answer a contractual question about what a service includes.
| Customer question | Format to consider | What must remain clear |
|---|---|---|
| “What happens when I operate it?” | Focused physical demonstration | Starting state, action and result |
| “Where do I change this setting?” | Screen recording | Readable control names and resulting state |
| “What was it like to work with you?” | Customer interview, with their agreement | Whose experience it is and what it cannot establish |
| “What is included?” | Written list, perhaps with a short explanation | Exact inclusions and conditions |
The table is a selection aid, not a ranking of format performance.
Matching a customer question to a format
- “What happens when I operate it?”Focused physical demonstration — keep the starting state, the action and the result clear.
- “Where do I change this setting?”Screen recording — keep control names readable and show the resulting state.
- “What was it like to work with you?”Customer interview, with their agreement — state whose experience it is and what it cannot establish.
- “What is included?”Written list, perhaps with a short explanation — state the exact inclusions and conditions.
Check the proposed answer
Describe the answer in one sentence. Sketch the moments a viewer would need to see: what appears first, what changes and what confirms the result.
If a label will be too small to read, plan a closer view or provide the step in text. If the proposed video merely reads a list already on the page, reconsider its purpose.
Ask someone unfamiliar with the product whether the outline appears to answer the question. That is a useful proposed check, not evidence that customers have tested the format.
Checking a proposed answer before you produce it
- Describe the answer in one sentence
- Sketch the moments a viewer must seewhat appears first, what changes, and what confirms the result
- If a label will be too small to read, plan a closer view or give the step in text
- Ask someone unfamiliar with the product whether the outline appears to answer the question
Plan access with the format
For a demonstration, convey essential actions and results for people who cannot see those actions and results adequately. Provide accurate captions for relevant audio and a text alternative covering the essential information. Keep exact conditions on the page where people can check them.
Record the decision in five parts: the question, format, evidence to show, text to retain and page where the answer belongs.
Record the format decision in five parts
- The question
- The format
- The evidence to show
- The text to retain alongside the video
- The page where the answer belongs
