News & Tech column: Doing good video for your website with limited resources is possible

EDITOR'S NOTE: In February 2020 I began a new venture writing a blog for "News and Tech" magazine, an magazine devoted to the newspaper industry. The blog appears on the site's homepage. This column originally appeared March 9, 2020.

I am happy to report that something I’m beginning to see and hear on the convention circuit is that newspapers are finally recognizing that video is here to stay, and that while small newsrooms don’t have to be video experts, audiences are expecting the delivery of basic video.It’s simple: The expectation is that video has become a commonplace tool for newsrooms of any size, and our newspapers have to adapt if they already haven’t. Yes, our sites are still loaded with great text content, photos and graphic images, but consumers are telling us that they not only want video content, they in fact crave it. There is a reason that all of the large social media platforms are investing in their video capabilities, and newspapers would be wise to take note.

For instance, views of branded video content increased 99 percent on YouTube and 258 percent on Facebook between the years of 2016 to 2017. And on Twitter, a video Tweet is six times more likely to be retweeted than a tweet with just a photo. Consider also the dramatic surge in digital video content subscriptions universally, and let’s face it the video content craze is here to stay folks.

So, what as newspapers are we to do about it?

Well, the good news is that we know content, and we have long-standing relationships with our audiences. And our newspaper staffs can be as adept as video as we want. There is efficient and effective low-cost hardware available to us, and even lower-cost software that can help transform our newsrooms, if not into video pros, at least into video novices. And that likely is good enough to compete in this fast-paced, video content crazed world.

Given the state of affairs for small newspapers, with staff already overburdened and with tight equipment budgets, I reached out to my longtime friend Shane Mercer, who is the audience engagement manager for Forum Communications Co., which is based in Fargo, N.D. Shane spends the majority of his time helping his company’s newsrooms transform for this digital age, including doing video. Forum Communications has about 30 properties in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and Shane works with them all.

And awhile back, when I was attending a session on video content that he was teaching at a local media seminar, he mentioned a free video software called Adobe Spark that I thought would be handy for newsrooms to know about.

So I asked Shane to provide us with more background, and here is our exchange:

Q.) Tell me a little bit about what Adobe Spark does? A.) Adobe Spark is a simple tool for creating digital media (i.e. digital stuff). I've used it mostly for video, but it can also be used to create graphics and web pages. I'll only be addressing its video creation functionality in these questions. In terms of video, Spark allows you to upload video clips and photos, adding text, spoken narration, and music to build some pretty polished little videos.

Q.) I understand that Adobe Spark can be used for free. Was that the main reason you selected this particular software? A.) I've often had access to Spark through paid Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions I've had. But, regardless, there are numerous reasons to use Spark in addition to the fact that it can be used for free. The ease of use and the attractive presentation are certainly appealing. It can also be pretty quick to use since the templates handle the transitions and many of the design choices are made for you.

Q.) For a user that is looking to get into a low-cost software to help them up their video efforts, how does Spark help them? A.) It's quick and easy to use. The learning curve is pretty modest. My guess is that someone with solid computer skills (not amazing; just solid) could sit down and create a quick video in less than a couple of hours even if they've never used Spark before ... and maybe a lot less than that. It's also a nice tool for turning a series of still pics into a video.

Q.) What are some of the beneficial features of the free version of Spark? A.) It's in the cloud so you can log into your account from anywhere. It can be fast. You can share the videos via link or embed, but you can also download Spark videos to your computer and upload them directly to social media, your website, or whatever. You can also add narration, upload custom graphics, upload your own music, etc. And there are some modest customization capabilities.

Q.) Did you experience any drawbacks to using a free video software? A.) Whether you're paying for Spark or using it for free, there are limited options. That means the system is simple to learn and use. But, of course, it also means you make a sacrifice in terms of flexibility and creativity. Also, some may feel that Spark can come across as a bit "canned" or prepackaged, which, well, it basically is.

One down side of the free version specifically (and I think it's a significant one) is that it adds "Adobe Spark" branding to your video. Some may even see this as a non-starter for them.

But it's possible that you already have "paid" access and don't realize it. At least some paid Adobe Creative Cloud plans (and perhaps all) include Spark, and, in those paid version, you don't have to have that branding. I have the Adobe Photography Plan, which gives me Photoshop and Lightroom for about $10/month, and it appears that I get the "paid" version of Spark included with that. So if you have any level of paid Adobe CC, check to see if you can log in with your Adobe account and access the full version of Spark.

Q.) What advice would you have for small local media who want to increase video content on their website? A.) Expand your idea of what video can be and where you can get it. Polished, professionally-produced video is great, but not everything has to be done that way. For example, Facebook Live can be a great tool for on-the-scene, unpolished video. And the great thing about it is that viewers don't expect FB Live to be polished so you can "get away with it." And that video can be embedded right on your site while it's live and/or after the video has ended. Also, there is a great deal of embeddable video created by other organizations/people on the internet that can enhance stories.

When you do want to go with a more highly produced, edited video approach, go for simple and understated ... at least at first. Simple set-ups, simple font choices, and simple transitions will help you get a tasteful, professional look. Also, recognize that video creation/production can be a pretty (sometimes very) time-intensive process and be prepared for that.

Since you're investing time and resources, look for multiple ways to get value out of your video content. Put it on the website, post it directly to Facebook, email it out, show it in your presentations, etc.

I want to thank Shane for the time he spent thinking through and answering my questions. Like all of us, he’s a busy person these days. But he’s a valuable resource and I thought his insights might help someone else out there. If you have questions for Shane, I’d be happy to pass them along.

Devlyn Brooks is president of Modulist, a media services company specializing in the processing of user-generated paid content submissions for newspapers. Devlyn spent 20 years writing and editing in newsrooms big and small, dailies and weeklies.