🎥 Social With Sarah Recap: The Future of Video Marketing
If you’ve ever wondered whether video marketing is truly essential in 2025, this episode settled it once and for all — and we had some major fun doing it. With my dad Jeff Crilley stepping out for meetings, we swapped one Crilley for another and brought in Dallas Crilley, Head of Digital Strategy at Real News PR, along with video marketing pro Trevor Houston and former iHeartRadio morning host turned Real News production guru, Josh Hart.
Watch full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bzat6DS0wo
This trio brings brainpower, real-world experience, and a whole lot of laughs. Here’s the full breakdown of what we covered:
🎬 Is Video Marketing Now the Expectation?
Short answer? Yes — and then some.
Dallas Crilley kicked us off by explaining that video is no longer a luxury. It’s a requirement across websites, social media, and brand storytelling. But even more importantly, video is the starting point for all content:
Blog posts
Social clips
Reels/TikToks
Graphics
Photos
Podcasts
If you start with video, you unlock an entire ecosystem of content.
🚗 Trevor’s Origin Story: From Car Videos to Speaking Gigs
Before he became a polished on-camera personality, Trevor Houston started like many creators: recording videos in his car.
Not joking — he literally hit record in the parking lot while talking through ideas out loud. No studio. No script. No fancy equipment.
But those rough early videos did three important things:
Helped him overcome fear of judgment
Built authenticity
Established him as a consistent creator
Within six months, those simple videos led to:
✔️ Speaking invitations
✔️ Guest appearances
✔️ Increased business visibility
And here’s the kicker — the videos were raw, unedited, and very human.
🎙️ Josh Hart on Radio vs. Video: The Evolution
Josh shared one of the most fascinating parts of the episode — his transition from 250,000+ daily radio listeners at iHeartMedia to building video podcasting studios at Real News PR.
A highlight? While vacationing overseas, he got a call saying his station might not exist when he returned. (Yes… seriously.)
His insights included:
Audio quality used to be king
But today, the visual component matters just as much
People trust faces, expressions, and authenticity
And creators don’t need $50K worth of equipment to get started
Josh also confirmed what many new podcasters fear: your first on-camera experience will probably terrify you. But the high afterward keeps you coming back.
🎤 The Great Debate: What Matters More — Audio or Video?
This became the spicy moment of the episode.
Trevor: Audio is more important. Bad audio = viewer drop-off.
Me: Video is more important when you’re live, mobile, or engaging on TikTok.
Josh: You're both right… it just depends on whether the audio or video distracts from the message.
In the end, we all agreed:
👉 Your content must be GOOD enough not to distract people from what you’re saying.
Beyond that? Just start.
📱 Authentic vs. Polished: What Works?
This was one of my favorite segments.
We broke down which industries should lean into raw vs. polished content:
Phone videos work great for:
Real estate agents
Target employees documenting their career journey
Creators
Entrepreneurs
Pastors or motivational speakers
Polished videos are essential for:
Funeral directors
Surgeons
Insurance professionals
City officials
Financial advisors
But the magic formula is: Both.
Authenticity builds trust. Professional production builds authority.
🎥 Video Marketing World: The Ultimate Creator Conference
We wrapped the episode by previewing Video Marketing World, the October conference featuring:
Workshops
Gear help
Creator strategy
TikTok & YouTube insights
Networking with hundreds of video pros
Trevor gave the best description:
“You’re learning from experts who have already made the mistakes… so you don’t have to.”
This is one of the only conferences where beginners, seasoned creators, and business owners can all learn under one roof. And unlike massive events (looking at you, Podcast Movement), this one is big enough to provide value but small enough to make real connections.
🔮 Dallas Crilley’s Take: What’s Next in Video
Dallas left us with powerful insights about the future:
✔️ Short-form video is here to stay
TikTok is now a permanent fixture in the marketing mix.
✔️ Customers expect a video journey
Brands must guide viewers step-by-step through storytelling.
✔️ Every business now has a place for video
The question is no longer if — it’s how.
⭐ Final Thoughts
This episode was such a special one — not only because of the brother-sister energy in the studio, but because it reminded me why I love this industry:
✨ Video builds connection
✨ Consistency builds trust
✨ Authenticity builds relationships
✨ And the right strategy builds BUSINESS
If you’re thinking about launching your own show, upgrading your social presence, or stepping into video for the first time — you’re not behind. You just need to start.
And if you'd like help?
👉 LaunchAShow.com
👉 RealNewsPR.com
👉 RealNewsCN.com
See you on the next episode of Social with Sarah 💛
