Profile Craft
Part of Professional video and document posts
Matching the format to the information rather than a trend
Assess a proposed text, video or document post by the information it adds for readers, its accessibility and its upkeep.
When someone proposes video or slides because the format is popular, ask what the reader gains from it. Keep the proposal if it reveals an action, comparison or sequence that the shorter form cannot convey as well. Otherwise, publish the simpler answer.
Test the request behind the trend
Write the reader’s question and the shortest accurate answer without naming a format. Identify the part that remains difficult to understand. Is the reader missing a demonstration, a set of conditions to compare or a reference to return to? A request for “more video” does not answer that question.
Imagine an operations team explaining who approves an exception. If the answer is one rule with one qualification, text may be enough. If a specialist must show how to recognise the exception, video may help.
If readers need to follow several approval stages while working, a document may be useful. These are different information needs, not predictions about reach.
Ask what the extra production buys
A proposed asset should add a specific capability:
| Proposed format | What it should add | Reason to reconsider |
|---|---|---|
| Text | A complete, easy-to-find point | Essential stages or visuals cannot be explained clearly. |
| Video | A demonstration or spoken judgement | It merely records someone reading a paragraph. |
| Document | A sequence or reference worth revisiting | Its pages separate ideas that belong together. |
This is an editorial test, not a ranking of formats. A useful format lets the reader do something with the information that the alternative would make harder.
Account for access and upkeep
The asset adds work for both publisher and reader. Video with spoken information needs accurate captions. Important visual actions also need to be described in audio or an accessible alternative. A document needs legible pages and a file whose order and meaning can be followed beyond the feed preview.
Upkeep can change the decision. A process whose steps change often may be better placed in a maintained destination, with a post that explains the current question and directs readers there.
Consider whether the team can check and maintain what the format makes public. If a sentence can be verified but an elaborate attachment would quickly become stale, keep the contribution simple.
Record the reason for the choice
Complete this sentence in the brief: “We are using this format because the reader needs to…” The ending should name a task such as seeing a movement, comparing stages or retaining a reference. If it names only popularity, reconsider the asset. After publication, use specific questions and corrections to improve the explanation; one post’s activity cannot show that its format caused the response.
