High-quality video content is the future of Scrabble

There's an old adage that's tossed around all the time in the digital marketing world. It goes: "If it moves, it will move." What it means is, when you're creating content in an effort to get people to like a brand - of anything - the most effective form of content is almost always something animated, like video. People like to watch things, and they're infinitely more likely to get attached to a new product or idea if they've come across a compelling video that persuades them. So if you're trying to promote something - be it a concert venue, a pizza place, dry cleaners, whatever - video will inevitably help you do it. And that's more true now than ever. Research shows that the amount of video the average person watches has nearly doubled in just four years, from 10.5 hours a week in 2018 to 19 hours in 2022.

I think about this principle a lot as it relates to Scrabble. There's a lot of talk in our community about "growing the game" and how that's important to us, but it still sometimes seems like we're a bit light on strategies to actually do it. I won't claim to have all the answers here, but today I'll emphasize one: More video content about Scrabble, strewn across various corners of the internet, would most definitely help. Our game should have a more robust presence on YouTube, on Twitch, on social channels that are video-heavy like Instagram and TikTok, and on and on and on. If we want to attract more people to Scrabble - especially members of a younger generation who consume content in entirely new ways compared to their elders, more video is essential.

As for us CoCoites (a word I just made up, but humor me), this is something we're working on. We have a fairly small team of volunteers and a fairly modest budget to work with, so we can't accomplish every single goal that we'd like to overnight, but we're nonetheless proud of what we've gotten done. We have a YouTube channel that currently houses about 125 videos, including coverage of some of our biggest events including Word Cup, Austin Tile X-Words, and some of our early-pandemic virtual tournaments like the World Blitz Scrabble Championship. Most recently, we added a batch of new videos from the 2023 Crescent City Cup in New Orleans. I'm super thankful to everyone who's contributed to all of this content creation - most notably Christian Kay, Andrew Kay, Will Anderson, James Curley, Ben Schoenbrun, Jesse Matthews, Weibin Toh, Jeremy Khoo, and Aditya Iyengar.

As proud as we are of all the video work our team has created so far, we also think it's essential that we double down on it. We need more, more, more. It should be a vital aspect of Scrabble's growth strategy. And here's the thing: Those 19 hours of video content people are consuming every week? They're not just passively watching random stuff. They're seeking out specific videos for specific reasons. They want to learn more about the subject matter they're passionate about, and they want to find content that makes them possible. And for some people out there, that subject matter is Scrabble. We should be doing everything in our power to nurture that.

I think the people mentioned above - the content creators who work so hard on a regular basis to produce quality stuff - are the future of the game. We need them. We also need more of them.

I talked about this subject a couple of years ago with Eric Rosen, who's made a full-time career for himself out of doing this same type of work for the chess world (and also dabbles in playing some quite decent Scrabble on the side!). When I asked Eric about the need for more video in Scrabble, he told me:

”It definitely helps when there's at least a few content creators making consistent content. Then it will continually attract new players, and the game just becomes a lot more accessible. Especially when the stronger players are making content to teach newer players. It's nice when there's not only the entertainment value, but some educational value as well.”

I couldn't agree more - and I think it's crucial that we as a community take this advice to heart in the years ahead. It won't be an overnight thing, because this work takes real time and effort and attention to detail to do right. But it's a real, attainable thing. Let's get after it.

If you're already a big Scrabble video watcher: Cool. Good on you. You're probably aware of our YouTube channel already, but if you're not, definitely take the plunge today and check out our archive of game coverage.

And if you're a possible video creator: Even cooler. I highly encourage you to follow your dreams - it's fun work, it's a cool way to interact with others in the community, and you'll be playing an important part in growing Scrabble.

And if you're interested in working with our CoCo team to create video: That's the absolute coolest. If you're interested in video and you share the CoCo's values - promoting Collins play, embracing technology and innovation, and prioritizing diversity and inclusion - then you should totally work with us. Drop us a line, and we can start that conversation today.