FLASH QI

Quebec International distributes a weekly digital newsletter to over 7,700 subscribers. Along with a calendar of upcoming events, it features economic updates, press releases, highlights of local initiatives, etc. In January 2025, we launched our TikTok account with the goal of expanding our reach. We saw an opportunity to create a video version of the newsletter to engage a broader audience, not just business professionals.

The objective: deliver quick updates to our TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook (stories only) followers, in less than a minute. We wanted to highlight the dynamic business environment of the Québec region and give our newsletter content a second life.

Each week, we receive plenty of positive feedback and congratulations from partners, businesses, media outlets, and more. Employees also watch and engage with the videos. They stay up to date on what’s happening in the region and on their colleagues’ projects, even if they don’t always take the time to read the newsletter.

From January to June, we got a total of around 40,000 views, 764 reactions and we reached over 11,400 people. While each Flash QI ends with a call-to-action to subscribe to our newsletter (and the post includes one too), our main goal isn’t to turn followers into subscribers. That said, we’re proud to share that in just six months, the videos helped to grow our subscriber base from 7,552 to 7,712—a 2.12% increase. Can we add that our mayor’s started to do short videos to resume its week a few months after we launched ours?

Since it’s challenging to attract new newsletter subscribers, Flash QI has become an effective way to reach new audiences (recruiters, HR professionals, CEOs,  entrepreneurs, etc.) we hope to collaborate with.

One challenge we encountered was TikTok itself: a complex platform that requires significant effort to generate views. That’s why we partnered with an agency specializing in TikTok strategy. One of their key recommendations was to split each edition into 3 or 4 shorter videos (except on LinkedIn), to boost visibility and help the algorithm better target the right audience. We also started each video with a strong punch line.

The project was originally meant for our Instagram and TikTok account. However, after discussing with other employees, we decided to share it on QI LinkedIn page as well to benefit from the fanbase we have built over the years.

Another ongoing challenge is the workload involved each week. Writing scripts (often before the newsletter is finalized), prepping, filming, editing and publishing can be time consuming. We add background visuals (photos or videos) to keep things engaging, but some topics are hard to illustrate, or colleagues forget to send content. That means we constantly must get creative!

Each video is dynamic: images and videos are added in the background, subtitles allow viewers to watch it on mute, the tone is light, and funny stuffs are often added at the end of the videos. It’s short and sweet (less than a minute) and adapted for social media (portrait format).

All filming and editing are done in-house, so the project runs with no added costs. The setup is simple: a camera, a microphone, a white wall, and some lighting. The videos are available only in French, just like all our social media content.

This project focuses on efficient and scalable communication practices. We transform existing content and optimize it, extending its reach and giving more exposure to our activities.

This approach maximizes the value of previously created materials, which reflects a mindful use of internal capacity. It also enables us to reach a broader, more diverse audience, including younger demographics and those who may not typically engage with newsletters, thereby promoting equity in access to organizational updates.

Flash QI is a project that can be sustained over time. It could also be sold to future partners willing to pay to be featured in a video.