Video marketing is a good investment. Not only is it a fairly inexpensive way to connect with customers, it’s online forever. Now that’s stretching a buck!
But if you’re turning out crappy videos, knowing they’re out there forever doesn’t sound so attractive, now does it? So, don’t turn out crappy videos. Here’s how:
HAVE A PLAN
Don’t just get in front of the camera and start yacking. No one wants to watch that in real live much less online. Before starting work on your video, have a road map of how your video will go.
OPENER: Did you know that most videos are closed within 5 seconds? That means you shouldn’t waste that first 5 seconds on a boring logo or title page. Instead, capture the audience’s attention right out the gate so they’ll stay with you long enough to hear your message.
THE GUTS OF IT: This is where you throw in the branding stuff. Splash your logo and contact information and whatever else you want them to know, and add in your video’s real content (whatever you’ve chosen that to be).
CALL TO ACTION: Outside the first 5 seconds, this might be the most important part of your video. You did all that work to get them to watch the video, here’s where the payoff comes. Be sure to tell the viewer what you want them to do, whether it is find you on Facebook or buy something.
KEEP IT SHORT
How long should my video be? The blogosphere tells you, “The golden rule is that it should never be longer than necessary, nor so short that it doesn’t communicate effectively.”
Well, that’s clear as mud.
The real truth is there’s no easy answer to the question of video length. Honestly, it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish in the video. Unless there’s very good reason not to, however, videos should be kept in the 2-minute range. Even though the attention span for online video advertising is much longer than TV’s 30-second sports, studies have shown that user engagement falls off the longer the video continues. One study reports that 50 percent more people will complete a 1-minute video than a 2-minute video.
MAKE A SERIES: If that last paragraph made you cringe because you’re working on a 5-minute video about your awesome products and services, a series of videos is in order for you.
MAKE IT WORTH THEIR TIME
I preach a lot about quality content. Why? Because it’s important! So I’m about to preach on it again! If your video is boring, no one is going to watch it. Not even your mother. The web is full of marketing clutter. You’re better than that. Instead, think about what your customer would be interested in and head that direction.
Sometimes quality content is hard to dream up. Here’s some ideas to get you started:
Education: Inform about your product or services.
Answer questions: What questions do your customers most often ask you?
Do product reviews: Doesn’t have to be a product you sell. It could be anything your customer would find useful.
Mythbusting: Every industry battles certain myths. Debunk the ones floating around about your industry.
Tell a story: It can be about how your business went above and beyond to meet a customer’s needs or why you started the business.
A FINAL THOUGHT
The key to making a good marketing video is to make a video that doesn’t look like marketing at all. Give the viewer something good to watch and it sells itself.
Thanks for reading,
