The Tech Firms Changing TV Advertising in 2018
People’s desire for video based content is on the rise and video is crucial to the success of any content marketing strategy.
The facts don’t lie and they all point towards the effectiveness of video content; just as we outlined in our previous article.
If you’re still not convinced after reading that, then you are certainly in the minority, as 70% of brands believe video to be the most effective form of content marketing.
Perhaps you have never used video. If so now’s the time to start due to the fact that by 2017 video will account for 69% of consumer traffic.
It may be that you already employ video within your strategy but are not receiving the exposure, enquiries and sales that you should.
If this is the case, then it may be time to examine how you are creating your video based content.
So don’t get left behind, follow these steps to start creating sales boosting video content.
Purpose
Your video content needs a purpose. Once you have decided on the purpose of your video the rest of the pieces of the jigsaw will fall into place around it.
Don’t send out mixed messages, whatever your aim for the video is make sure the message is simple and clear.
So what is your purpose?
Is it to make sales, generate leads, entertain, educate or perhaps build your brand awareness/exposure?
Of course two of these areas may overlap. To make sales your video may have to educate the viewer and entertain them too. But if you understand your target audience and product then you should understand which elements they will value more.
Audience
You can’t appeal to everyone.
Define the target audience for your video. Then you can ensure that your content is specifically tailored to those who will actually have an interest in the video and therefore the product/service.
Perhaps, if you have a new product or service that wouldn’t be of interest to your current clientele then decipher who exactly that service may be of interest to.
An example could be a retailer bringing out a range specifically for older gentlemen, the type of video content that may catch their eye will be significantly different to what will appeal to a younger audience.
Defining the audience will help you work out a number of things, such as: the tone and style of your video and which video type will work best in light of your audience.
Video Type
Your audience may determine the video type you select.
To use somewhat of a cliché, if your product is for children have you considered capturing their imagination with animation?
Still, you may decide that Mothers are the decision makers in the process of buying the child the product and therefore you want to appeal to them with a product demo instead.
There are plenty of options out there and whichever you choose should be picked with your video’s purpose firmly in mind.
If, for example, you are seeking to educate then perhaps an interview with an industry leader or a documentary style video will help to achieve your aim.
Whichever you choose you should keep in mind your purpose and how you would like your business to be perceived. Because for many, this video could be their first interaction with your brand; so make sure it appeals.
Branding
It’s important to give the consumer a sense of your brand from the video.
You don’t want them to view your humorous cartoon and click a call-to-action, only to be delivered back to your website which is formal and serious.
It is certainly useful to keep a degree of consistency between your branding and the video.
So consider what image you want your brand to portray, as this will help you to determine what tone, style and type of video you should utilise.
Length
The length of a video is crucial.
Consumer’s attention spans are dwindling in the face of this huge volume of content available to them, making it increasingly difficult to stand out.
The consumer is in complete control; they only watch/read/look at what they want.
According to award-winning filmmaker Yoav Hornung there are two things that the user considers before hitting the play button: the thumbnail picture and the length of the video.
For Hornung, the shorter the videos length the more attractive it appears to potential viewers.
Still, this doesn’t mean you should only make videos 15 seconds in length. But Hornung suggests following these rough guides for length in regard to video type:
-Tutorials/Explainers: 45 – 90 seconds
-Creative Commercials: 15 – 59 seconds
-Crowdfunding videos: 2.5 minutes (average)
-Testimonials/Talking Heads: 60-119 seconds
As a rule if you’re marketing something keep the video below two minutes. It is unlikely people will watch beyond this point and you want to keep them engaged.
Obviously there are exceptions to the rule. If you’re aim is to educate, then those watching the video want to be informed in detail about the subject; so it’s fine to venture over five minutes in length.
Additional Features
Additional features can entice people to engage with your video. They can be as simple as a text overlay with a short call to action.
It could be using a backing track that delivers a tempo to your video, a voiceover or even interactive elements.
Small things can make a video more appealing to your audience and the aforementioned elements are worth considering once you’ve decided on your video type.
Distribution
Do you know where to share your video?
Obviously you want it to reach as wide and as quality an audience as possible. So it’s likely you’ll choose to share it across a variety of social networks, video platforms and on your own website.
But it’s worth considering before you do so how each different network operates in regard to playing videos.
Facebook, for example, has an auto-play feature where the video plays automatically without sound. So if you were targeting a Facebook audience, it would be worth thinking about whether your imagery is attention-grabbing enough to get them to engage without the sound to back it up.
So there you have it, How to Create Sales Boosting Video Content. By following the above steps you should be able to enhance the production process of your video content and hopefully meet the aims you outlined in your purpose phase too.
If you wish for more help and advice on creating great video content feel free to contact The Living Room.
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