You’ve been hearing it for years.
“You have to utilize video in your marketing.”
“Videos garner more views.”
“Save time and money in the long run by using video.”
So you listened. You went out and bought a camera, recorded a video, edited it together, and put it online. And then you waited.
And waited.
And waited some more.
You thought that your video would be “liked” and “shared” a million times. You thought the phone would be ringing off the hook. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. Video is supposed to guarantee interest! All of the marketing gurus say so! What went wrong?
Go back and watch your video. While you are watching, ask yourself a couple of questions. Be honest. Was your video entertaining as well as informative? Was it short and to the point? Did you capture the audience’s attention, or did you try to make them sit through an awkward sales pitch?
You see, there is one important detail that a lot of marketing gurus leave out when they are talking up video marketing: entertainment value.
When you are trying to utilize digital video marketing, you have to remember that the audience is not held captive. YouTube and Facebook aren’t live television. If your viewer gets bored, they can and will click off of your video and onto something more entertaining.
On average, you have about 10 seconds to engage your viewer. After that, you have anywhere from 30 to 90 seconds to get your message across in a memorable manner. With that in mind, go back and watch your video again.
What did you think? If you were a potential customer, would you stay and watch? Or, would you click away?
Here are five tips for making your video more entertaining:
- Keep your intro short and interesting. “Hi, I’m Bob with XYZ Finishings and we do finishing work. This includes plaster, drywall…,” is not going to wow your audience. “See the giant hole in that plaster wall? I’m Bob from XYZ Finishings and today I’m going to show you how to fix it,” is much more engaging.
- Don’t start with a sales pitch. In fact, if you can avoid any kind of “sales talk” that would be ideal. Do you like infomercials? Would you actively search for, click on, and watch one? Don’t do that to your potential customers (or your business!)
- Have a strong call to action. A strong call to action keeps the viewer engaged with you and your business. Try ending your video with “Subscribe for more (DIY projects, recipes, fun, etc.),” or, “visit xyzfinishings.com to learn more!”
- Include your logo. Superimpose it into a corner. End your video with a card that includes it. Well executed repetition helps your audience to remember you when they need someone to come repair that big hole in their plaster wall.
- If all else fails, call in an expert. Sometimes you just can’t do it all yourself. Scripting, recording, and editing an engaging video is a lot of work. As a business owner, you probably just don’t have the time to do it all by yourself. Professional video outfits can provide so many valuable resources – from motion graphics to voice-over – to make your video stand out against the competition.
Click here to contact us and set up your free video consultation today!
