Most of the world is online and consciously or subconsciously we are all absorbing content day after day, hour after hour. In earlier years you would only expect to see a clever ad through a massive billboard out on the highway or during a commercial break. Nowadays when you are scrolling through the news and updates from family or friends, corporations have discovered new and functional methods to sneak into their brands in attractive, vibrant, and eye-catching ways.
Video marketing has become an essential part of our society and the average business model. If you want to succeed you have to produce appealing and continuous content. But being able to connect to someone within a few seconds and keep them watching is not easy. Here are a few things to remember when planning out your next video and its material. Five to be exact! Starting with:
1. Purpose
Everything begins with a clearly laid out intent! Are you wanting to attract new customers? Perhaps you are seeking donations for your charity event. Or maybe you are a streamer who is just getting started. Whatever the reason for your video, it is important to recognize and use it as the backbone of your production. Without an obvious purpose, you are merely creating aimless content. Trust us that there are plenty more structureless videos out in the world. We the people do not need it anymore.
2. Audience
Who is your target audience? You would not want to play Frank Sinatra in an ad directed towards children, would you? It is important to always recognize who is watching your video. If your goal is to sell adult diapers do not make a commercial about teenagers playing Fortnite. Once your intended viewer is identified the direction of your production becomes clearer. There is a multitude of paths your video’s story could take. Pinpointing your audience reduces that tremendously!
3. Emotion
All videos ultimately inspire a feeling. Emotion is the key ingredient in capturing a viewer’s attention. You must stimulate, provoke, and motivate consumers so that they not only continue watching but also acquire an innate need to discover and learn more about what you or your brand is offering. If you are looking for donations for an animal shelter, tug on those heartstrings! If you are wanting to get people hyped about an upcoming concert, make your video fast and exhilarating! The reactions you invoke will hook the right user for your brand and keep them coming back for more.
4. Story
Any video, no matter the content, needs a good story. Once your purpose, audience, and intended emotions are laid out, the narrative will fall into place! Even a sixty-second ad has a scripted, well-thought-out tale to tell. Without a formulated story, videos can easily become aimless anecdotes that begin nowhere and end in the exact same place. Your viewers will be bored and confused within seconds if your production does not start to head in any single clear-cut direction. You will lose them before you have had time to say anything at all!
5. Goal
Your video is out there! People are watching it and they are intrigued. But what comes next? What are the consumers supposed to do with this freshly garnered information? Sites like Facebook already answer this question when creating ads through their self-guided system. You can choose a button if you want the customer to “Learn More” or “Visit a Site” after finishing your advertisement. Outside of programs such as this, it becomes a step during video production that content creators identify what they want their viewers to do next. If you have a local store, tell people to come to visit! If you are trying to keep your charity open, ask citizens to donate! Stating your needs is a clear way to achieve your goals.
After these five things are considered, formulating and producing a compelling video will become seamless and relatively easy! The hardest part in all creative activities is identifying these elements. Once this is done, there is nothing but smooth sailing and clear skies ahead.
