How to Not Suck at Video Marketing

So you want to make a successful video ad. We’d congratulate you, but first we want you to answer one question: why should people watch it? It may seem obvious to you, but with the over-saturation of online video advertisements these days, it’s easy to blend into the void. Here we have compiled our top tips for making your video marketing campaign a memorable and successful one.

Keep it Short, Keep it Sweet

Let’s be real here. The internet has melted our brains into tiny little pellets, holding an average attention span of eight seconds or less. What does that mean for advertisements? Get to the point and make it quick! With a marketplace of drawn out content, make sure yours gets the job done, so your audience can absorb the message before checking out the latest figure skating cats video. If you prefer longer content, consider ways of keeping your audience engaged, such as…

Tell a Story!

The basis of all art is human connection, and there is nothing more powerful than helping someone see themselves reflected in it. All humans are natural storytellers, it is how we have always communicated, so tap in to your inherent resource and watch your reach expand.

Give People a Reason to Share it!

We live in the age of viral videos. The consumer has become more important than the media. Let your audience do the work and make something shareable. How do you do that? Think of what you’re most likely to see being shared on social media. Usually, it will feature a unique image, something funny or scary, or the classic tugging of emotional heartstrings. Just keep it original, because no one, and I mean no one, needs another one of these.

Know Your Numbers (and Know Your Audience)

Viral or not, you’re going to have to make sure your specs are on point. Make a checklist for yourself: is it the right size for it’s medium? Does it connect to your website or contact information? Once you’ve made sure your content is social media ready, think about your demographic. For example, if you’re marketing to teenage boys, find out of if they are more likely to view your ad on instagram, facebook, etc. If so, what is the average attention span of each? Use analytics to make your campaign go above and beyond.

SEO (Yes this Matters for Videos)

Three words: search engine optimization (SEO). No one wants to travel to the fourth dimension of a google search result page, so make sure yours comes out on top. For more information on SEO, check out this site.

Involve the Audience

Humans like to be entertained, but what they really like is when they feel they’re a part of the entertainment. Be interactive, and get creative! Effective and uncomplicated is best, like a game-based treatment, or an interactive slider, discussed in the video below.

Create Urgency

This ties in to the attention span aspect of your video: make your viewer care, and make them care now. Think about incorporating a sense of urgency using tools such as bright colours to create a sense of immediacy, limited time offers, and rarity of the product or service you are advertising.

Empower the Audience

There is a lot to be said about making your audience feel good about themselves. Look at Dove’s remarkably successful Real Beauty campaign, now in circulation for nearly fifteen years. Using real women instead of models, they offer a refreshing take on beauty advertisement. While most will give off the message that you’re not good enough, Dove celebrates what you already have. Then there is Everlast’s “I’m A Boxer” video. Directed by Claire Edmondson, it portrays a young girl claiming her place in boxing, traditionally viewed primarily as a masculine sport. Incorporate meaningful messages into your work to connect with your audience. Who knows, you might even go viral.

Conclusion

Look, both access to and creation of video content is exploding. That means there’s more ways than ever to get eyeballs on your video. That also means, you’re fighting it out without a million other video marketers for those same eyeballs. So you have to find a way to not get lost in the noise, and that means be CREATIVE. Let’s be real – video marketing ain’t Scorsese, but that doesn’t mean the next Scorsese isn’t out there getting their start in video marketing. Ok get back to work!