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Getting that video right

By September 6, 2018April 1st, 2019No Comments
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By Melanie Johnson, account director at Eskenzi PR

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Video is a much more convenient medium to absorb a message. Nowadays, people lack the time to sit down and read articles on the way to work or at lunch, but you regularly see commuters on a busy train watching a video.

Rather than ploughing through 500 words or more of mundane content, people want a short snappy video that clearly demonstrates what the ‘brand’ or company is wanting to say or trying to portray to the potential customer or even an engaged user without much effort. Video also allows the viewer to see the product or service being used in a real-life situation or an environment they are familiar with.

Done right, creating a video can have a massive impact on engagement from costumers and potential clients, plus separate a company from its competitors, but how does one go around creating an effective and engaging video? Below are some top tips for getting that video right:

Start strong

 

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Your video needs to grab the attention of someone when they are scrolling through Twitter or browsing LinkedIn quickly. This means you need to start strong. Make sure your video opens with a breath-taking moving image or provocative statement, one that takes the viewer back to keep their attention and wanting to see more. This could be taking a look at the challenges your customers are facing and creating a question asking them if they’ve experienced that problem or creating a video of that situation they can relate to. Grab the viewer straight away and tell them why they should care.

Make it aesthetically pleasing

This is one of my favourite phrases and probably one I repeat too much, but people like to watch things that are pleasing to the eye. Visual story telling helps people to grasp concepts and data far more easily than just words. Add graphics, infographics, footage of real people and customers so they can relate to what you’re trying to tell them.

Keep it short

 

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No one has time for a 15-minute video, or event two-minute one at times. Keep your video short and snappy and keep it flowing with rhyme and pace. Find some music with a steady beat, and why not speed up and change the pace of slow parts of the video. If you feel the video is still too long, why not break it down into a short series. This will not only create shorter videos but more content that can be shared over a longer period of time.

Get them thinking and wanting more

 

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If the viewer has lasted to the end of the video, you’ve got them hooked but how do you keep them engaged for the next video? This is there you need to drive home that part about ‘why they care’.

You could simply create a summary of what you have said or ask them a question to continue thinking about the issue or challenge. For example, “Is ethical hacking actually ethical?” and ask them to leave a comment or share your video. Also, make sure you tell them what the next video will be about, when it will be available and where to find it. Always have a call to action at the end.

Have fun!

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I think my last point is just to have fun when you’re making videos. No one is going to watch a video where the presenter, interviewee or subject looks bored or totally unengaged. The only way to overcome this is to make sure everyone involved in the project (or video) is having fun, I mean, if you believe in what you’re talking about, plan well and everyone feels comfortable in what is being produced the ‘fun’ will come across to the viewer. The worst videos out there are of awkward CEOs, CISOs and other board members not enjoying being videoed in front of a company logo.