So, you want to make a video. Awesome! We hear It’s all the rage. But how do you know that you’re going to make a video that works and has impact?
There is more and more video content being put out there, and so much of it is misguided. It’s often self-serving, or doesn’t speak to the client. If you can tell me the last time you bought a product, connected to a brand or donated to a campaign, after watching a 3-minute video of a CEO talking about how awesome they are, I’ll be crazy surprised.
It can be difficult to know how to make an effective video before you’ve even shot the footage… but it’s actually a lot simpler than you’d think. Just making a video is not enough to stand out. Before you start any video project, you need to ask yourself these questions.
What is the Goal of the video?
This is not a question about what you want your audience to know, but what do you need them to do… Like, right after they watch the video? Are they going to your site, or making a phone call, or going straight to a purchase? If you know the actual goal of your video, you will be able to figure out what content you need and, more importantly, the content you don’t need.
What are the takeaways of the video?
In other words, what do you want people to learn? Keep these points short and specific. For instance, a takeaway shouldn’t be “know everything about our company.” That’s way too much to absorb. People can’t walk away with a barrage of information being thrown at them in one brief video. Prioritising the key message(s) of your video and you’ll have way more impact on your audience.
Who is the audience?
So important! It’s usually known, but often not understood. We know who we’re marketing to, but do we know what moves the audience to action or what’s important to them? Consider, for example, will an audience care about the history of a company when all they need to know is how a product will benefit them? Remember, the video is not for you; it’s for them.
How will you know the video is successful?
You’d be surprised how many people don’t know this. Our clients make awesome videos with us and put forward healthy budgets to ensure the message is clear. When we give them the finished product, they sometimes have no idea how to measure its success. Is it views, sales, feedback? And if they have an idea of how success is measured, have they considered which channel is the best platform to reach the desired exposure or ROI? You can’t just throw it online and hope for the best (well, you can, but that’s quite the risk and waste of money).
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And that’s just the beginning. Make sure you consider these steps every time and I promise you will have more effective work that engages your audience and breaks through the clutter.
Like what you’re hearing? Give us a call at Tripwire and we’ll take you the rest of the way.