Why Your Business Must Do Videos

Why your business can’t afford not to be producing Video Content

 

The latest data indicates that daily video viewing times are increasing an average of 19% PER DAY and will lift average daily viewing times from 84 minutes to 100 minutes per day, on average, per person by 2021 (source: Smart Insights). Your business MUST be producing branded videos.

 

Research shows that 43% of people say that BRANDED VIDEO is the most MEMORABLE type of content shared by companies and 90% of customers say videos help them make BUYING DECISIONS.

Videos humanise your business and give it “personality” 😀. Showcasing your business in the form of a promotional video allows consumers to connect with your brand on a deeper level, driving them to react by purchasing your products or services 💲💲💲💲 (source: Hubspot).

 

 

Want to DIY? Here are some Tips 😀

 

HOW TO CREATE VIDEOS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO WATCH

 

1. OPTIMISE FOR ALL DEVICES

People are 1.5x more likely to watch video daily on a smartphone than on a computer (source: Facebook). So with that in mind when storyboarding your video, think about how it will be viewed on a screen smaller than your laptop or computer monitor. (Not sure how? Just email me – Nick 😀)

 

 

2. WHERE TO POST MY VIDEO?

Next, ask yourself where do you want to post your video and WHY there?

A good starting point is YouTube – 79% of internet users have an account and it’s the second most popular social media platform (source: Oberlo)!

How? You should embed your YouTube videos on your website and then share directly from here to your social media channels. WHY? Because then Google Analytics can track the number of clicks and you will get more visitors to your website who might spend more time on your website and find out about all the other cool things you do – THAT’s WHY 😉

BUUUTTTT!!!! When using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram take note of your video dimensions. For example, if you want to post your video on Instagram you’ll need to think square for your feed and 1080px by 1920px for your Instagram story.

Square Facebook videos get 35% more views than landscape videos (source: Sprout Social)

Confused Much?? Just call me – Nick 😀

 

 

3. GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

 

With the speed consumers scroll through their social media feeds, you must do something that grabs their attention to get them to STOP 🛑 on your video. Some tactics that work well are banners in video thumbnails that have a question on them like: “Do you want to grow your business?” or a statement like: “Don’t miss this opportunity!”. You’ll be surprised how effective emojis in banners or an out-of-the-ordinary picture can get people’s thumbs to stop scrolling too.

 

You also don’t want to start your video with a blank frame, or fade in from black, as in that milli-second your customer could lose interest and keep scrolling.

 

4. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE WATCH?

 

When a user clicks to watch your social media video content, you often have as little as 8 seconds to grab their attention but, more importantly, reassure them that your video will be valuable. Considering the number of distractions and competition on social media platforms, that’s NOT EASY! So when creating a video, you must ensure you know WHY your AUDIENCE should watch YOUR VIDEO.

 

That all starts with WHY YOU CREATED THE VIDEO? So Why did you? What do you think is so important that people stop and give time to listen/watch your video? How will they benefit? There are ways to research what types of videos/topics you should be delivering content on for your industry… WANT TO KNOW HOW? Call Me 😀

 

Remember – Don’t force your product or service on them. Don’t SELL!!! Always EDUCATE. You will be considered an authority and someone they trust rather than just another person peddling their stuff!

 

P.S. Language and the way you phrase your wording is very important – Whatever you do, you must connect to their needs or issues. So always start by introducing the issue or pain point that they may be experiencing with direct language like “you” or “your company.” Ask them questions or set up a story that capitalises on human emotion and then walk them through the issue and your solution. Attention spans are short and people’s time is precious so you must respect this.

 

BTW – Did you know our CEO, Daizy Gedeon, is an award-winning journalist and Filmmaker? If you would like help telling your brand story I am sure she would love to help you.
Give me a call and I’ll tee it up😀

 

5. ALWAYS! ALWAYS! ADD VALUE

As I alluded to above specifying the VALUE of watching your video is critical to people watching it. So How do you do that? By stating the BENEFITS to them from the outset. What are they going to get out of hanging around and watching it? What could they miss out on – creating FOMO – Why they will be better off?

 

If you can’t answer those questions while you are writing the script to your video and storyboarding it, then you are NOT READY. Brainstorm with your team. Test it on family and friends. Contact a close client and see if they are interested in the topic. Don’t waste your time if you are not prepared to do the homework first. There are literally BILLIONS of videos posted weekly on YouTube – but only a rare % that are viewed and valued.

 

Don’t just produce a video because you think “You Think You Have To”.

MAKE IT COUNT!

Deliver value and do not be afraid to give away your company’s “secret ingredient.” If you can give consumers actionable advice that they can implement themselves and it works, then they will trust you. Delivering as much value as possible will help your brand gain credibility and trust.

 

I am here to help if you are unsure.

WE CAN SAVE YOU TIME AND MONEY AND GIVE YOUR VIDEOS THE – TRIPLE V-FORMULA

VIEWABILITY – VALUE – VIRAL

 

6. SUBTITLES ARE A MUST!

 

Videos automatically play on social channels without sound, making it extremely important to focus on imagery to capture your viewer’s attention. If you use dialogue or narration in your videos, subtitles will make your video more accessible whilst ensuring key information is highlighted.

 

Also, people watch videos on public transport, at work (naughty), during meetings (naughtier!!), at Church (Forgive them Lord!), and many other places where sound is NOT recommended. So if you add subtitles, people WILL watch more, if not all of your video 😀

 

(source: Sprout Social)

 

7. CALL TO ACTION (CTA)

 

Don’t leave the consumer hanging – always include the next steps in your video. If there is a button or link in the ad that is presented with the video, have them click it to learn more. At the end of your video, you can point to where the link or button is for your customer to take action. We have used CTA throughout our blog and in our video 😀. Copy our strategy with your next video and blog.

 

Alternatively, include your number or website link to reinforce where people can head to, to FIND OUT MORE. This is a MUST DO!

 

OK, ARE YOU READY TO CREATE A VIDEO?

If this tool has helped you – FANTASTIC. Go for it and make sure to follow all the tips.

If you are still not sure where to start or don’t have the time or creative inclination – then pass the buck to me and our team at GDR. We’ll happily get it done for you. 

With an award-winning filmmaker and journalist at the helm, Daizy Gedeon, and an expert team leading her creative vision, we can handle all aspects of your video content creation production which will: