by Joe Monzo | Dec 15, 2022 | General
The first three to eight seconds of your video are the most important part of the entire video. If done wrong, your introduction will turn away even the most perfect audience member. With the first few seconds, you must capture the attention of your target audience so that they finish the video and follow through on your chosen call-to-action.
Even if your video is only 30 seconds long, you can be certain your viewers won’t get past an inadequate introduction. Let’s talk about reflecting your brand and message right away to create a successful video.
Keep a Fast Pace
When I’m working on a client’s video, I prioritize keeping a fast pace from the beginning. I utilize the best b-roll like drone shots or fast-paced action shots to capture attention. Even if the rest of your video picks up the pace, a slow beginning will ensure your viewers never make it that far. At the same time, it’s important to keep the pace manageable so that the audience can still follow the narrative. Don’t make the beginning so fast and busy that your audience members struggle to orient themselves.
Stop Using a Logo
I’ve seen it too many times – organizations that begin their videos with a ten-second logo screen lose their viewers quickly. Your audience most likely already knows your brand, whether they’ve found your video on your website or your profile, so they don’t need the reminder. Instead, your logo can be used at the end if you’d like. If you must use the logo as an introduction, animate it and keep it under two seconds long.
State the Audience and Their Problem
Successful videos are built on a full understanding of the target audience and their pain points. This knowledge will help you craft a video full of images and messages that are most interesting to your ideal viewers. Further, your call-to-action phrase is only as effective as your knowledge of how you solve your viewer’s problem.
The perfect call-to-action comes at the end of your video, but you must capture attention right away by setting up the punchline in the beginning. Try using a setup like, “Hey [audience], are you [problem]?” For example, “Hey work-from-home moms, are you tired of taking calls with a screaming toddler in the background?”
Start With Visual Interest
Starting your video with a talking head isn’t recommended. There have only been a few videos where I felt that a powerful talking head was an appropriate first shot. Otherwise, I advise clients to use visually stimulating shots right away. Try drone shots, action shots, and other visually-interesting b-roll rather than text or a testimonial. Communicate your message visually by representing your ideal audience, their problem, and your solution in the b-roll shots that you use.
Don’t Forget the Perfect Track
Polish off your video with a great music track that is on brand. Don’t use anything that is obnoxious or cheesy – remember that the audience will have to listen to this track for the entire video. Use music that easily becomes background music and gently interests the viewer. It shouldn’t overpower the message, it should support it.
If you’re looking for more tips or need help incorporating this advice in your next video, contact Monzo Media Productions.
by Joe Monzo | Dec 8, 2022 | General
Since the dawn of video capability on social media platforms, audiences have been consuming record amounts of video content from creators everywhere. Regardless of your intentions for creating videos, encouraging engagement is the most important part of your process. From the start of your creative process to the end of your marketing goals, you should keep engagement in mind.
While the concept of engagement is simple enough, implementing it can be tricky. Let’s define engagement and what you can do to encourage it.
What is Engagement?
Engagement can come in the form of the number of views, likes, comments, and shares. You can also measure engagement with how long your audience spends time watching your video. It’s important to keep in mind that not every viewer will take outward steps that show engagement, but if they do, it can help your video get promoted by the platform on which you’ve published.
Best Ways to Ensure High Engagement
Once you know which analytics help you understand your engagement, you’ll want to start implementing strategies to improve those numbers. There are several tactics I use almost every time I create a video for my clients. In general, they all ensure that the entire video is consistently interesting and speaks to the right audience directly.
Ditch the Logo Intro
Too many times, I see videos beginning with a 10-second logo screen. That 10-second logo screen is a waste of 10 seconds, and I promise you will lose your audience’s attention immediately. If your audience found the video on your website or profile, they already know your brand. Even if they see the video elsewhere, capturing attention and communicating your message is more important at the beginning than telling viewers the name of your company.
Avoid Bad Distractions
There are too many videos I’ve seen with elements that distract viewers from understanding the message and ultimately turn them away. To keep engagement high, you’ll need to plan from beginning to end of your process to avoid all distractions. In production, make sure your video has excellent audio and video. Avoid low-quality audio at all costs – it is one of the biggest flaws a video can have. An unwise choice of music, camera, microphone, or transitions can be enough to stop a viewer from finishing the video. You’ll also want to proofread all text, as typos are unforgivable.
Be An Authentic Source of Value
A huge part of viewership is entertainment value, but your video should educate as well. Your audience should walk away from your video with more than they brought to the table.
Most importantly, your value should be your solutions to your audience’s problems. Every viewer has a problem, whether they know it or not, and it’s your job to help them realize it and take action to solve it. If you haven’t identified your target audience yet, take time to figure out their pain points.
Of course, remember to be authentic. You don’t need to write an aggressive sales pitch – show your audience that you understand the emotions they feel regarding their problems. Your emotional connection with them will showcase the human side of your business and make you more approachable.
Creatively Incorporate Visual Interest
Make sure your video is not just a talking head. To capture and maintain your audience’s interest, you should make the most of b-roll, motion graphics, animation, captions, and more. Of course, don’t overdo it. An overly busy video can confuse your narrative, so use effects wisely. Captions especially are becoming more popular because people enjoy watching videos on the go, and often cannot hear the video or cannot turn on the volume.
Finish Strong With a Clear Call to Action
Most of all, your video will not win conversions without a perfect call-to-action phrase. You must identify which action you want your viewers to take, then tell them directly. Make sure you are clear and that it is easy for them to follow through.
If you are interested in learning more about engagement for your videos, contact Monzo Media Productions.
Recent Comments