Originally published on LoungeLizard.com on March 31, 2016 By Lounge Lizard
Everyone, ourselves included, expect that video content will be a big player in content marketing this year. If you aren’t up to speed on how to create good VC or if you need a little refresher then our 7 tips for crafting conversion generating video content is just what the doctor ordered!
Why do you need Video Content?
Let’s do a quick recap on the importance of Video Content before we get to the tips. Video has always been a fantastic method of delivering a message. However, in the past it simply has not been a reasonable way to convey a message for many businesses for a variety of reasons:
- Bandwidth – It used to be painful to watch a video from a mobile device and sometimes even from a laptop if you were on Wi-Fi, but thankfully that is now a thing of the past.
- Technology – Smart devices now have the bones to not only stream videos easily with good quality from a visual and sound perspective, but they are also good video cameras. Combine that with the array of apps and software available for little or no cost and you have budding video makers that can easily make content for low cost.
- Standing Out – The internet is huge, but even with the massive landscape there is already so much written content available that people are becoming bored with it. Images and infographics made a strong push in 2014 and 2015 which leaves video as the newer, cooler kid at school. Less saturation means more opportunity in the marketplace. YouTube aside, video content is still a relatively fresh way to send a message and more people, especially those in Generation Y, enjoy the simplicity of watching rather than reading.
7 Tips for Conversion Generating VC
- Aim for Unique – Being truly original is hard because the internet is full of people trying to do the same thing, however you still need to aim for being unique in some manner or another. It might be the message you are trying to convey. It might be the location you use for a back ground or the characters you use for the message. One great way to ensure you are unique, in a sense, is to research what all your competitors are doing and then make sure that you are doing things differently to stand out. While not everything will be a pure hit, sometimes even creating something like the “Puppy-monkey-baby” ad like Mountain Dew did for the Super Bowl will be memorable enough to give you buzz.
- Videos are Great on Landing Pages – Short videos that are 60 seconds and under are conversion machines on landing pages. They convey a quick, clear message along with (hopefully) a strong call-to-action that covers all the bases in a minimal amount of time. Typically videos are more engaging to a new user than written content which means your whole message is more often received.
- Facebook Loves Videos Too – Why do videos work great on Facebook? The answer is the emotional connection that you can foster with them which creates a higher level of engagement and sharing. Whether it is funny or a heart-tugger, a great video on Facebook creates more response than any other type of content on the site. Consider the videos you often see in your own feed as examples.
- Maximum Video Length is 90 Seconds – In theory you have anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute and a half to get your message across. Beyond that and you risk boredom in our short attention span world. While some people might say that you can go longer, studies have shown a direct correlation to video length and total engagement levels which is why you need to aim for a 90 second cap.
- Pay Attention to Audio – Too many people focus on the video aspect and ignore audio which is a mistake. First, make sure the video makes sense without sound. That might mean adding subtitles. Many people have video muted or auto play might not always have sound on. Next, make sure to use a good microphone and then spend extra time editing out background noises and scrubbing the sound for clarity. The focus needs to be on the message which means eliminating distractions.
- Video Quality is only Moderately Important – Some people spend far too much time and energy on video quality not only in shooting and re-shooting scenes, but also in editing; this eats up time and money. Sometimes that well-produced video then is out-paced by someone’s raw iPhone video with no edits. You should strive for a video with good quality, but it does not need to be perfect because frankly we don’t live in a perfect world and people prefer “real”. Things to avoid are bad camera angles, too much camera motion, out of focus and things like that which take away from the message but leave in other imperfections.
- Video Distribution is as important as the Video – A great video that does not receive a strong push is a wasted effort. To ensure your videos get the exposure they need you need to have a group of people in place to help promote that video. Some companies hire professional influencers; people with a strong following that will show your video on their channels. In other cases you can build a group comprised of employees, friends, family, customers, business partners or even the media. Whatever you use, have this group in place prior to creating the content so that you have a way to get it out to people so that they can then share it, getting you the most return on your investment.
Hopefully you have learned a thing or two with our 7 tips for crafting conversion generating video content that will help get your business in the driver’s seat for using this excellent form of marketing.