Once you’ve hired a production company to make a video for you, the next step is getting your company’s video out there to be viewed by as many people as possible.
So what exactly makes a great video? And what will keep viewers engaged?
If you want don’t want your advertisements being skipped or ignored, follow our seven tips for getting your company’s video seen.
1. Focus on Storytelling, Not Pitching
Thanks to the rise of social media, you no longer have to rent TV or print space to get people to see your adverts. With all of the different social platforms to choose from, brands can now reach their desired audience directly. This means your branded video content (aka advertisements) now has to compete with entertainment.
Old school marketing was all about interrupting the viewer’s entertainment.
The key to getting your company video watched is creating some form of value for your viewer. Company videos that solely focus on driving sales for a brand will likely be ignored or skipped.
You want your video to tell a story that connects with the viewer; the most memorable marketing campaigns often use this tactic. The better you tell stories about your brand or your customers, the more likely your viewers are going to connect with your company.
They will also more likely understand (and want to understand) what your company is offering what it can do for them.
An Example We Love
A great example of storytelling is Volkswagen’s video that launched their Volvo XC60. The video follows a young girl’s journey on her first day at a new school while showing glimpses of what her life holds in store for her in the coming years – growing up, traveling around the world, and eventually settling down and raising a family.
This all comes to an abrupt stop as the young girl on her way to school steps in front of an oncoming Volvo XC60. The Volvo’s safety system detects the young girl and uses its autonomous emergency brake. Thanks to the safety system of the Volvo, a life-changing collision was prevented.
The video ends with the statement, “Sometimes the moments that never happen matter the most.”
Volkswagen shows us how Volvo’s automatic stop feature will improve our lives by protecting us from accidents by telling a story about a child’s future. The video doesn’t aggressively promote their new safety features.
Their advertisement also focuses on the viewer, which makes it relatable to almost everyone. The viewer could be any of the three characters in the ad – the parent, the child, or the driver.
Taking a look from any of the three perspectives, you would want those safety features.
2. Hook Your Audience within the First Few Seconds
Did you know that the average attention span is 8 seconds? That’s less than the attention span of a goldfish, which is 9 seconds.
When it comes to creating a successful company video, you need your story to come to life quickly. It’s crucial to gather interest right away as people scroll through their social media feeds.
Within the opening seconds, you need to give clarity to what your video is about and assure the viewer that what they are about to watch is worth their time.
3. Target Relevant Audiences
What is the best way to reach your target audience? The answer is crucial when it comes to marketing. For example, if you are a local business and your target audience is local, you don’t need to run a nationwide campaign to reach your target audience.
If paying for sponsored ad space for your company video, you only need to pay to reach an audience in your area for the best results. The beauty of many of the sponsored ad options on most social media channels today is that they give you the option to target your advertisements to users of a specific demographic.
Start by thinking about who your target audience is and what social media platform do they use. For example, Facebook allows you to target your posts to segmented audiences sorted by age, location, gender, behavior, and more.
You can also target individuals by interests. When you select an interest (you can select up to 16 per post), users who like your Facebook Page and users who also share one (or more) of the interests you chose are more likely to see your post.
4. Make Your Company Video Watchable With or Without Sound
Speaking of Facebook, in a recent study, they found that as much as 85% of video views happen with the sound turned off.
It’s essential to consider how you can make sure your company video is interesting and engaging for all viewers, whether it’s played silently or with the sound turned on.
When developing your company video, think about how you can create a captivating story without the need for audio. If a video isn’t compelling enough to be watched without audio, users will ignore or skip your advertisement.
Make sure you make it easy for users to pick up a story without the need for sound; doing this will boost the effectiveness of your content.
Ways to do this is by using striking visuals mixed with easy to read caption overlays in your video so viewers can follow along without any sound at all.
5. Include CTA’s
Be sure to optimize your content with CTA’s (call to action) when creating your company video.
Here are some examples of subtle CTA’s you can include in your video:
- Follow / Like your Page
- Share video
- Like or Comment on the Video
- Check out your other content
In a study done by Wistia analyzing Calls to Action from 324,015 videos, they found that that 95.9% of content creators are placing their CTA at the end of the video. Interestingly, Wistia’s study also found that mid-roll CTAs ( found between the very start and the very end of the video) appear to convert at the highest rate.
Try experimenting when it comes to CTA placements throughout your video content and figure out what works best for you.
A Company Video People Will Watch
Once you’ve hired a production company to make a video for you, the next step is getting your company’s video out there to be viewed by as many people as possible.
We hope this post gave you a better idea of what makes a great video and what will keep viewers engaged.
If you are in the Milwaukee area and are looking for a video production company that can help you make a video for your company, get in touch with us today!
