The heart of most marketing campaigns these days has been the website. The biggest problem with most websites … they are instantly forgettable! They seldom improve online engagement.
They say the same thing as your competitors. You see two possible results from this problem. The first is that most customers will quickly lose interest and click away from the site. The second is that, if they stay, they’ll find no reason to select you, because there’s no discriminating message.
Adding clever, interesting videos is one of the best ways for you to compel your viewers to stay, absorb, and pass your message to friends. Simply stated, your video should be entertaining while adding value and meaning.
Have you ever seen the videos of Steve Jobs presenting the new product launch of the Mac, iPod, or iPad? He understood that something could be entertaining yet meaningful at the same time. Videos such as these work as well on the web as they do on television. The simple objective … turn marketing into content, not content into marketing.
So what is the magic of creating a potentially viral video? Consider the following six elements we use to build award-winning videos:
Engage the Audience
Grab attention … on some problem your audience shares, and then address the solution. This is the most important part of the video … the part of the video that compels viewers to want to see and hear the entire story/show!
Enlighten and Inform
Provide your key discriminating message woven into the central theme of the video. This is the second most important element of your video … convincing customers your story is the best and the reason to select you. Make sure you are addressing your most important target customers. Avoid selling at all costs!
Stylize the Experience
Design an experience that will be memorable … create the visual of your value, the core message. Take some risks here to stand out and be different … no risks, no rewards.
Resonate
Strike a nerve to grab attention and connect with your audience. What makes your website such a powerful marketing and branding tool is its ability to communicate on verbal, visual, and metaphoric levels. If you are not using all 3 levels of communications, you are missing opportunities to resonate and connect.
Entertain
Be memorable and bold … be worth the audience’s time and attention. Use subtle marketing techniques. The challenge is to turn marketing into memorable content that informs, enlightens, and entertains at the same time.
Compel Action
We all understand the need for a call to action. However, you can only deliver on the action called by a convincing story. A story catching attention and providing relevant messages for your target customers.
Does your business use videos to engage your online customers? Do you have a story to share on their effectiveness?
