5 Make Or Break Tips For Your Online Video Production
I’ve been noticing that a lot of my clients are in the midst of rebranding/rebuilding their website and are looking to add online video to the mix. Website video is quickly changing from a luxury to a NECESSITY. If a potential customer is choosing between two companies and one has a compelling video and the other doesn’t, the one with video very often wins the business. Here are 5 tips to help guide your online video production:
1. Make It Easy
Making a video can seem like a daunting task - especially when you are collaborating in a group. Often companies think if they make a video they need a script. That is not always a good idea. Introducing a script can significantly complicate your video production process. Group script writing invites a lot of scrutiny at the wrong level. People start focusing more on words and less on ideas. You can fix that by shifting your focus to a central message. Think in terms of an outline instead of a script. I think your group will find it a far easier task than writing a script. (Check out my Don't Use A Script Blog Entry for more on this.)
2. Make It Personal
Online customers crave authenticity so rarely do I suggest that companies hire an actor for their company videos. When I think about my own buying process, I want to feel like I trust the people I’m doing business with. I also want to feel like they know, and care about, what they’re doing. For this reason, I recommend letting your passionate employees star in your video. Using your key messages, script some interview questions that they can respond to. The answers they provide should feel and sound like a conversation they would have with a prospective client.
3. Make It Compelling
The purpose of a website video is to inspire, create excitement and make a personal connection. This is very hard to do if your video is focused on facts and information. Understandably, companies fall into the trap of using video to convey information. That’s a mistake. There are plenty of easier and cheaper ways to relay information. So instead of thinking about company information, think about company vision. Instead of focusing on product features, focus on client impact. If you inspire your viewer to feel something, they will be motivated to seek out additional information on their own. (Check out my Information vs Inspiration Blog Post for more on this.)
4. Make It Visible
I’m always surprised that I actually have to give this tip. If you make a great video, promote the heck out of it! Feature it on your homepage. Set it to play automatically. Send it out as an email all by itself. Don’t bury it in a digital newsletter. People are generally more interested in watching a video than reading text. Make sure you capitalize on this. Don’t water your video down with distractions and text. Make it big and let it stand on its own.
5. Make It Drive Sales
When you make a great video, it’s exciting. When your friends and family love it, that’s even better. But making a great video isn’t the end goal - driving sales is. Most companies have prospects at various points in the sales cycle. Some are at the top of the funnel, some in the middle and some at the bottom. Regardless of where they are, you should be viewing video as a way to move them along that cycle. If they are at the top of the funnel, use the video to move them to the bottom. If they are at the bottom of the funnel, use the video to close the sale. So you should always be thinking about the next step you want a prospective customer to take. Once you know what that is, make sure your video has a clear and prominent call to action at the end. If they are at the top of the funnel, maybe the call to action is requesting additional information. If they are at the bottom of the funnel, maybe the call to action is to sign up for a free trial or a free consultation. Think of the video as a sales pitch. If you were face to face with the customer what would be your next question? Make THAT your call to action.
