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In an earlier post we discussed the power of video marketing and why you should implement it in your next campaign. But now that we know how powerful it is, what are some of the features used in videos that make them so effective?
In this article we dive deeper into how to make effective videos that lead to more engagement and the specific techniques you can use in your next video project.
Let’s get started!
Logistics
First of all, let’s go over some logistical details to keep in mind when you’re creating your video.
Length
If you’re wondering what should be the ideal length of your video, you need to consider the behavior of your audiences. Although viewers prefer video content to text-based content, it doesn’t mean they want to spend more time watching videos. Attention spans are very low so it’s important to get your message across as quickly and in the most engaging way as possible. Here are the ideal video lengths are according to Hubspot:
- Instagram: 30 seconds
- Twitter: 45 seconds
- Facebook: 1 minute
- YouTube: 2 minutes
Captions
Since most people like to view content on their mobile as that’s where they spend most of their screen time, video producers and marketers need to plan for this and tailor their videos so it’s easier to consume. This is why captions are so important! Especially if there are people speaking in the video, but also if you just want to give context on what’s going on in the video and make it accessible for all types of users. Imagine someone watching a video on your landing page via their phone, but they can’t listen to the audio because they’re in an unwelcome setting. They can mute the audio and stay on your landing page because they’re still engaged with the captions.
SEO
This is absolutely key to getting your videos and their corresponding landing pages more visibility on search engines. Make sure your video is optimized for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by including the right keywords, meta-descriptions, and a strong title.
Placement on Webpage
This may sound trivial, but there are a lot of studies out there around user experience designed to improve video effectiveness. One of which outlines the placement of your video on your landing page or webpage. Several of them say that videos should be placed higher on the page to get more plays. Makes sense right? The higher it is, the more visibility they will get and it’s less likely that they will get lost on the page’s other content because people just won’t find them.
Video Dimensions
Adding to the list of surprising information, the dimensions of a video are also a factor in play rates and conversions. According to Wistia, videos with a width between 401px to 600px (pixels) and a height between 301px-450px are the most successful in getting play rates. The reasoning behind this is that you don’t want the video to be so big that it overwhelms the screen, but not too small that it appears unattractive to click.
Where to Place Your Videos
Much of this goes without saying as there are many platforms you can place your video, but where is it most effective?
Research has shown that adding a video to your landing page can increase conversions by 80%! That’s incredibly effective, right? But if the user can understand the product better (via a video), wouldn’t they be more likely to move forward with a purchase?
Moreover, adding videos to an email campaign is also a common technique used to increase engagement – introductory emails with videos lead to an increased click-thru rate of up to 96%!
And as always, remember to post videos to your social media as it’s one of the best ways to increase engagement with your audience. Rack up those views and likes as your reach extends even further!
Video Content
Now that we’ve gone over some logistical tips, we can dive into what to actually include in your video content to increase its effectiveness. Of course, these tips are situational and may vary in terms of their application. But they can be very powerful if used correctly.
Here are some of the key factors to include in your video’s script:
- Come up with an eye-catching opening line to attract the viewer’s attention. Include a hook near the beginning that states the purpose of the video because the viewer is not guaranteed to stick around.
- Use social proof to back up the claims in your video. This can be in the form of written testimonials, use cases/examples, or just showing people talking about the event/organization.
- This should go without saying, but show a close-up of the event with clips so viewers can actually see it in action. This gives people a glimpse into the event and how fun and appealing it is.
- One of the most crucial elements of a video is to show the benefits people can get out of the event. Convince them by offering something of value instead of trying to sell them something.
Stylistic Elements
