Making Engaging Video Content

It’s no secret video is becoming the King of all marketing tools. With more and more video content online and being consumed than ever before and with 74% of all internet traffic predicted to be video driven by the end of 2017 it’s no wonder more and more businesses are taking the step into video based marketing. So with this I want to help you cut through the ‘noise’ and common misconceptions surrounding creating engaging video content.

1.      Schedule

Quoting one of the most influential content creators out there Gary Vaynerchuk “Consistency is King”. Your audience needs to know that they can regularly expect content from you. Whether that be certain times of the day or weekly content. An example of this would be our #WhiteboardWednesday series. Creating a video series not only puts your audience in a position where they know when and where they can expect content from you but also gives you a schedule to keep to, which if you’re anything like me is a godsend when it comes to organising a busy week! “But Toby when should I be posting content?” I hear you say! Now this is a heavily debated subject in the world of Social Media and content creation. But the truth is there is no exact science to when you should be posting your video, it is often a trial and error experience. More often than not though a great question you should ask yourself is: “When do I have the time or like to consume video content?” try that and see what sort of response you get and adjust accordingly!

2.      Format

Find your format and keep it simple. If I could refer to our #WhiteboardWednesday videos once more you will see that we keep the main format of the content fairly similar, but occasionally we like to mix it up and do different things. Something that I encourage you to do once you have your format nailed as it’s a great way to see how your audience responds to different variations in content. While we are on the subject of format something to consider when planning your videos is making sure you don’t overcomplicate production. Speed is just as much a part of video content as the content itself, speed keeps you relevant, speed allows you to react to changes in your market, speed allows you to be first. Evaluate whether the time it takes to create your video against what you expect to achieve from releasing the content.

3.      Length

Another heavily debated subject in the world of content creation. With attention spans being as short as they are these days (the average watch time for a Facebook video is 3 seconds) evaluate whether the length of the video is appropriate to the subject in question. Short attention spans don’t necessarily mean long form video is an absolute no no, you just need to make sure you grab the attention within the first three seconds. Provide value, provide entertainment and create conversation. A further point to add to this is make your content consumable on the go, attach subtitles to the video and use easy to interpret visual cues to keep the content engaging with entertaining subjects and content.

4.      Quantity vs Quality

Another common comment I hear about video is in order to maintain reputation and to make sure the message you want to convey is ‘heard’ by your audience is that the quality of the video needs to be of the highest standard. This is not always the case. The crux of it all is – if people can watch it undisrupted, so you can see/hear/understand the message, chances are your content will work! You can spend on stunning visuals, perfect sound and much more but if you’re not getting content out you’re not selling yourself.

5.      Create Conversation

Finally use your content to instigate questions and conversation in your industry in relation to current issues and respond in future videos to keep your audience engaged. Find a subject that is relevant and discuss it in your content, providing value first is the key to getting people returning to your content and hopefully your audience will start to see you as a thought leader in your field, which, in turn should generate business enquiries down the line.

Keep it simple, keep your message concise and easy to understand. Video presents many an opportunity to present your company whether that be promotional, sales pitch or quite plainly just provide a behind the scenes look of your day to day life in the office. Show knowledge, show personality, people buy from people so don’t be afraid to get in front of the camera yourself and get experimenting and see what works best for you and your business!