Speak From The Heart

It's not a secret that audiences and marketers love video. It's engaging, fun, compelling, authentic, and so damned effective. Here's my Valentine's Day gift to you marketing folks - a 2015 study conducted by Facebook and Nielsen showed that even if a viewer watched only one second of a video ad, there was a measurable lift in ad recall, brand awareness, and purchase consideration. (You're welcome! You can go back and share that when the CEO asks, "But will it work?")

At the heart of the corporate video landscape is the interview - particularly in any service based business, or any industry with a lot of competition. After all, people buy from people, and audiences want to know, like, and trust you before they ever want to hear a sales pitch. A great copywriter can come up with a savvy, funny, smart, or heart wrenching script, but when it comes to interview, what's on screen is what's on screen. Authentic. Unscripted. Real. And, too often, guarded, awkward, or, well, boring. Scared to get in front of the camera? Afraid to come off as a "talking head'? There's no need to be - we can help!

Tip #1: Be Yourself

Yeah, who else would you be, right? But when that lens is turned on you, the lights are blinding, and the you can see that little red "recording" beam, it can be anything but easy to be yourself. Take a deep breath. Look the person who's conducting the interview in the eye. (No one there? Make someone you trust stand there and listen to you). And forget that the camera is there. 

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Tip #2: Talk to One Person

Yes, you are producing a video so that you can talk to a broad audience, so this may seem counter productive. But the true value of video comes when each individual who views it walks away feeling like they've had a one on one conversation with you. You can't create that experience without having a one on one conversation.

So, pick an ideal audience member profile (you should have done this well before the camera ever started rolling.) Design an interview structure that will answer the questions that that one audience member will want to know. And have a conversation. Don't worry about stating every point perfectly, just talk. But don't overshare, please heed

Tip #3: Keep it Simple

Try not to get too detailed or technical. There are better ways to convey highly technical information than interview (such as animation), so keep the content in line with the style. Interviews are all about authenticity, trust, and emotion, so keep the answers on that level. Yes, get excited about your business. Yes, laugh, cry, if it's appropriate. Share a personal story. 

Don't memorize a script, or a list, or a set of technical specifications. Think about a video interview as a first date - you want to make a great impression, and then you want to leave them ready to take the next step. It's more important to connect than to inform - the time to inform will come later. And, speaking of first dates, you should definitely

Tip #4: Have Fun

And this can be made so much easier if you like the person who's conducting the interview. Are they at ease? Are they creating a fun, relaxed atmosphere? Are they making you feel rushed, or like you have plenty of time? Are they listening, and engaged in what you're saying?

A typical interview session for 1-2 minutes of video will last for 15-25 minutes, which gives a good interviewer time to establish rapport, create a relaxed environment, capture all of the relevant information, and stretch out. After all, some of the best stuff comes after the subject thinks the camera has stopped rolling (a little trade secret). So whether you hire a professional production company, work with an existing relationship, or have someone on staff conduct the interview, make sure you're comfortable around, feel heard by, and genuinely like the person asking the questions. That'll help you create an interview driven video that you, and your audience, truly love.

Love our work? Want to get to know us better? Well, we'd love to! Contact us to schedule a time.