The demand for video content has never been higher. A recent study from Wistia found that 93% of businesses – big and small – rate video as an important part of their marketing strategy.
In other words, video is where it’s at! Here are some fundamentals to creating a video that will keep your audience’s attention – no Hollywood budget required.
A viewer clicked on your video – nice! Now, just like fishing, you must set the hook and keep them on the line.
It’s likely you intrigued them with an eye-catching visual. But that usually won’t be enough to keep them engaged. Keeping a viewer interested means telling them a story. So right from the start, tell them something they’ll be dying to know more about or ask them a question they’ll want answered.
As part of your hook, you can also consider giving them a short summary of what’s to come or even a sneak peek. Let them know that investing their time into watching your video will not go to waste.
Pacing is the speed of the edits that ultimately set the tone for the video.
A slower pace with fewer scenes can create emotion or suspense. A quicker pace with lots of fast cuts is effective for drama and excitement. This not only applies to visual elements but audio as well.
When you’re creating your video, think about what kind of emotional tone you want to create. Translating tone to pace then boils down to these kinds of things:
Choosing a pace that matches your desired tone is essential to telling your story effectively. The last thing you want to do is bore your audience with a slow video about something exciting or overstimulate them by discussing a serious subject.
Another way to set the video tone is through music.
Set two different music tracks to the same visuals and you’ll quickly understand the importance of music on your final asset. Consider how a smiling child with cheerful music playing underneath could suddenly turn sinister if the score from your favorite horror movie was used instead.
You’ll also want to consider how a track can influence the pace of your video, both perceptually and as a function of how visuals will be cut to it. Finding a track with the right genre, mood and tempo to complement your video’s tone can be the difference between keeping an audience engaged and connected or not.
What’s the ideal length for video content?
HootSuite calculated the average video length on various social media platforms. Not surprisingly, YouTube videos are the longest, averaging 15 to 20 minutes. Videos on LinkedIn average 30 to 60 seconds. The shortest videos are on Instagram and TikTok – where a five-second average is right on point.
Video length also influences the length of time people stick around and watch. Wistia found that viewers typically watch about 16 seconds of a 60-second video. That’s a pretty high engagement rate compared to a 30-60 minute video that will keep someone interested for about 11 minutes, a 26% engagement rate.
Ultimately, what keeps your viewers engaged with videos includes all the fundamentals above. But what wins every time is the story.
Giving your audience a compelling way to relate to your message, while keeping it on brand, will reinforce it. After all, who would you want to relate to your message more than your target audience?
Need help developing a marketing strategy including video? Give us a call!
Do you still hear the phrase “print is dead?” Pair that with the struggles in the newspaper industry and the dramatic rise of online advertising and we are likely to believe it. However, print is still a very relevant medium for your brand – and your brain – and there is scientific evidence to support it.
