Video has proven to be the most engaging form of content in recent years (including in Kelowna advertising) and that’s currently unlikely to change.
But video isn’t something you can just hammer out, nail up on your social media, and expect people to come and see your handiwork like an elementary art show. It isn’t engaging on its own, you need to give people a reason to stay and watch your film (or Kelowna advertisement). So how do you go about creating the next viral sensation, a clip people play over and over again or, at the very least, something people will watch at least once? Learn more below…
Set Up Strategies With The Right Direction For Fame
Before you get your hands on a camera, put on a black beret, buy yourself a director’s chair from Amazon, and start barking orders behind a megaphone, stop and think about what you want to create. What’s the primary goal of the video you’re trying to make? Is it brand awareness, a product highlight, showcasing a client testimonial, etc.? Each will have its own way of presenting your business and should be approached as such.
You’re also going to want to keep in mind who the video is for. While it might be a funny video to the people inside the company, will the people you’re going to be sharing it with understand the humour and also find it funny? Will they understand the goal of the video? You need to make it clear what sort of purpose the video will serve. If it’s just a brand awareness video, then maybe you can take a lighter tone and make it more casual. If it’s highlighting a new product meant for high-class professionals, joking about your product may not send the best message to your audience.
Businesses (including those advertising in Kelowna) are having a tougher and tougher time keeping the attention of viewers. This means shorter videos are key; if you can say your message in less, do it. However, don’t be afraid to plan for a longer video shoot to film plenty of content. Filming videos are like getting a haircut, you can always cut it shorter when you’re done, but it’s much more difficult to add more when you only have a little to work with.
Appeal To Human Psychology
People want closure, so give them a payoff when they click through to your content. This is particularly important nowadays with so much clickbait on the internet. “10 Ways These Magic Toasters Will Cure Blindness. Number 6 Will Amaze You!” is garbage because these sorts of headlines ruin any kind of trust you’ll actually get the payoff you’re looking for. They also make your brand look cheap and untrustworthy: both things you want to avoid.
Instead, you’re going to want to build tension over time. For example, let’s say you’re showing off how your brand new toaster works in a video. You typically wouldn’t want to show the final product (i.e. toast) first. The audience has no reason to continue watching. Instead, maybe you show off all the impossible tasks it can’t do:
“This toaster won’t solve world peace. It can’t do your taxes. It won’t get you out of going to your job. It can’t bring your favourite cancelled TV show back. But does it make the best toast ever after a rough sleep? Absofrickenlutely. No mess, set your favourite toast setting easily, and enjoy crispy goodness in minutes.”
Notice the build-up? Obviously, it’s a toaster, so you really already know the payoff, but by highlighting all the things it can’t do, you build up tension. If these things are all impossible for the toaster, what can it do? Does it do more than just toast? You won’t know unless you watch the whole video. You also build humour with each mention of things the toaster can’t do. Humour is also powerful as it can keep your audience engaged as you continue to build toward a payoff. Just be cautious, as you really need to know your audience to avoid people taking what you’re joking about too seriously.
Both building tension and creating intrigue help with something called the “curiosity gap.” It’s a theory and practice that leverages using a person’s curiosity to get them to click through to your content. So while clickbait can work to do just that, ultimately people will leave when they realize you’re taking advantage of them; clickbait satisfies the curiosity gap, but fails to retain your audience. The best videos set up interest in the title without being “clickbaity” and also begin building interest within the first few seconds of the video. Seriously, it’s the first few seconds of video. People are starting to have shorter attention spans than that of goldfish. Don’t let them slip away with a boring start to your video.
Get The Right Equipment (But Don’t Feel Obligated To Buy Expensive Gear)
While it will really depend on how many videos you’re going to make and what the goal of them is, you likely don’t need to buy high-end video equipment to produce what you want to make. Own a smartphone with a built-in camera? Boom, you’re already almost done. Nowadays, most smartphones have high-quality video features you can quickly set up. Find a wall with a single colour to have a good background for your video, or buy a simple white backdrop you can set up to provide the largest amount of reflective light.
Speaking of lighting, this might be the one thing to invest in. If your office doesn’t have a large amount of light or there are few windows you can use, getting some basic lighting gear can help illuminate your subject properly and evenly. It’s especially important to minimize the number of shadows, as that can make certain features of people stand out more, and is often less flattering.
But what about recording audio? Try and record in a quiet location that doesn’t echo. If that’s not possible consider investing in something like a lavaliere microphone (the ones that clip onto people’s shirts) to help you get clear audio for your shoot.
Video is an incredibly powerful and engaging medium; it’s the closest thing to talking to your audience without them physically being in front of you. You should put the requisite amount of time and effort in to best display your brand when advertising in Kelowna. Your audience will appreciate the work you put in. Who knows? You could even become the next famous video on the internet, just hopefully not a meme.
Post Author
Andrew Buckley
Andrew likes to write. And that's a good thing because he's good at it. He likes Canada, the UK, and of course, pop tarts.
