5 Key Factors That Make Video Marketing Work

The agency I founded does quite a bit of video work. At any given time, about 25% of our workload is writing, producing and promoting video content. Video marketing is a very hot trend, and for good reason: it engages prospects in a (hopefully) quick, clear, and entertaining way. But many of our clients come to us after having trouble getting the results they want on their own, or with a creative house.

Here are the main factors that most failed to take into account:

1. It’s not about your product – not at first – it’s about your customer.
   I know that sounds odd. After all, the whole point is to get people interested in your product, right? Well, yes, but people aren’t drawn to a video to see yet another product pitch. They first need a reason to watch – you must, in essence, get their permission to get 2 minutes of their time. And how do you do that? You talk about THEM – their problems, their feelings, their aspirations, etc. You have to convince them that you understand them. It is only once they believe this that they are likely to want more information about your product, and that may be the next video you produce (see below).
   
   
2. Think about how the video makes them feel.
   In the space of 100 seconds, you’re not going to transfer a ton of knowledge. This is why college degrees aren’t offered on YouTube (are they?). Moving on – almost any media is successful because of how it makes us feel. Communicating information about your product is secondary to making them feel that you care about them, and making them feel curious, even excited, about finding out more.
   
   
3. Have a sense of humor.
   You’re reaching people at work, right? They’re involved with pretty important things all day. So do you think they want to watch a deadly-serious story? Even when the problems themselves are serious, most people appreciate empathy with a little bit of fun; it’s a nice distraction to the day. What’s more, if it makes them smile – or better yet laugh, they’re far more likely to share it with their peers and higher-ups, which is where the value really takes off.
   
   
4. Tell a story.
   Even in the space of 90-100 seconds, you need to bring the viewer a conflict (problem) faced by a protagonist (usually the customer), that’s exacerbated by a villain (which can simply be a condition such as high costs, too much workload, etc.), and which is resolved through the help of an ally (you). You don’t need to be Shakespeare, but those elements have to exist in some form. If your plot is “Hey, look how cool our product is!” (see above), you’re unlikely to get traction.
   
   
5. Give them the logical next step.
   If you’ve been successful at making them feel that you have empathy, and that you can help them in some way, NOW is the time to give the viewer a simple way to satisfy their curiosity. Demos, trials, follow on product videos can all work well, but they have to be easy to get to. Don’t start gating yet unless you absolutely have to (hint: you probably don’t). If you can, make simple product overviews and validation elements like case studies and testimonials work for you here. If you can then gate them through something like a live demo sign up, or a “speak with a specialist” offering, those often work rather well.

There’s of course a lot more to consider in terms of script-writing, production, aesthetics, promotional plans, etc., but these are the basics. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. You can also email me at ken@growthcurvemarketing.com, and I’ll try to answer you directly.