The data doesn’t lie – many people would rather watch a video than read text.

Amy Balliett (Author, Founder and CEO of Killer Visual Strategies) says that when your high-quality videos stay under 90 seconds, you can expect to see an increase in conversion rates and a better chance to rank higher in search results.

Visual content is the best way to engage your audience and the demand for video is growing at a rapid rate.

 

Best video practices

 

1. The data proves the demand

  • 90% of audiences prefer visual content over traditional formats.
  • Today’s audiences watch an average 16 hours of video online each week (purely short form video – 10 minutes and less).
  • 54% of consumers want brands to deliver more video content than they currently do.
  • When it comes to learning about products or services online, 69% of US consumers prefer watching video over any other form of information delivery.
  • 84% of customers say that watching a video convinced them to buy (product specific).
  • Blogs that include videos see three times the number of inbound links when compared to blogs that don’t.
  • Video is 53 times more likely than traditional content to make it to page one on Google.

How are marketers deep diving into this?

  • 73% of marketers have seen a positive ROI from their video marketing efforts.
  • In response to the pandemic, 70% of marketers have increased their budgets for video.

 

2. Production quality matters

  • You can’t put out video just for the sake of it. 94% of a brand’s first impression is based on design. There is rising quality expectation, as we all have smart phones with incredible capabilities. Don’t deliver to your audience what they can do themselves. They expect something greater than what they can do.
  • 62% of audiences report having a negative perception of a brand after watching low-quality video.
  • 92% of marketers fear the level of competition in video marketing increased considerably in 2021. You are competing with not only the brands in your industry but also with customers.

 

3. Process + creativity = success

You can’t create a great 90-second video overnight, you need a clear process, vision and goal. This includes: script and storyboard, design and animation.

You need a success statement, a compelling reason in one sentence:

(Audience) SHOULD (action) (product/service) BECAUSE (single most compelling reason).

  • Once you have your sentence:
  1. record your strategic sentence (this keeps everyone grounded).
  2. understand how your audience sees your brand (different audiences react to different styles).
  • More than 75% of online videos is viewed on mobile devices first (imagery must be easy to see).
  • 92% of US consumers watching on a mobile device keep the sound off during viewing (make sure value proposition is delivered clearly). A voice-over is the cherry on top and extra confirmation of your value.
  • Videos must get shorter and shorter in length.
  • Multiple goals can derail your message.
  • Be specific. Communicate the correct message to the correct people, correctly.
  • As you develop your script, ask yourself: Is this a story? Who is the hero? What obstacles does your hero have? Does your audience connect with the hero’s desire?

 

4. Do more than what your audience can do

  • Ask yourself: How can I bring something visually to life?
  • Avoid the stigma of stock – custom, visual imagery is seven times more likely to convert than content relying on stock video, illustrations or images. Use original video content.
  • High-quality videos take at least 100 hours of combined work to produce.
  • Repurpose your video for all your other content (connect content ecosystem), such as gifs, multi-page whitepapers, infographics and social media.

 

Important takeaways

 

Keep your video around 90 seconds

  • Act 1: The first 30 seconds should make up the problem statement
  • Act 2: The next 30-45 seconds should explain why your product is the solution
  • Act 3: The final 15-30 seconds should provide a call-to-action for the viewer

Make it original and custom

  • Score and sound design: An original score and sound design will carry the action forward
  • Custom design: All brands are custom versus stock. Use custom design to best represent your brand aesthetic
  • First impressions: You want your first impression to communicate a commitment to quality, not a commitment to doing things the cheapest way possible

How exciting – it’s time to get creative!

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