Every minute of every day, over 50 hours of new video are uploaded onto YouTube. Given this tsunami of new material it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and hesitate about making a significant commitment to video.
But if you approach online video as a two-step process—creative and compelling production AND resourceful and aggressive online promotion—you can successfully ride this wave and reach the audiences you need to influence. Now that virtually every communicator recognizes how critical online video has become, mastering this technique has become more important than ever.
Here are some tips to get you started. Consider it Online Video 101, a series of basics to keep in mind as you dip your toe in the online video water.
- Define your target audience. Basic marketing, of course, but something many online video creators neglect. They want to go “viral”, forgetting that 99.9% of videos never accomplish that elusive goal. Instead, figure out what demographic is most important to you—Gen Y males, soccer moms 30-49, health care business execs—and devise a production and syndication strategy designed particularly for them.
- Maintain professional production values. The days of tinny audio and faces barely visible in bad lighting are far behind us. You don’t need to break the bank on your production. But audiences won’t accept poorly produced video anymore when there is so much to choose from.
- Visually surprise your audience. In news they have the “money shot”, the visual that encapsulates the story. Online video demands a series of money shots, visuals that keep your audience watching. Use talking head interviews only when necessary; instead, concentrate on creating images that advance the narrative (while keeping your brand identity intact).
Grab your audience in the first 15-20 seconds. Your video is history if you don’t quickly demonstrate “what’s in it for me” to the viewer so make sure one of your most compelling visuals is right up front. Today’s audiences consume information in short bursts, often while they’re engaged with something else, so keep the video short. Two minutes and under is best. Three minutes is pushing it.
For more information about the latest developments in video and how to cost effectively leverage social and visual media to enhance your online reach and drive media to your content, contact NBN and ask about our multimedia news or video production and promotion services www.newsbroadcastnetwork.com/contact.
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Written by Mark Manoff