According to recently released statistics viewers will watch an internet video for an average of 2.7 minutes before switching to something new. The popularity of gifs, Vine, “listicles” and the mobile app Snapchat all stem from this desire for concise storytelling with a quick payoff.
Now that video content has proven to be an effective and pragmatic marketing tool, the question for many companies is how to create content that can engage and retain these easily distracted viewers.
With a corporate video you can create content directly for your customers, or entice a specific target audience to visit your site. While this can help make your video more idiosyncratic, it also means that you may push the boundaries of the 2.7 minute average viewing time.
The question is therefore how can you ensure that your video is getting your message across without losing your audience?
At TellyJuice we specialise in combining all aspects of corporate video production to produce a winning final product. Here are our top tips for creating corporate videos that will hold the attention of your viewers.
A sense of humour is fine, as long as your audience shares the joke
This tongue-in-cheek Twitter recruitment video highlights many of the pitfalls that companies can fall into when making corporate videos. Luckily the social media giant manages to avoid all of them in their irreverent, witty and inoffensive video.
Using real employees instead of actors can seem like a fantastic way to save money but can ultimately undo everything you are attempting to achieve by making a video in the first place.
A funny script won’t be enough to save your corporate video if the acting, and comic timing, isn’t up to scratch. A comedy video is always worth running by a test group, just to double check that your jokes are landing.
Provide a useful and engaging guide to your product
A picture may be worth a thousand words but a minute of video is worth an estimated 1.8 million. An onsite explainer video can be the ideal way to explain the basics of your product or service in a clear and concise manner.
This DropBox explainer video manages to cram a lot of information about the services the website provides into just over two minutes of run time.
The video takes the concept of the website and explains it in clear and relatable terms, using the character of “Josh” to encourage the viewer to see the service in terms of how it could benefit them personally.
Always keep in mind the story you want to tell (and run it by an objective party)
Testing out your story on real audiences can be invaluable at every stage of planning and production. While controversial content may result in your video being watched, shared and talked about, it will ultimately do your brand image more harm than good.
If objections or criticisms are voiced about the content of your video then do not give in to the temptation to ignore it for the sake of a joke you personally think is funny. Viewers will watch and share your video for a number of reasons, not all of which may be positive, so keep in mind what you hope to achieve in the long-term
Even the biggest companies can sometimes get this wrong. This Google video demonstrating the new features available with the Gmail inbox has been criticised for what many have seen as sexist content.
The golden rule for corporate videos is to listen to criticism and carefully evaluate if it is worth keeping content that some may object to, even if you yourself find it inoffensive.
Make every second count. Why should the viewer watch to the end?
This can be a valuable question to ask throughout the process of creating your corporate video. Tight editing is a key component of a slick and professional video and can even be used to add humour and thematically connect scenes.
The video below, made by an Australia-based toilet paper manufacturing company, takes its time in explaining the unique selling point of its business model and the charitable aspects of its enterprise.
The video is almost three minutes long but creative use of animation, combined with an impressive amount of puns, ensures that the viewer sticks with the video to the end.
Find a hook to entice visitors to your site
There is no such thing as a boring product, only a product that has not been marketed to its full potential. The first few seconds of your video are vital as you will only have a small window in which to entice viewers to continue watching. This is not the time for a complex explanation or uneventful demonstration.
One example of the extraordinary success that can come with a winning video concept is the ‘Will It Blend’ series of videos.
The popular videos, produced by US blender manufacturing company BlendTec, show company founder Tom Dickson attempting to blend various unusual items.
These videos have gained popularity by finding a way to combine their product with the innate human love of watching expensive objects get destroyed in the name of fun (and science).
