Do you ever wonder why some videos go viral and others die on the vine? What if you spend significant time and resources creating a great concept, and even better content, and nothing happens? Understanding what makes a video convert is critical, and we have some pointers to share:
CONTEXT
Before you set out to create your video, think about your target audience. Think about what they like to do, how they work, and how they play. Consider what they watch, not just the content, but also their device and time of day preferences. Once you know your audience, it’s so much easier to create content that will resonate.
During the second-to-last episode of the Daily Show, Arby’s took the opportunity to say goodbye (#JonVoyage), with a 60-second montage of Jon Stewart’s best jokes about the brand during his 16-year run. While self-deprecation is something most marketers would never do, this mocking montage is timely and shows the Daily Show audience that it, too, has personality.
BE CONCISE
While video lets you tell a full-featured narrative, it’s important to remember how people consume information. The average person’s attention span is only 8 seconds, rivaling that of a goldfish! Effective video content is crisp and to the point.
The first 5 seconds of a video ad are crucial—if you don’t hook people then, you’ll lose them. GEICO understands this, putting an emphasis on those first few seconds of its newest digital ads while poking a little fun at preroll ads in the process.
CONNECTION
Engagement is the action a consumer takes after exposure to an advertisement; in other words, a consumer that is engaged is a consumer who converts. Good video needs to do two things to drive conversion: generate curiosity, or the interest to interact with a video, and create an emotional connection that compels viewers to share.
Bridget O’Brien, VP of Brand Communications at Vistaprint, aimed to create this emotional connection in Vistaprint’s first-ever brand campaign: “We created an original song to convey the emotion and then used our products, rather than dialogue, to communicate the story. To be truly global, we knew we needed to tap into a universal truth that would resonate with people around the world. Relationships, especially multi-generational bonds, are a common thread that all the small business owners we talk to value, and speak to a truth small business owners experience in a way unique to them.”
CALLS TO ACTION
The final element necessary for conversion is a call to action. You’ve delivered compelling content, so tell your viewer what to do next, whether it’s viewing another video, clicking to a landing page for a coupon or trial, guiding them to a survey to gather immediate insight, or driving them to a web page with more information. Given the importance of the call to action, it’s worth testing – try two offers or different landing pages to see which yields a higher conversion.
In addition to share icons and a custom call to action message, Tempur-Pedic leveraged a sentiment study at the end of its video to gauge consumer perceptions of its brand after watching its newest campaign.
The takeaway: you’ve invested time and effort in creating a great video, and making sure it gets seen is just part of the challenge. The video should drive viewers to engage with your brand, and ultimately, develop a connection with your brand that drives conversion.
For more information on creating video content that converts, download our white paper:
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