Yep that’s all you have to make an impact with video online. And that’s on a good day.
If you don’t engage your audience quickly they will click away faster than a hyperactive castanet player at the world championships.
However when you get it right you have a much better chance of converting that viewer into a customer.
Online stats show that people who watch your video are 85% more likely to purchase from you. I read it online so it must be true.
Where can you lose people?
Spending 10 seconds or more on an impressive opening corporate logo, might make you feel warm and fuzzy and impressive, but it’s self indulgent and the viewer is getting ready to move on if they haven’t already. I have never been a fan of the splash pages on websites. I notice you see them less and less these days.
To engage them quickly you need to tune into who they are and what they need.
Two questions I ask every client when making a video for them: Who will be watching this (audience) and What do you want them to take away from the video (message).
Often we then need to work with them to drill down to what they are really trying to achieve. However once we have the answers to these questions the path ahead is much easier. Very quickly you know what’s appropriate and what’s not.
One way to quickly engage your audience is with a connecting question. Something that they particularly want to know about.
Colourful dynamic visuals can also hook them, as can the right music. It will vary for each production but so long as you keep your audience and their needs in mind you will head in the right direction.
If you must show your brand or logo then bring it in for a short period as late as you can. These days with text and info you can plaster around an embedded video you can clearly identify the clip on YouTube, your website or Facebook so there is less need to take up valuable seconds within your content.
What engaging introductions to videos have you seen lately?
Geoff Anderson is the owner of Sonic Sight, a video production facility in Sydney.He is an author, presenter and a video producer.
Tweet him, book him, connect, learn, read, be friends, visit.
