Video Killed the Social Media Star: How Not Using Videos Can Be a Mistake

Video Killed the Social Media Star

How not using videos can be a mistake

Business Marketing Strategy

When you look at your marketing strategy for your business, do you think you are utilizing all of the necessary tools to most effectively reach all of your potential clients? If you aren’t using video, then the answer to that question is, no. A survey by dreamgrow.com found that 63% of businesses use video in their social media and 83% of those businesses say that using video in their marketing provides a good return on investment. Video is not just the “up and coming” marketing tool, it’s already here. If you haven’t started incorporating it into your social media then you are already behind your competitors.

Why is Video So Important to Consumers?

Why is video so important to consumers?  Well, for starters, it has to do with the fact that our most dominant sense as humans is vision.  According to Brainline.org  “Research estimates that eighty to eighty-five percent of our perception, learning, cognition, and activities are mediated through vision.”  Let’s think about that for a second. You’ve probably heard the saying “a picture is worth a 1,000 words” so imagine what moving pictures are worth. Video engages customers, it ignites their emotions, and it keeps people on your site longer. On top of that, according to moovly.com, you’re 53% more likely to pop up near the top of a Google search if you have video embedded on your website. Now, you should definitely be ready to add some video into your online presence.

 

Having a video is one thing, but you need to make sure that your video has an effective delivery system for the information. This is where a good video script can make all the difference. You can write your own or you can hire an agency to help write your scripts for you. If you decide to do your own video scripts, then here are a few, simple tips to keep in mind:

Here are some tips for writing your own video script

 

• Introduce yourself –  You’d be surprised at how many people forget this step, or skip it all together.  People will not necessarily be on your site when they view the video, so this is critical. Make sure your audience knows who you are. It’s informative, but it also allows them to form a quick idea of what kind of personality you have, and what you might offer. Start off your video with a simple introduction similar to this, “Hi, there! This is (your name here) with (your company name here) and in this video I’d like to share with you the importance of (your topic here). This let’s your audience know right from the start who you are, your company and what they can expect to hear in the video. Don’t keep them guessing or confused right from the beginning, be clear and direct.

 

 

• Keep it short and sweet – Your video should be no more than two minutes. You want people to listen to the whole thing without getting bored. Plus, in today’s society things move fast. People aren’t going to have the time to listen to lengthy videos, nor do they want to. So when you are practicing your script, make sure you time it out. A minute thirty seconds to two minutes tops is best, which comes to roughly 250-300 words.  If you have the capabilities of doing so (or hiring someone who does), running footage over you talking, using a different background, or shooting your footage on-location can break up the monotony of you talking in front of a plain gray or white background.

 

 

• Most important information – Since your time is limited, you want to make sure you get your most important information out there. So leave out the fluff. Hit the highlights and censor yourself. If it isn’t relevant to the topic then it doesn’t belong in your video script.   You’re using this video to invite your new prospects to go look at your website, so you can always reference a blog or eBook that you may already have online.  This is a movie trailer.  The goal is not to convey the entire plot, from start to finish, of the film, but to get the guest intrigued and have them decide whether they’d like to see more.

 

 

• Lead with a hook – Your video script needs to have relevant information, but you also want to make sure it’s interesting. Remember, you want people to stick around and listen. So lead off with a hook – an interesting fact or a quick wow factor that will grab your audience’s attention and leave them wanting to hear more of what you have to say.   If you don’t have one, you should get one– by using customer data, industry reports, or facts that were interesting to you the first time that you heard them.  Generally, your hook should ask a question or pose a problem that a consumer may have, and immediately solve it.

 

 

• Lead them back to you – At the end of your video, always lead your audience back to you. Ending with a phrase like, “For more tips and tricks check out my other videos at http://www.yourwebsitehere.com,” will reinforce your company name in your audience’s mind and encourage them to dig around your site a little more.   It should also remind them that you have the solution to their problem that you posed at the beginning of the video.

 

 

When you write out your actual script make sure that it is in a font style and size that is easy to read and see. If you are writing it for someone else, make sure that anywhere they need to plug in their own information is clear with big spaces or blanks. Remember, short and sweet is the rule of thumb, it shouldn’t be more than a page long. If you follow these tips you can create effective, memorable video scripts for your company’s social media presence.

 

Need help writing Video Scripts?

If you still feel like writing video scripts is not your strength, or maybe you just are too busy to devote the necessary time to do it well, then consider outsourcing the task. Using an agency can be extremely beneficial because it frees up your time so you can concentrate on the things you have to do yourself. These agencies are comprised of people that are familiar with what is out there and what catches an audience’s attention. They are trained to do the necessary research to learn how to effectively write to your target audience. They also do it with an unbiased eye, which will keep your message clear and easy to understand.

 

Sometimes, when you write your own content, emotions can get in the way. Also, there are so many things you want to share about your company, it can make it hard to pare down to the necessary info and what is going to be most crucial to attracting potential clients. You also have a lot of other tasks on your plate – you need to run your business after all. This can keep your content from getting written on time, which can hold up your website, and so on. A content writer is focused just on writing content, and they do it well and fast. So your message gets up and running and out to your potential customers quickly.

 

At Quatrefoil Content Creation we strive to deliver quality products to our clients to help you grow your business, so that you can spend more time on the things that need your personal attention. We’ve written over 100 video scripts and most of them have pretty solid results. You can see some examples of our video scripts on our portfolio page, here. Let us help you with your next video script! We look forward to working with you to create more ways for you to expand your business.