It is predicted by 2016 that 1.6 billion people will watch video online, and with this growth, the expectation will increase for audiences to also want to consume information in this format. In fact, the increase of video traffic on the web will rise from 57% to 69% in 2017. This means that a million minutes of video content will cross the network ever second in 2017.

With video consumption on the rise – it can become one of the marketing department’s most powerful tools. Videos can be used to attract new customers, encourage existing ones to upgrade to a new product or even handle a product recall or crisis quickly and efficiently.

This is where a short video can be used as an alternative to lengthy text descriptions, telephone calls and face-to-face demonstrations to help aid the customer in their purchasing journey. James McQuivey from Forrester Research believes that one minute of video is worth up to 1.8 million words. Video can provide easily accessible, on-demand information in a way that is both easy to digest and engaging.

So how do you make sure your video marketing is head and shoulders above your competitors whilst remaining affordable? The answer is simple - create content that is targeted to your audience, accessible on multiple devices and shareable.

One way to create compelling video content is through screencasting software that can be used to record everything from applications and mouse clicks to your audio commentary via your computer screen. Screencasts are accessible because they require very little investment in terms of equipment and unlike working with video cameras or other videography equipment, can be learnt quickly.

To make successful screencasts, there are a few factors for any marketer to consider:

Knowing Your Audience

Step one in any video marketing initiative is to think about the audience you are targeting. A marketing video might be informative and engaging to one viewer, but to another it could miss the mark entirely.

Whilst it is unrealistic that you will be able to create videos that are tailored specifically to one person, it is important to think about what your overall target audience needs to know and how this information should best be delivered. To do this you need to ask yourself: if you were looking to buy, what features and functionality would ‘seal-the-deal?’ By thinking about your video from the mindset of your intended audience you will be more effective at keeping their attention and creating a preference for your products and services. Key questions to ask yourself include:

· Who is going to watch the screencast video and what do they need to know?
· Where are they going to watch the video? At work? On the train? At home? Does the chosen content need to be localised?
· When will the audience watch the video?
· How will the audience view the video? Will it be in front of a computer that has speakers or will it be on their smartphone device or tablet?

Use Your Team’s Knowledge

Another thing to think about early on in the creation process is allowing a variety of stakeholders within your business to provide input to make your video content as strong as possible. Employees from different teams, such as sales or development, will be able to bring interesting insights to the table that could be included in your video. A number of video editors are now linked into collaborative spaces such as Google Drive and Hangouts so that teams can provide feedback and information on what to include in real-time. This will make it easier to gain insights rather than sifting through a number of emails, making phone calls or attending face-to-face meetings. The latter is especially difficult for a business that is spread across a number of different locations.

Methods of delivery

Jumping straight into creating a screencast could result in a longer than usual video, which could be considered unfocused and as a result, less likely to hit the desired mark. One way to create a concise and useful video is to create a storyboard.

Used by directors and producers, a storyboard offers a way to visually outline and evaluate a video scene-by-scene to see how it will look before making it. It can be created by sketching out each step, or by taking screenshots of each step in the process of the video. In addition to creating a storyboard, the use of a script can also prove beneficial. A script will help refine key messages and ensure only what needs to be said is conveyed. It can also help to ensure the presenter stays on track to get that engaging video content.

Additionally, scripts are a perfect way in which to control the length of the video’s message. Viewers can switch off when watching a video if they feel they are not getting the information that they need, or consider the video long-winded. Adding in a bit of extra information, while convenient for the content creator, is not always effective and can obscure getting the message across. It actually is better to keep the video brief and concise.

Timing is Key

Respondents to the TechSmith Video Viewership Survey stated that marketers have less than 50 seconds in which to capture interest and engage or they will skip the content altogether. With this in mind, assessing how long any video should be is a significant factor in the planning stage.

Marketing videos need to provide audiences with short and snappy information, given that the average attention span of an adult is just 2.8 seconds. Whilst longer videos are applicable in education and training settings, in marketing, short and ‘snackable’ video content enables potential customers to go straight to the new product feature that is important to them, without having to fast-forward through a 10 minute video.

Adding the finishing touches

Including interactive features in your marketing video such as embedded links to additional content, interactive quizzes or annotations, bring your video to life. The trick is not to overload a video with too many effects or actions to take that can be off-putting as the viewer might not have enough time to interact with the video, visit an accompanying website or read annotations. Knowing where and when it is appropriate to include these features is key to creating an engaging video.

Analysing and optimising your content

Once the video is published, tools such as Google Analytics, Salesforce and Optimizely can be used to dig deeper and help you understand how your viewers interact with your content. These tools can highlight where in the video people switch off, which sections are most effective at eliciting a response and when people choose to share a video on social networks. This enables you to find out what is working well and what isn’t, which is especially useful if you are planning a series of videos.

With increasing numbers of businesses creating digital marketing videos, it is vital to ensure your video stands out from the crowd. This can be achieved by creating content that is personable, to the point and measurable. There are many ways in which to create the perfect video content through screencasting but being open to new ideas and testing to see what works best with the audience will provide the best recipe for success.

 

By Matt Pierce of TechSmith. 

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