Posts Tagged Video Production
A Corporate Videos First Impression
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 23rd, 2010
First impressions are memorable, and a quality corporate video will seek to lead off with an image or logo that makes a meaningful and memorable impression in the minds of the viewer. Frequently, the subject matter of the intro will not merely be an attention grabber; it will also present the ethos of the company and the essence of what the video will subsequently be presenting.
To illustrate my point, I will use the intros of four corporate videos found on You Tube.
The Corporate Video, Treyer Paletten Bad Peterstal, found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_yIt8WLpZg introduces the Treyer company, a corporation that harvests lumber from the Black Forest in Europe. The video begins with a closeup of a large tree trunk. The camera pans across the flat wood surface and we see the system of circular ridges on the face of the wood. The series of ridges, which the tree had added year by year, tell us about the essence of what wood is and tell us also about the corporation, which like the tree, has grown over the years, bit by bit to reach its current size. The background music is ambient forest or jungle music, which adds to the effect created by the visual imagery. The camera subsequently pans to the surrounding forest, as we see leaves and the sun shining through the leaves.
The First Climate Corporate Video found at http://vimeo.com/1406550
begins with a shot of vaporous clouds passing across the sun and obscuring it. The camera then pans away and we see that the vapor is pouring out of the smokestack of a factory. The effect of the scene is enhanced by background music consisting of stringed instruments playing a classical theme such as one might hear in a climactic emotional moment of a movie. The scene then shifts to a dessert, where a nomad is walking across the sands with his burden laded donkey, Together the scenes foreshadow the central theme of the video which is the danagers of global warming and the loss of the ozone layer that protects man from the sun.
The Malaysia Airlines: 2005 Corporate Video
found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISEfIUc_kow begins with a view from an airplane flying above the clouds. As the plane cruses along, we view a time line of the airline’s plane development superimposed on the sky. Each new plane model is represented by its picture on the time line, which flashes on the screen, one at a time. The scene is enhanced by background music consisting of light percussion and wood flutes, which together produce an airy sounding theme. The desired impression imparted by the opening scene, which is emphasized throughout the video is that Malaysia Airlines is not merely a regional carrier, but in fact a world class carrier with world class airplanes.
What do all three corporate video intros have in common. Each one, presents in pictorial form the central theme or ethos of the video to come. Each one is presented as attractive imagery with appropriate musical accompaniment. Each one is designed to leave an indelible impression on the viewer at the moment when he is freshest.
Significantly, when a viewer prepares to watch a new video, it is with a sense of anticipation and expectation that he will have a pleasurable experience. He eagerly awaits the first scene to tell him if his anticipation was justified. If he is not disappointed, then he will probably watch the whole video. So the opening scene of the video has an important task to do, to meet the expectations of the viewer.
Intros that present the video’s theme, in addition to attracting attention, are most effective. A killer intro might attract viewers only to disappoint them a few seconds later when the actual subject of the video is presented. A related theme intro, on the other hand, that attracts the viewer, will probably hold his attention throughout the whole video, since the viewer already knows what to expects.
Filing The Body Of A Corporate Video With Substantial Material.
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 22nd, 2010
The meat of a corporate video is the content of the video which appears after the intro and before the close. In the Volvo Trucks North American Corporate Video, found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uook3SXdZnE
, for example, the intro is a shot of a Volvo truck traveling across a bridge in the early morning light. The narrator states “another day, and another important load to carry. The intro is artistic, aesthetic creative. The body of the corporate video, on the other hand contains the content and the message, which the company needs to be conveyed.
Before actually writing the storyline or narration for the body of the video, the company should have decided exactly what they are planning to say. What problems are they addressing, what achievements of the corporation do they wish to present, what changes in corporate policy or product focus do they wish to explain to shareholders, what new developments are down the pike, and liable to excite shareholders,
The video should address company problems early on, in order to put viewers at ease. The solution should be presented immediately after the presentation of the problem. The Volvo video, for example, addresses the following problem and solves it in two lines of narration appearing early in the script.
“In 1998, the Volvo group sold its passenger car business, and since then its focused exclusively on commercial transport including trucks. With annual sales of approximately 27 billion dollars, the Volvo group is a world leader in heavy trucks. ”
For those who didn’t know, the narrator informs the public that Volvo officially terminated its passenger car line in the 1990s. Viewers are now wondering how that decision affected corporation sales. In the next line the narrator notes the 27 billion dollars in annual sales.
If the body of a corporate video is impressive it should achieve that effect by the presentation of solid facts. Corporate videos are no place to be gimmicky or sensational. The Volvo video, for example describes the location of the major manufacturing plants in North America, and informs viewers that Volvo is now the second largest manufacturer of large trucks in the world. That’s not showmanship, that’s a truly impressive fact!
Corporate products should be described in a thorough manor, but without losing the audience in pursuit of detail. The video should maintain a balance between information and entertainment, being neither too weighty nor too empty headed. The Volvo truck maintains a balance by backing up descriptions of their truck lines with quality video snips of their brightly colored trucks riding down America’s highways.
Video producers, should know who their audience is likely to be, and tailor the content accordingly. If it will be seen by corporate investors and shareholders, then the content should be presented like pieces of steak that have been cut up into bite sized chewable pieces. The individual pieces should be appropriate for easy consumption. Taken as a whole, the pieces fit together and tell a whole story.
Impressive corporate facts and accomplishments are the delight of any corporate video. One fact included in the Volvo video, is the that Volvo is the largest heavy duty engine manufacturer in the world. After introducing the various plants, the video goes on to describe Volvo’s large network of 250 maintenance centers which keep Volvo trucks on the road. Then the video describes Volvo’s subsidiary Petro, which provides light service for Volvo trucks. Added to this is Volvo Link, which provides satellite navigation for the trucks, and Volvo Commercial Finance , which provides financial arrangements for purchasing Volvo trucks. The video content taken as a whole gives the viewer the satisfied feeling that Volvo provides comprehensive truck manufacturing, sales and performance support.
We can learn from the Volvo video that the content in the body of the video should be substantial and presented in an orderly and non-repetitive fashion. The content must address every problem targeted by the video and inform the public of the corporate achievements in a comprehensive and entertaining manor that leaves the viewer satisfied that he has a complete picture of how the company is doing.
How A Corporate Video Can Capture The Public Attention
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 21st, 2010
Corporate Video Production in Boston 2 found at http://espanol.video.yahoo.com/watch/8300343/22135476 presents bioengineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The promotional video clip features a distinguished professor presenting his research in the area of biomedical engineering; complete with a few shots of the laboratory.
While the corporate video clip does not have any motion graphics, captions or other special effects, it grabs people’s attention because of the content, and proves once more that content is king. People will pay attention to this video because it provides information that is relevant to their lives.
Without any special effort, the far reaching vision, the excellence and potentially useful applications of the research will impart to viewers a sense of the academic standards of MIT, in a completely natural way. The video will help to transforms the generalized public association of MIT with technological excellence into an appreciation of their role in producing socially relevent bioengineering research.
What should a corporation that is not as well known as MIT do, if they want to imitate this example, when they go to make their own corporate video? The answer is that before their corporate video, the producers and members of the concern must ask two questions. First, what are the unique qualities of excellence in their corporation. And secondly, what do these qualities mean to the public. Or put in another way, which of their outstanding qualities are going to be of greatest interest to the public.
It is important to realize that MIT did not randomly present one of their excellent projects to the public community. They could have presented any number of technical or theoretical areas of research found at the University; rather, they presented research which has meaning to viewers. The meaning translates into rapt attention which serves to magnify and underscore the central point of this video that MIT is an institution of excellence. The institution is one of excellence in general. But more importantly for the viewer, it is an institution of excellence in an area that can better his life.
So how can this plain message be incorporated into today’s trendy corporate videos, which come with killer intros, captivating narration, powerful branding imagery, hypnotizing sound tracks and captivating visual imagery? The truth is that a successful corporate video can include all of these features. However, the producers mustn’t let all special features obscure the presentation of the fundamental message of the video.
Los Vegas To Host The Humongous SEMA Trade Show
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 19th, 2010
An infomercial has its own special language, which sets it apart from all other types of sales or promotional videos. The language develops because infomercials are going for the immediate sale. According to standard infomercial format, a toll free number will be posted on screen towards the end of the advertisement, and viewers will be urged to call in and buy right away. To impel the sale, infomercial scripts are written in a style reminiscent of street side hucksters selling new innovative items for the kitchen or home.
Like the speech characteristic of hucksters, the language of the infomercial may sound repetitive even sing song like. It may even rise to the plaintive tones of a litany, as the narrator rolls off the problems the product can solve. All of these styles have been found to be effective in lulling the audience into submission, and getting them to make purchases.
In the The LunarVue - Short Form Infomercial sales video, found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4vMz9CJfk, the narrator starts by describing four different scenarios in which homeowners are in need of his product, a fingerprint identification door lock.
As the video proceeds the narrator addresses the viewers as follows:
“Has this ever happened to you?”
Or what about when?” ,
“You and your family just arrive home?”,
“What about this scenario?…”.
Four different scenarios are rolled out one after another. The idea is to lull the viewer into almost hypnotic like rapt attentio from the very beginning of the video.
Having stated the problem, the narrator now proceeds to lay a seemingly endless list of the fingerprint door lock qualities. The list is meant to impel the viewer to buy the lock now. The qualities follow each other relentlessly.
First comes the transitional statement.
“We’ll, you don?t have to ?”
And then comes the list:
“The new finger identification door…
“Check this out?”
“Hidden key hole.”
“Installation for this innovative?.”
“The fingerprint identification door lock?”
“If you go on vacation?”
“Experts say ?”
“Your security is guaranteed….”
“And it’s not just for the?.”
“You can add it to?”
“Many people are also?”
“On some models?”
Several points stand out as you review this list. The name of the product is mentioned twice, toward the top and then separated by three sentences. Other than that, qualities are introduced in a variety of ways. Language is meant to sound authoritative. Facts about the lock are presented that will tend to excite the viewer and make him want to purchase the lock. Reference is made to “many people” and to experts, (”experts say,”), statements meant to make the viewer feel that he is in a large group of people who like the product. Viewers are addressed as if they are in the room interacting with the host, “Check this out.” Additionally, a claim is made, “Your security is guaranteed.”
As the narrator heads towards the finish, he shifts his focus to closing the sale. Instead of presenting general features about the product, he begins to present specific info about individual models, information that will help sharpen the viewers buying decision.
These then are some of the characteristics of language used in an infomercial. If you have any questions just tune in to a late night television show where products are being sold live and you will be treating yourself to the latest in infomercial language.
Contrasting A Short Form Infomercial And A Sales Video
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 18th, 2010
The LunarVue - Short Form Infomercial sales video, found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip4vMz9CJfk, is called a sales video and an infomercial. However, when you look at it you will immediately recognize the style as that of an infomercial. What exactly is an infomercial style that is so readily apparent when we look at this video?
An infomercial has background music that is more bouncy, like synthesizer jazz type music, it is music that is action evoking. A sales video is bound to have background music that is more mood evoking, and rightfully so. A sales video is seeking to get the viewer to want the product and potentially purchase it next time he goes to the retail outlet. Whereas an infomercial is trying to get the viewer to take action right away, so it wants to impel immediate action.
What about the narration? An infomercial narrator is not hard to recognize. His voice and style will remind you a bit of a boardwalk huckster selling an amazing new kitchen utensil to the passer byes. His voice might sound thinner, possibly a bit higher pitched and excited, less intimate more addressed to a crowd. He’s showing you something so exciting, that you should take immediate action. A sales video narrator, on the other hand, will sound more personable, more human. He’s seeking to relate to you over the long run. He wants to win your trust. He wants you to take the memory of him with you next time you go to the store and are faced with a purchase decision regarding the product he represents.
What about the content? The story line of a standard infomercial, and a standard sales video might be somewhat similar. Classical storyline’s for both video types are similar, they include presentation of a problem, a demonstration of how the product solves the problem and a call for action. There are subtle differences, however, between the two video genres. The infomercial is showing you something so innovatively useful, that you’ve got to have it now. The problem it is going to solve stands out, theit is not only obvious, they may even appear exaggerated. The solution for the problem is dramatic.
The syle that infomercials adapt is not mere happenstance; companies frequently decide to market their product with infomercials when they find that they offer a dramatic useful innovation to the market. Sales video, even those that use the problem solution call to action approach, are usually more subtle. Because a sales video is not going for the immediate sale it can seek to create a desire for the product that is more enduring, and not so immediately dramatic.
Positive Saloes Video Introductions
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 13th, 2010
Classic sales video models talks about an intro that presents, in story form, the problem the product is going to solve. Aesthetically, there is another type of video intro that often appears in the first few seconds of a sales video. This intro introduces the product through a short positive visual and musical mood piece that seeks to entertain and entrance the audience. It is a kind of relaxer before the selling starts. And it often presents the beauty or excitement of the product.
An example of this type of intro is found in the Plasma Cam sales video seen at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8123545773270295339# . Before a narrator comes on and begins to present the product and describe all the problems the product can solve, images of the beautiful metal creations the computerized cutter can make appear on screen. The visual images are set to the backdrop of pleasant music. Whereas the intro in a traditional sales video seeks to gain the audience attention through a storyline, which presents the problem the product will fix, this type of intro initially appeals to the viewer through presentation of the beauty, which the product creates.
The HSSF sales video, found at http://vimeo.com/3903828, is another example of the same phenomena. The product this video is selling, is getting people to view a televised high school sports show. The video’s introduction is an exciting montage of shots of high school sporting events complete with live crowd noises, and appropriate motion graphics. If the product being sold is getting more people to view the show than the intro is not a traditional story telling event which informs viewers about a problem the product can solve. On the contrary, the video starts out by presenting the pure fun and excitement of the television show’s content. If the story of a problem is presented at all, it is only by way of implication, i.e., that you will be missing a lot of excitement if you don’t watch this show.
So while the traditional sales paradigm is story of problem, solution, this more positive paradigm is beauty fun and excitement of the solution, how to get the beauty.
There is a lot to be said for this more positive oriented paradigm. Even researchers in the effectiveness of operant conditioning to change behavior found that positive reward is a greater stimulus to change than negative punishment. So why punish viewers with a vision of negativity at the start of a sales video when you can jump right to the positive?
Sales Videos That Hold The Viewer’s Attention
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 7th, 2010
The standard paradigm for a sales video incldues showing a problem, and demonstrating that the product being offered has the solution. However, sometimes sales videos alter this paradigm and use a different technique to sell their product. The Cool SAP CRM Marketing Video Throw the Ball, found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GchfVy6hgVA&NR=1 , is an example of an alternative template type of sales video.
The SAP video greatly expands the amount of footage devoted to holding audience attention, one of the central requirements of any sales video. SAP CRM does this by presenting a viewer participation game, on screen. Two teams of actors, the whites and the blacks, each pass around a ball and viewers are asked to determine how many times the ball is passed among the white team members. While attention is riveted on counting the passes of the ball, a black belt gorilla walks among the participants, and most viewers fail to see him until the narrator reminds them and then replays the video.
Once the video has made its point, the narrator informs the viewers to “make sure your marketing team doesn’t miss the obvious.” A solution to this challenge, they are told is to use the SAP new CRM, which will allow them to identify hidden marketing trends that lurk beneath the surface of day to day fluxuations in the market.
In a sense, this video did not change the normal sales template, it merely compresses it.The captivating intro, which spans most of the presentation, introduces the problem, i.e. the danger of missing hidden trends in the market. The short narration at the end tells us that SAP provides the solution, the ability to help the sales team find the hidden trends. What are the advantages and possible disadvantages of this template?
The very apparent positive quality of this video is its powerful ability to rivet audience attention on the screen As the actors dance around, counting the number of passes is difficult. Viewers attention is riveted on the video, as they seek to count the number of passes. Many people probably got the count wrong, and then felt sheepish. But then when viewers find out that they missed seeing the black belt gorilla walking amidst the teams, they feel really foolish. And now they felt obligated to listen to the rest of the message, The video then succeeds, albeit briefly in making one point about their product, it is designed to help sales people spot marketing trends so they know where to focus their efforts.
What are the disadvantages of this template? The expansion of one task of a sales video, namely holding the audience’s attention, has forced compression of two other major tasks of a sales video. The video presents only a brief explanation of how this complex technology will help spot trends. And additionally, it merely tells us that the software does this. It shows us what some of the graphs on the software look like, but it doesn’t show the software in action. And normally, showing a product being used by someone else is a good inclusion in any sales video. So the video compresses presentation of the product features, and compresses an explanation as to how the product will solve the problem being presented.
Beyond all this, the video makes no effort to tackle important sales considerations such as pricing or the invitation to contact the company.So while the video is touted as a “sales video,” in many respects, it is more like a branding video, which gets the name of the company out to the public, but does little to actually sell the product.
What is the take away lesson from this video? While there are several well accepted components of any sales video, producers have the option to emphasize or deemphasize any component. In doing so, however, they need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of their strategy to be sure that the gain is greater than the sacrifice.
Sales Videos That Save The Worst For Last
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 6th, 2010
The Seasonal World Sales Video Chapter 3 Part 2 is the last part of a series of videos introducing the Seasonal World in the ground vinyl pools, to perspective clients. As a whole, the series lasts for slightly over 19 minutes.This is consistent with the finding that the greater the cost of an item being sold, the longer the sales video needs to be.
Generally, the style of a sales video selling a more expensive product is different than that of a video selling an inexpensive item. Common sense tells us that before people part with a lot of money, they want to know everything about what they are buying Also, they want the information presented in a detailed orderly way. Sales teams try hard to give perspective clients the feeling of what it will be like to own and enjoy the product, and that makes lots of sense.
The Seasonal World video provides a pleasant watery backyard poolside environment throughout their presentation. Transitions and backdrops for the onscreen narrator consist of a muted blue with large whitish bubbles that continually rise to the top. The background music consists of pleasant popular zylophone background music with a nice beat.
In this the last segment of the video presentation, a series of Seasonal World pool features are presented to the viewer.
Some sales videos produced by companies that are totally self confident, seek to encourage the viewer to have complete thought about their product. They know they have a great product, and when the public knows enough about it they will buy. Other companies skew their presentation a little bit towards the positive feature side and encourage potential customers to put off consideration of the negatives until they are so much in love with the product and so desirous of having the experience of buying it that they will put up with the cost and or negative features.
The Seasonal World Video is a bit skewed towards the positive feature type of presentation. However, it does it artfully and is worthy of note. The pool features which the company presents in Chapter 3 Part 2 are features recognized as the best on the market. Presentation of these features look very invitingly on the video screen. For example, the company presents the Vanquish in floor cleaning system, which is guaranteed to clean 99% of the pool floor or money back. The company also presents their heat pump, the only pump on the market with a heat sensor that automatically shuts down and thereby saves on energy costs. Video segments of each of these features present the clean underground sides and floor of the pool, and views of family members snorkeling through the water.
The video also describes the pools passive solar heating capability and the MBX anti entrapment main drain, which is the only drain on the market that has all the safety features which will insure that no one ever becomes entrapped in the underwater drain!
The strength of the video is denhanced by the narrator.She is an attractive, very cheery and friendly young woman with a friendly smile, and appears both on and of screen throughout the video series.
What does this video teach about sales videos ? It teaches us that to consider the video length versus cost of the item being sold curve. It teaches that videos selling more costly items should present more precise and technical details about the product. It reminds us that the sales video should provide an inviting environment throughout which gives the potential customer the sense of owning the product. The video also suggests a dichotomy between videos that strive to intellectually convince perspective customers to buy their product versus videos which strive to make customers buy the product because they love it and must have it. Regarding this last dichotomy, a company producing a video should decide where they stand on this continuum. If they are going to leave out certain details until the end of the selling process or beyond, they should do it artfully as this video did.
Corporate Videos Employing Fantasy Themes To Hold Viewer Attention
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 6th, 2010
Corporate videos may be internally focused, if they present the true story of the company, and in that way seek to win users and financial supporters for the company products. Or corporate videos may be externally focused if they present images and facts about the company, and dress them up in a way that is expected to impress the public.
The corporate video from Tetra Pack, found at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3746615746129582317#docid=3573471230342398082 is a video of the second type. It presents facts about the development and future potential of the compressible Tetra Pack fiber made food containers, and intertwines them with a futuristic type of high tech crime story line in which invaders seeking to know secrets about Tetra Pack break into corporate headquarters, but are finally caught. The Hollywood footage is meant to entertain the public and grab their attention. The effect is enhanced by a presentation of the Tetra Pack information in the form of a futuristic type briefing of tetra pack employees, in sterile well lit, sound proof steel tunnel, where a researcher clad in a white lab coat addresses four young assistants.
As the video progresses the researcher presents the essence of the video message, namely that Tetra Pack came up with a great idea in 1952, a compressible fiber food container that takes up almost no space when empty. This scene is followed by another one, showing a subject participating in product testing. The testing shows the subject becoming more and more enthralled with the food containers as they progress from older to more modern and sophisticated Tetra Pack designs.
In the third segment, the invaders have broken into room where they watch a hologram display showing how Tetra Pack has developed new containers, which imitate the curvilinear shapes found in the contour of a cows body, in order to imitate the beauty found in nature.
I wondered why Tetra Pack chose the sci-fi scenes they did to attract attention, and I got the impression that the company is worried about other businesses stealing their ideas.This fear is symbolized by the invasders seeking to learn Tetra Pack’s secrets. The capture of the invaders indicates Tetra Packs determination to prevent others from using their ideas, It is also apparently meant to inform the public that Tetra Pack was the original inventor of the paper food container, and others are imitators of their ideas.
So how will this video work? It does grab attention at the beginning, as we see the three bandits rappelling down from the ceiling to a large room in the building. When the video switches to the briefing, it still holds are attention because of the futuristic type of briefing scene. The presenter seeks to relate the development of the Tetra Pack to other crucial developments that changed life, such as the cell phone and the safety razor. The presenter begins to talk about the Tetra Pack itself and the video transitions from an entertaining Hollywood Sci-Fi to a sales video. At this point it holds attention for a few seconds, as viewers seek to know who is behind this video. Then attention is liable to start to flag.
The second segment is imaginative and again holds viewer attention in that the testing subject is very histrionic and exaggerated in his approval or disapproval of the prodct designs being tested. Viewers making it to the third second, coast through the presentation of the company’s new shapes that imitate nature, much like a marathon runner coasting through the final segment of his run with his resources nearly used up. Viewers that reach the end see that the invaders have been captured.
I would judge this video in terms of the amount of information actually passed onto viewers. I believe most viewers will come away with the sense that the company invented a useful product and has developed it through product testing to come up with more imaginative container shapes that please the public. The name Tetra Pack is effectively presented to the vieewer. However, the video suffers, in my opinioni, in that the themes added in as attention grabbers, only serve to alert the public to the fact that other companies are imitating Tetra Pack. And if Tetra Pack is so worried about this imitation then maybe the imitation products are good and even cheaper.
One of the lessons I learned from this video is that when companies use fantasy material to attract attention to their message, they need to consider how the fantasy themes relate to the main message. Images of the fantasy segments will contribute as much to company branding as segments talking about the product. And in time, viewers will link the themes together in a way that makes subjective sense to them. Also, when the fantasy sections do not mesh well with the segments of the video presenting the company message then there is bound to be an audience letdown when the video begins to seriously present the products and the company.
Sales Videos; Tips On How To Make Yours Effective
Posted by SEO SERVICES in Video Production on October 5th, 2010
Adding proven sales video strategies to your corporate sales video can boost sales and boost the video’s conversion rate. Here are some tips you should follow before and during production of your company’s sales video.
Before beginning production, define the exact products and services your company is presenting to the public. Write down the need you are fulfilling or problem you are solving.Then determine the types of viewers who will be interested in your product. You should be as specific as possible including their age, marital status, male, female and income status, the kind of shows they like to view. Determine their psychological profile and determine what will likely motivate them to make a purchase.
Next determine the story line and structure of your sales video. There are a number of structures that can be used. Perhaps the most common sales video format is the problem, solution, price and call to action structure. In this format, the video, start off by presenting the problem to be solved or need to be fulfilled by the company product. This can be accomplished through an entertaining story format. This can be very brief. In fact, one very successful infomercial that sold wrap around blankets, presented the problem by implication. They started right out showing family members sitting around the home at night in their warm slip on blankets. The problem, by implication was the chill that creeps into homes on winter evenings, or at sporting events or other places where the product can be used.
Having presented the problem or need you should now show how your product solves that need. This is best done by presenting your product in action, on screen. The blanket commercial, for example, showed members of the household wearing the product and comfortably sitting in the living room at night reading or watching TV or knitting. Simultaneously, an off screen narrator described how the blanket effectively and conveniently protected family members from the cold. When they got up to go to the kitchen, the blanket went with them. Viewers got to see the benefits of the product in action. And could relate the benefit to their own personal need or problem, which the benefit is solving.
Next present the price while being sure to lessen viewer concerns about shelling out money for the product. This can be done by pointing out that the product costs much less than similar products on the market and also it comes with a money back guarantee. A third way to downplay cost is to itemize what you get for the money, i.e. your product costs a little more than some other products because?. However, it is much much better to simply show how your product costs a lot less than similar products on the market!
Another important conversion rate boosting ingredient of a sales video is customer testimonials about the effectiveness of the item, or nitche specific experts who praise the product.
A sales video should close with a specific call to action. Decide ahead of time what your call to action will be, and ask viewers straight out to take that action. Videos seeking to get viewers to give their contact info can be shorter than videos going for the immediate sale.
Here are some additional general tips you can incorporate into your sales video production:
1. Stay focused on selling, but don’t try and oversell.
2. Be personable and human. Viewers, in the end, will always want to do business with someone they perceive as being human.
3. In the spectrum ranging from helpful, sincere and useful to eye catching or unusual, you should stay toward the helpful sincere and useful end as this will win the most customers.
4. Hold viewers attention. While providing useful information be sure to do it in a way that holds attention. One extreme approach are videos that begin with “killer intros.” Killer intros are Hollywood style intros with unusual effects and background music that command attention.
5. Introductions can actually be merged with visual material showing the need the product is solving, to grab attention right away. In any case, they should be short. An on screen narrator can briefly introduce himself and the product he is selling. An off screen narrator can go right to the product introduction.
6.Length. The length of a sales video depends on the predefined goal. A video seeking to grab viewers contact info can be several minutes. A video seeking sales may need to be longer, 10 minutes or more. A key rule, however, is never to be repetitious and never to include extraneous information. And always to be direct and to the point.
