We’ve referenced this Microsoft study in a few other blogs, but it bears repeating that the most recent findings from the Tech Giant determined that the average human attention span is now just a mere eight seconds long.
So with that statistic in mind, we hear a lot from companies, “How do I make an engaging video that will keep my audiences’ attention?”
Well, there’s no secret sauce. A lot of successful video marketing revolves around knowing who your specific audience is and how to deliver them the video content they’re looking for. But having been doing this video production bit for a couple decades, we’ve found there’s a few commonalities among engaging videos – no matter the industry or audience.
Strong Visuals
Obviously, right? But really – you’d be surprised how many times we’ve encountered a video concept or outline that doesn’t give any credence to how the visual experience is going to look. What visuals are going to be the most efficient for your video – again- depends on your audience. If you’re an ecommerce company selling athletic wear, then incorporating visuals of athletes playing their respective sports donning your gear is a powerful visual experience.
If you’re, say, a book marketing company, then voiceovers of your authors correlating with their new series’ cover art might be the way to go.
No matter what you’re selling, or what story you’re telling, visuals are important. They are the first impression. Making sure they are strong and effective is step number one.
Audio, Audio, Audio
Ever turned the sound on for a video and immediately turned it off? We have. Maybe it was way too sharp. Or maybe it just didn’t fit the video at all. Or maybe it just wasn’t what you would expect from a particular brand.
You need audio that is enjoyable to listen to. You need audio that matches your brand. You need audio that gets to the point of what you’re trying to accomplish. Whether that’s telling a story, announcing a product launch, or just reaching out to engage your current audience. Sometimes a voiceover is the right way to go, or sometimes it’s just finding the right sound track. The marriage of audio and visuals should be a happy one – and it’s what’s going to make or break your audience retention.
Get to the Point
Like we just mentioned – your video is going to be the most engaging if it gets to the point. Storytelling is powerful. It’s more powerful when you do it without all the fluff. Cleverness has a place in video. So does humor and tapping into your audience’s emotions. But none of that matters if the message isn’t clear. You don’t want a viewer going, “Okay, that was cool. But – what was the point?” You want a viewer going, “Wow, that was cool. I can’t wait to try this.” The only way you’re getting there is by being clear and concise with your message.
We started this out by saying there is no secret sauce to an engaging video. But we have found starting with these three things will put you on the right track to success. If you need a little help getting started – give us a shout today. Engagement is what we do. You read this far, didn’t you?
