The recent Haigh Associates promotional video has caused a furore on social media, but it’s not the first time a company has made a mistimed, ill-informed or downright cringe-worthy video.
Think Barclays Bank and Anthony Hopkins ‘A Big World Needs a Big Bank’ adverts (shortly followed by the announcement of branch closures all over the UK). What about the ‘We built Sioux City’ promotional video, created to bolster tourism for Sioux City, which is so hilariously bad it has become an internet sensation?
The problem is, once you’ve hit that publish button, your content will continue to live on thanks to social media shares, archiving, and if you are especially unlucky, internet memes. (Case in point, Haigh Associates video can still be watched here: http://ow.ly/hkLl30mmg9i.)
To stop you becoming a video victim, we’ve utilised our vast experience in creating engaging video content to put together a quick checklist of 5 do’s and don’ts for creating your next video project:
1. Do create content you would like to watch
Bringing out the most exciting aspects of your subject matter will make your content much more engaging (JLP HireCast 2018)
What you are trying to sell/promote/highlight might not be the most exciting thing, you need to find the most interesting aspect of it, and make that your main focus.
You might be promoting something that is unexciting, but think in what situation it becomes interesting. If you can’t bring yourself to sit through your own video, how will you convince anyone else?
2. Don’t waffle
You only have a limited amount of time before your viewers’ attention wanders, and if they can’t grasp your base idea immediately, you are going to confuse and then lose them.
So keep it short and simple. If it can be said in one minute, don’t make it into four. If you can’t say it in one minute, maybe you need to consider some script revisions or the fact that your ideas are too diffuse in their current form.
3. Do keep it varied
A panoramic shot can perfectly showcase an interesting location (Stars HireCast 2018)
As a visual medium, it’s very important to keep video content dynamic and interesting to the viewer. Long, static shots of bland locations are only going to do one thing: lose you all your viewers very quickly.
Make whatever you are trying to promote as visually appealing as possible, by using interesting angles, beautiful locations, clever editing and some good music.
4. Don’t be mean!
Video content should be original, entertaining and endearing to the viewer. Using things like lazy stereotypes, or singling out individual or groups for ridicule, is a definite no-no.
You want your content to be inclusive, and for everyone watching to come away feeling positive about what you are promoting. What you don’t want is for people to come away with negative views of your content, or worse still feel excluded from the thing you are trying to advertise.
5. Do be genuine
Getting genuine responses stops interviews from feeling staged, and you can get some great unplanned responses! (JLP HireCast 2018)
Nothing is more blatantly obvious to a viewer than if you’ve forced someone to sit in front of a camera and read a script. Unless you have access to some amazing A-list Hollywood talent, it’s going to look stilted and most people will switch off.
If you want it to be appealing, get some genuine reactions from people. Some of the best things can happen when you least expect it, so it pays to keep recording interviews a bit spontaneously.
If you follow these 5 steps, you should be able to make some fantastic video content that will be remembered for all the right reasons. If you would like more information on how the experts at Enhance Media can make you a brilliant interactive video, visit our site at www.hirecast.co.uk