The heart and soul of a marketing video are not the typical bells and whistles. It’s not the diagrams, infographics, or layout. It definitely has nothing to do with how smooth, flawless, or sharp the images are.

Instead, what makes a video truly effective is its content. I am of course talking about its script. If you don’t get this right, you have just wasted your money on creating a marketing video.

How do you write highly effective scripts? How do you outsource it? How can you tell whether the video script that have for your marketing video is solid? It will have the following five hallmarks. Ideally, you should insist on all five.

Tip #1 – Use Plain English – Eighth-grade English has very few five-dollar words. Most words are short, easy to understand and very accessible.

Highly effective video scripts are written in plain English. They don’t try to dazzle or impress the viewer by blasting them with all sorts of jargon terms and acronyms. You come off as somebody who is trying to hide ignorance when you do that. You end up looking like somebody who is trying too hard to impress the viewer.

Tip #2 – Keep It Short – Most people do not have the time of day to listen to a long speech. This is the reason why most people don’t even read online articles. They just scan for keywords. If they see what they’re looking for, that’s when they will read a little bit more of the article. Otherwise, they’re just scanning through. It’s kind of like going through your Facebook feed on your mobile device. You don’t have the time to thoroughly read every link. The same applies to video. Highly effective marketing videos are short and to the point.

They communicate a wide range of benefits tied to the solution the video promotes. They do this using many different signals and it operates on many different levels. It operates on an emotional level, a logical level as well as a conceptual level. You have to understand that the ability to tell a story quickly enables you to communicate clearly in a very short period of time.

Tip #3 – It’s Easy to Vocally Emote – Well-written video marketing scripts are very easy to vocally act out. You just need to read a word and read the next word that follows it in the sentence to instantly know that you have to raise your voice a little bit, sound concerned, sound suspicious, sound excited, and a hundred other emotional signals you can send with your voice.

Great scripts are very clear as to the kind of emotional twists and turns they demand. Bad scripts make you sound like you’re just reading off a TelePrompter or you’re just reading a book. It’s dull, lifeless, and very generic. You run the risk of sounding like some sort of robot.

Tip #4 – Mention Case Studies or Stories – If you are able to tell a story you will be able to connect with people on a very personal note. People are not convinced by just raw data. You have to at least present that data in a form people can engage with. People use a story form to make sense of the world. You should do the same with your marketing videos. By including a case study or tool in the video, you make it clear to the prospect that you’re not just making stuff, but there is some hard science or hard numbers behind the claims of benefits the video is talking about.

Tip #5 – Have an Emotional Call to Action – Highly effective video marketing scripts tie the benefit the prospect would get from buying a product with the call to action. Effective scripts don’t just say, “Click the order button” or “Click subscribe now”. Instead, they talk about the benefit and tie it to that action. For example, the script would say, “Gain the confidence you felt you’ve lost by losing the spare tire around your midsection. Take action today”. That’s much better than just saying, “Click here” or “Click the link in the description below”.

Whether you are writing your own video or having it written by somebody else, make sure the five tips listed above are present in the script.

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The Video Marketing Wave

Video marketing is a fantastic vehicle for creating brand awareness, confidence, and trust in you and your products. Videos increase the amount of time a visitor or viewer spends on your website. Therefore, Google loves a well-placed and optimized video.

What Is Video Marketing All About?

• Videos are one of the best tools available that will reach a large number of users at once.
• Video marketing is used to publicize and market your services, brand, and products.
• According to the latest statistics, 72% of people prefer to learn about a product or service by watching a video instead of reading about it.
• More than 70% of surveyed consumers say that a video was more likely to persuade them to make a purchase or contact the company.

How to Advertise Your Videos for Free

• Promote your videos on social media
• Send your marketing videos to your email subscribers
• Comment on other niche channels on YouTube

The Most Important Metrics to Track

• Goals and results
• How many people view your video
• Social sharing and comments
• How many times viewers watched your entire video
• Click-through rate
• Conversion rate
• Bounce rate and how much time was spent on a page

Do’s and Don’ts of Video Marketing

DO

• Include a powerful intro
• Be fun
• Use a catchy title
• Use keywords to tag your video
• Make short videos
• Be the expert – instill confidence
• Use a good microphone
• Ask your followers questions
• Include a Call to Action
• Use tutorial videos
• Add “share” buttons” to your video
• Pin your promotional video to the top of your Pinterest and Facebook page

DON’T

• Don’t be boring
• Don’t be so preoccupied with perfection that your video never gets completed
• Don’t forget that production quality matters
• Don’t completely focus on sales
• Don’t forget to use analytics
• Don’t forget to add your video to all social platforms
• Don’t be disappointed if you don’t immediately get the results you want
• Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver
• Don’t make your videos too long

Give video creation and marketing a try. Use it to promote your business and products.

Check out our Video Marketing Checklist. Find out what to include in your video, how to keep them engaging, and the different kinds of videos to create.

Need help with your video creation and marketing? We can help!

Need help with your video creation and marketing? We can help! Complete this form and we’ll get right back to you.

The post Catch the Video Marketing Wave appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.

Video marketing success is not hard to achieve when you know a few facts. Find out what to include in your video, how to keep them engaging, and the different kinds of videos to create.

What to Include:

• Attention-Grabbing Intro – Build your brand-recognition by starting your videos with a great intro.
• High-Quality Images – As visual learners, most people learn more and are captivated longer by images.
• Recommendations – When you find a great product that you think your viewers will like, add a recommendation.
• Call to Action – Be sure to include a CTA at the end of your videos. Include a link to a corresponding landing page, web page, or any other resource you want them to visit.

Engaging Videos

• Start with a Specific Topic – Get a clear picture in your mind of what you’re going to talk about. This keeps you on track and will be more engaging your audience.
• Jot Down Talking Points – Consider 3 or 4 talking points you want to make during your video. Stick to your script.
• Tackle the Highlights First – State your most important points first. Your viewers will know right away whether they want to continue to watch. They will also see your best points first.
• Choose Your Time – Consistency is key to a successful video channel. Choose a specific time to add or update your videos and stick to it.
• Not So Fast – The pace and pitch of your voice are important. Speak in a normal tone at a conversational pace.

Types of Traffic-Driving Videos

• Sneak Peek – These teaser-type videos can be about anything from blog promos to Coming Soon listings.
• Tutorials – Teach your viewers something specific. At the end of the video, provide a link to a corresponding blog post, sign-up form, landing page or webpage.
• Make a List – Create a video that gives lists for a particular topic. Give your viewers a link that goes to a corresponding post, page or video with corresponding information.
• Hacks – Provide tips that simplify your viewers’ lives. For example, “My #1 Hack for Cleaning Your Oven”.

Video marketing complements your email marketing efforts. It encourages likes and shares as well as clicks to your website. Search engines love them, too!

You might also enjoy reading:

7 Ways to Create Great Videos Even if You’re Extrovert-Challenged

The post Video Marketing Success Checklist appeared first on Second Self Virtual Assistance.