7 Tips To Create An Amazing Marketing Video For Humans
Making A Marketing Video That People Love
The order is in place from the higher ups, "create a marketing video that drives brand awareness, traffic and revenue. And, get me the President on the line!"
Ok ... maybe not that second order. Is that even possible? Moving on.
When it comes to online video, you're probably already aware of some alarming stats such as 80% of total consumer internet traffic will be video traffic by 2019.¹ Or, when a consumer enjoys a video ad, their increase of intent to purchase goes up by 97%.² We outlined even more eye raising stats in this post.
The statistics matter, but what is even more important is to have an approach that leaves room to ask the right questions and dive deep enough to combat the true challenges.
Let's remember, you are making this video for human beings. People that laugh, cry, love, hate, and go through life's ups and downs.
So, while things like budgets, schedules, length of video, professional voiceovers and all those other technical items are important, we wanted to write this post to walk you through how to make a killer marketing video for humans that is powerful and effective.
Without further ado, here are 7 tips to create an amazing marketing video for humans.
1. Be Authentic
Perhaps this is easier said than done, but let’s start here.
Take all of those important matters that are floating around your brain about increasing traffic and 2nd quarter sales results and viral videos and blah blah blah. Stop it!
Start over.
Who is your audience? Who are you? What is the mission your company or product is really about? What are your core values? What are your brand beliefs?
Today’s consumers have built in defense systems around advertising that are more sophisticated than the latest DOD technology. They’ve been advertised to so much that their "bad ad" radar makes Daredevil seem like he's deaf.
So, when beginning with your video, let’s start with the mindset that you are going to create something real. Something that is genuine. Because remember, you are making a marketing video for human beings.
2. Identify The Challenge
Every business challenge comes back to a human connection problem. Whether your marketing video is more of an "About Us" brand explainer video or you are promoting a product or service, you need to begin by identifying the challenge of your customer.
What is the problem? Where are the pain points? What challenge are you solving? Before you get into your video's script and message, keep reminding yourself of the core challenge of your customer.
3. Discover The Insight
Now, it's time to find the humanly relevant truth [the insight] that will not only inspire your audience, but move them to action.
It's not about a list of features. It's all about the benefits. When you can put your finger exactly on the benefit you offer you customer, you are starting to get somewhere.
4. Create The Story
Once you discover the insights, it's time to translate them into a narrative driven video that creates a human connection with your audience.
Stories are what move human beings. We identify with stories. We can place ourselves in the characters shoes. When you see someone else going through a familiar life situation, you can relate and empathize.
At this point of your marketing video, it's time to put together your "A-team" of creatives and writers. You are putting together the script and wrapping it around different storyboard ideas.
Tweak, hone and refine until you have something you feel great about. Yes, be mindful of the length, but more importantly, make sure you are telling a story that people can connect with.
EXAMPLE
In this video for Francis Lofts & Bunks, you can follow a clear storyline. The video transitions between a young boy and a girl, their young working lives, and how integrated their bunk beds are for work, play and rest.
The video doesn't focus on features even though the features are revealed as the story is told. It's all about the story of how a creative and functional bunk bed is almost like an extension of yourself as you grow up.
5. Connect On An Emotional Level
Whether it’s entertainment, humor, or a serious tone, your marketing video needs to move your viewers emotionally. A dry, emotionless video is a forgettable video.
At the same time, remember tip #1. Be authentic. Forced emotion can come off like you are trying too hard. If you've done your homework on identifying the challenge and discovering the insight, then you should find it easier to be able to connect emotionally.
EXAMPLE
This video of High Five Salon based in Cincinnati, OH is one of our favorites because it taps into genuine deep seeded emotions like self-worth and identity. "Am I beautifuls?" is a highly relatable human challenge that both men and women wrestle with.
The story builds to a key statement, "We believe being you is not only good enough. It is enough." It's powerful because it connects on a deeply human level about the need to feel beautiful.
6. Use Visuals And Music To Compliment The Tone
When it comes to actually filming and editing your marketing video, visuals and music do matter, but they should come along side the rich story you've already created.
We understand that the marketing videos businesses create have a huge range of budget and time invested. You can do all of the tips we listed above with a small budget and your iPhone. However, when you've created a precise story that connects emotionally and clearly demonstrates how a problem is solved, the right visuals, music, post, etc. can really amplify your results.
People might not realize everything that is involved technically to create a great looking video, but they know it when they see one.
EXAMPLE
American Modern Insurance is based on the east side of Cincinnati, OH. In this video, the story is about how cars have helped tie his family together from one generation to the next. And that deep and relatable bond of connecting with family members plays itself out through the love of cars. The visuals and the music simply come along that story to amplify the message of family love and pursuing dreams.
7. Plan And Execute The Launch
Ok, we've discussed how to create an amazing marketing video for human beings. Now, you need to be sure to leverage this great piece of content.
Of course there are launch calendars, outreach, social media planning and many other distribution methods to consider. We won't write an entire post on all of those marketing efforts. We want to take one last look at the human element.
Remember, as you start to distribute, these are still real people! As you plan your outreach and influencers you want to have share the video, do your best to bring them value. Be nice. Share their work. Ask what you can do for them.
Laying the groundwork in your relationships and remembering that a real person lives behind that Twitter handle or Facebook profile will help you as you work through building your online community. And ultimately, it will help your video reach more humans.
Let Drive Media House Help
We are a Cincinnati video production company who specialize in making earnest videos. We would love to help your company tell a great story.
1 - Cisco VNI Forecast and Methodology, 2015-20120
2 - Unruly, Social Ad Effectiveness, February 2012