Videos are an important element of your digital marketing campaign. In fact, experts predict that by the end of 2017, videos will represent nearly three-quarters of all content that is shared on the internet.
Now, that you have understood the importance of videos, the next big questions are, “How to make your audience interested? How to make your videos go viral?” One of the biggest challenges facing video makers is that the “longer the video, higher is the abandon rate,” meaning viewers don’t watch the entire video and your message fails to reach them.
So, what’s the mantra for getting it right? How to keep your audience hooked?
Enter Micro-Videos
Micro videos are extremely short videos that catch the attention of the users within a few seconds. With the increase in popularity of Twitter’s Vine and Instagram’s Insta-Stories, more and more users are sharing and consuming micro-videos. Instagram allows videos of only 3 to 15 seconds, while Vine has exactly 6 seconds.
So, how do you get your brand message within a few seconds? Not sure, if that’s even possible after all traditional media ads had at least a couple of minutes! Well, no. Micro-videos are here to stay, and it’s crucial to the success of your brand to get them right.
Continue reading to find the best tips to create the perfect micro-videos and increase your customer base.
The Types of Micro-Videos
While there is no formal classification as such, we can divide micro-videos into the following four broad categories.
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- I want to watch what I’m interested in – This category is for people who are looking to find videos based on their passions or interests. For instance, if a person is an avid fan of Game of Thrones, then he would love to watch tidbits about the filming, crew, trivia, and such.
“53% of video watchers use online videos to be entertained or inspired.” - I want to know – This video is for people who want to know what’s trending or happening right now. For instance, if a person intends to know about drones, then he would be interested in videos of drones flying, the latest innovations, and so on.
“Nearly 70% of all Millennials believe that they can use YouTube videos to learn anything new.” - I want to do – this is for people who are looking for step-by-step instructions to do something. For instance, if a person wants to cook “Hyderabadi Biryani,” then he would love to watch detailed step-by-step instructions of the entire recipe.
“How-to searches constitute 70% of all YouTube Searches.” - I want to buy – This is for people who are looking to purchase a particular product or try out a new service. Videos on customer review, unboxing, and product usage are sure to get this type of user interested. “Majority of buyers check out a product on YouTube before buying it.”
- I want to watch what I’m interested in – This category is for people who are looking to find videos based on their passions or interests. For instance, if a person is an avid fan of Game of Thrones, then he would love to watch tidbits about the filming, crew, trivia, and such.
So, how is this relevant to your Brand?
For decades, brands have been just trying to get their message across without concerning much about the needs of the end-user. Shift your focus from trying to identify your customers to understand what they need.
Make your brand stay relevant by providing people with what they really want. This helps to establish a deeper connection with your audience, thereby building customer loyalty and widening your customer base.
Identify the moments where your Audience’s needs and your Brand’s Goals intersect
Millions of people log into YouTube every single minute to find videos that meet their interests, passions, and requirements. Take a step back and imagine yourself in the shoes of your customer. What does he/she need? What questions do they seek answers for?
Take the example of the International Beauty Brand “Sephora.” They made use of the statistic that, nearly 70% of all YouTube searches are for “How-to” videos. So, instead of just posting ads about their products, the brand captivated their target audience by posting makeup tutorials. This not only interested in the target audience but also gave them an example of all that could be done with Sephora’s products.
Understand what your target audience needs and find out how your brand can deliver it.
Understand what your audience is seeking answers
This is a crucial element. Your brand must provide the answers to questions your audience is asking if you want to stay relevant. For instance, if you are a home furniture and furnishings brand, you can post videos on the common questions; your potential audience has like, “How to determine the size of the bed for my room?” or “Which color to choose for small spaces?” and so on.
These videos not only provide your target clientele with solutions to their problems but also help them glimpse the role of your products in arriving at the right solution.
Loop de Loop
There is something fascinating about videos that repeat. Create a seamless micro-video that starts and ends at the same point. Repetition is known to create positive feedback and emphasize your product or service. Seamlessly loop visuals from start to end, to create a simple, stunning micro-video that will hook in your audience. Take a look at this example to see how it’s done.
Deliver a powerful impression
The primary objective of any advertisement is to create an impact on the audience. Your video must help to create an impression that will influence their buying decisions later on. For instance, take the example of the Nissan GT-R video that showed the vehicle moving from 0 to 60 in just 2.7 seconds and mocked the “Six Seconds limit” of Vine. What better way to hook in your audience than by showing them what’s possible?
Blend in your Brand
Don’t try to come up with an interesting concept and try to add your brand to it. Instead, begin with your brand. It shouldn’t be an afterthought. Your brand must be a part of the video without feeling like it was forced in.
Advertising is all about making your potential audience realize the value and impact of your brand. So ensure that your brand is featured prominently in the video. Don’t try to make it difficult for people to figure out the brand. It has to be prominent without being an intrusion.
The Take-Away
Try to make the most of the potential of micro-videos and create an impact on your audience with the right strategies!
We are Webfries, an explainer video company based out of Gurgaon and we have been producing quality explainer videos for corporate clients in Gurgaon. To opt for this service you can call us at +91 124-4379-633. We are also available 24×7 at www.webfries.com.