5 Tips to Improve Your Video Marketing

Video is a fun medium to play around with as a marketing professional. From scripting and filming to directing and editing, there are so many creative possibilities within videography. In this article, I’ll share a few tips that I’ve learned through my work in video marketing.

Tip #1: Keep It Short and Sweet

Thanks to the massive amount of information that we encounter every day, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. Some scientists even claim that humans now have shorter attention spans than goldfish.

With that being said, it’s clear that you should aim to keep all your video marketing efforts short and sweet. Cut anything that doesn’t directly contribute to the message of your video or that fails to promote your brand. If you’re ever on the fence about a certain piece of footage, ask yourself, “What is the purpose of this clip?”

Removing fluff and sticking to the important stuff will create a more engaging experience for your audience and, hopefully, hold their attention.

Tip #2: Don’t Over- or Under-Script

In video marketing, there’s a sweet spot that lies between appearing too rehearsed and appearing underprepared. You never want your subject to sound like they’re reading off of a script, but you don’t want them to sound like they’re totally winging it either.

I’ve found that the best way to do this is to ask your subject ahead of time to prepare a few bullet points with key ideas and topics that they want to cover. From there, they can improvise exactly what to say. This helps your video marketing come off as more authentic, while still feeling polished.

Tip #3: Choose the Best and Brightest

Within any organization, there will be a few people who shine on video and many more who do not. Being uncomfortable on camera is extremely common, and everyone is susceptible to that anxiety—from the newest intern to the CEO.

Therefore, it’s helpful to identify those rare types who feel perfectly comfortable on camera and stick to them as your video marketing stars. You may come across people who are absolutely brilliant off-camera yet stumble over their words as soon as you start rolling. That’s okay; there’s no need to force them into a medium for which they are not suited. Instead, look for the person who may not be as brilliant in everyday life, but has an awesome video presence.

Tip #4: Add Some Background Music

There’s something about background music that makes any video feel a little more fun and a little less mundane. You may not think you need it, but trust me on this—music adds a little something that really makes your video pop.

Just make sure that you choose suitable background music for the topic at hand. If it’s light and fun, upbeat pop music is great, but if it’s more corporate and serious, go for something instrumental and ambient. Also, be sure to set the volume low enough that the speaker can still be easily understood.

Tip #5: Encourage People to Look Their Best

Not only does having your subjects dress in professional attire make your video marketing feel more professional, but also—and more importantly—it makes those appearing on video feel more confident. Multiple studies have found that wearing professional attire makes people think and perform better.

So, the next time you’re instructing someone on how to prepare for being on camera, remind them that looking their best will help put their mind at ease.

About the Author

Suzette Feller is a Marketing Consultant at Parklife.