When it comes to online videos, marketing films and promotional content, we’re big fans of keeping it short and concise. Here’s why the need for ‘snippet storytelling’ will be even more important this year.
2013 saw a huge increase in amount of people watching video on their mobile devices, and this trend lead to a change in the kind of videos people are making. We’re not just talking about the amateur smart-phone videographer, professional promotional videos, commercials and even news clips have benefitted from the micro-video format.
It’s been known for a while that people don’t tend to watch long videos online, but apps like Vine and Instagram have taken the short-form to the extreme. The change in your average video duration has had a massive impact on the way people watch their online videos. A crowd who are used to watching 6 second clips are far less interested in 10 minute explainer videos.
The trend is expected to grow in 2014, and so it’s more important than ever to cut your videos down into something more manageable for your audience.
“This year marketers will be challenged to take image and video marketing and tell beautiful stories in snippet form. Concise messaging, consistent branding and emotional content will be laced in everything we do. We will be expected to share a story faster and make that story digestible in emotion-provoking ways.” says Joanna Lord in her recent article for Entrepreneur.
You may think a very short video is not worth your time, or even your money, but there are lots of ways to create short content while getting the most out of your cash.
Consider splitting what could have been one long video into several short clips. Focus each short video on one topic or thought, and create a series of videos that show your company in a rounded way. This is also something that is desirable to the modern online audience, as many viewers like to flick through several videos on a YouTube channel to get a good idea of what your company is about, and several professional videos certainly looks better than one.
Create a series of short customer testimonials and feature them on your website. Many companies have lots of long written testimonials on their website, but visitors are unlikely to read them all. A few short videos from your to customers will be far more engaging, and new customers are therefore more likely to enquire further.
Don’t rule out using Apps like Vine or Instagram too. A bit of creative flair on social media can be really appealing to new audiences, so make sure you show your company’s personality and keep it interesting.
“We should think about delighting and nurturing customers and potential customers. By putting a bit of effort in we can get them talking about us and sharing what we do in a good light.” says Amanda Webb on spiderworking.com
For more help and advice on creating great short-form online videos, check out our 60 Second Tips on YouTube or talk to the Holler team on 020 7112 8665.