So many times we see videos that are lengthy and wordy. If you think of the massive investment in a movie to enthrall an audience and keep them captivated for a couple of hours - that's what you're up against! As a rough guide we suggest 30 - 40 seconds for social media (half a side of A4) and 2-4 minutes for Youtube & your website. We use analytics to measure when poeple click off a video and you would be amazed at how many cick off after 15-20 seconds.

So how do you keep them with you?

Well I'm glad you asked! Here's some top tips:

Tip One: Entice them In

In your opening gambit give them a reason to want to listen to you! You have 7-10 seconds to grab their attention so use it wisely.

Start with a question that your target audience migh be asking or refer to something that's trending at the moment. You might also start with a shocking statistic.

The key is for them to say - YES! That's me, now how can you help!

Tip Two: Demonstrate how you are Qualified

In a sentence or three show your audience why you are qualified to speak on this subject e.g. "Over the last 20 years I have helped hundreds of clients answer that very question with amazing results."

Tip Three: Tug at the heart strings

Often in sales and marketing we want to jump straight in with the what - what are the products or services we are selling. But people buy people and they want to know WHY you do what you do.

So tell them a personal story, dare to be vulnerable, don't be afraid to admit the mistakes you've made and how you've learned from them. This will warm people to you and give them a reason to keep listening.

Tip Four:  Tell them how you can fix their pain!

Mostly in business our products or services solve a problem for someone, so explain in a punchy way how your product will ease their pain and solve their problem(s).

Tip Five: Call to Action

What is the one thing you want them to do next. Be specific! Do you want them book an appointment? Buy a product online? Complete an online form? Something else?

Name it and be enthusisatic about it! Never miss this step!

Tip Six: Make them a time limited offer!

As a reward for watching your video offer them a discount or a bonus of some kind. People love a bargain - but remember it's all about the VALUE you offer not the price.

So there you have it. Get creative with your writing and if you need help, consider asking a content author to help you but they will need to understand your business well and how to write a marketing pitch.

Once you've written it, ask someone to listen to you deliver your lines several times before you get in front of the camera.

If you're paying someone to film you, you could save considerable money if you're prepared with a well crafted script and well rehearsed in your delivery.

Finally one important thing - don't be a perfectionist. You'll get better at this the more you do it but if you expect perfection from yourself from day one you'll never do anything!

Remember marketing is all about making lots of noise as often as possible (especially on social media) but if it takes you 3 months to produce anything then who's going to win business, you or your competitors?

Video has the best click through rate by far so it's worth your time and effort.

One of our clients won £12.5K of business from a 30 second video within three days of posting it. It was the first video she'd ever posted! But the reason she did well is that she was creative with her script - even poetic and it captured people's imagination. Also she focussed on just one aspect of her business and the call to action was clear and strong.

So get to it people and if you need help you know where we are!