What Makes Your Video “Great?” Yes, people really enjoy watching videos online, but that doesn’t mean all you have to do is slap up anything you can come up with and you will see results. If the video you make is crappy and boring, people will not watch it. At the same time though, you don’t have to be some award winning videographer producing a video capable of winning an Oscar before you will be able to captivate your audience. To help you in creating the most effective video, I’m going to share the most common features that most viral videos share. 1) Focus on the target audience and their demographics. Who will be watching the video? Young people? Old people? Single men? Married women? Mothers? The target audience of your video will determine the “voice” of the video, along with its tone and message. All of this, in order to be successful and have a shot at becoming viral, needs to appeal to whoever the audience is. 2) A good video is not only well made, it is interesting as well. If I had a dime for all the videos I’ve seen full of long pauses, narrations full of “uhs” and “ums” and blank screens where nothing is going on, I’d be rich, and I mean really rich. No matter what niche you’re serving or topic you’re addressing, you need to make sure your videos are interesting and fun to watch. You can do this in a number of ways: adding music in the background, or including funny graphics throughout. 3) A good video provides something of value. It can be a short 30- second tip that shows the best way to scoop up cat liter without making a mess, or it could a 10 minute guide that shows how to choose the best litter for your cat. Regardless of the path you take, it needs to be valuable to the person who is watching it. You won’t get very far with a video that says, “Hey! Check out my website!” because this will not increase your traffic or improve your conversion rates. Videos like this will never go viral! 4) Videos should give the viewer a small taste of what they are looking for, while leaving them yearning for more. When they want more, they are more likely to visit your website for more information, or to purchase the product or service you are offering. This is the same principle as article marketing. You never want to give away all your information, because if you do, the user doesn’t have any motivation to visit your website, which is where you need them to be. 5) As a rule, be generous with the information you provide, but leave the most important and highly sought information on your website, so people will be motivated to visit and get it from you. After they have watched the video, you want them to feel like the most appropriate next step is for them to click the link to your website. 6) The more professional your videos look, the more credibility and trust you and your product or service will gain from people. Your reputation will naturally increase, and people will be more inclined to purchase whatever it is you have to offer
