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Originally published at Internet.comBuilding an audience can be difficult when you're creating online videos for business. How can you attract viewers when you're competing with free streaming primetime sit-coms or the latest YouTube sensations? To help you out, here are eight ways to get people watching your work.
Steve Safran of Lost Remote
To uncover the best ways to attract viewers to online video, we spoke to an expert in the field, Steve Safran, managing editor of Lost Remote. Safran has spent a huge amount of time writing and thinking about the intersection of video and the Internet.
Eight Tips for Getting Noticed * Be Entertaining
Attracting viewers to your work can be incredibly challenging. A viral video might attract one million hits in a week, but you can't force your work to go viral, and trying to craft a viral hit could backfire and leave you looking desperate. How then to attract first-time viewers? "The short answer" says Safran, "is to have the most entertaining video." Things that people find genuinely entertaining will get re-watched and shared. * Know the Blogs
Someone has to tell viewers to look at your work, and that's where the blogs come in. Know what the influential blogs are for your industry and develop a relationship with the people behind them. Safran says he appreciates when people get in touch with him "in an informal, non-press-release kind of way." When you have a new video, you can then ask the bloggers to take a look. If they like what they see, they might blog about it. * Know Your Audience
No matter what your budget is or what medium you're working in, Safran says, you need to know the kind of information your audience wants. "Shoot in surroundings that resonate with your audience," he says. If you're using humor, make sure it's humor they'll get. Tailor the look and feel of your video to your average customer. * Stay on Message
Keep an economy of information in your work, Safran advises. You want to get across one or two key ideas, so be sure that everything that's in your video is there for a reason. Above all, he stresses, don't simply create a video PowerPoint that shows 100 things that your product does. "That's information overload," Safran says," and it's a lousy use of video." * Avoid Jargon
You want to use the correct terminology to connect with your target user, but jargon should always be avoided. Don't use language that's overly complicated, too technical, unclear, or trendy.
John Cleese as Ian MacCallister for Titleist * Have a Sense of Humor
People want to be entertained. Any video promoting a product or service is going to have to work even harder, since you're trying to get people to watch what is essentially a commercial. Humor is your best weapon. "Unless it's completely inappropriate, a sense of humor is a wonderful tool for getting your message out and having people spread your message," Safran says. If people really like you're work, they'll recommend it to their friends. Safran says he's recently enjoyed the humorous videos on the Slingbox site, and the series of videos that John Cleese has done for Titleist. The Sligbox videos, he says, explain the product without using Jargon and give a human face to the site. "I sent the link to a bunch of people," Safran says. The Titleist videos, he says, are great examples of advertising as humor. * Remember the Medium's Limits
You need to make allowances for videos that will be viewed on computers, Safran ssays. Avoid using small text on the screen and avoid filming wide shots. Also, keep transitions simple, in order to avoid producing artifacts during playback. * Make it Embeddable
If people are going to share your work, they need to be able to embed the video in their own pages. Be sure to use a video player that offers embedding code, advises Safran.
Creating videos is hard, but getting people to watch them can be even harder. Follow these eight tips and you should be well on your way to developing an audience.
Author: Troy Dreier
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