Web searchers are notoriously fickle. Unlike the indiscriminate ‘surfers’ of the past, most of them today know exactly what they are looking for and, if you don’t meet their expectations within the first few seconds of clicking on your site, they will very likely just click off again.

Videos are an entertaining, and highly visual way of capturing their attention but there are some definite do’s and don’ts attached to this method of marketing.

DO:

• Use narrative. Telling a story is a time-honoured way of holding your audience’s attention. Simply telling your viewers about your product is not sufficient, story-telling, which can include testimonials from customers, can provide a persuasive message which encourages further interaction.
• Keep it short and to the point. Viewers lose interest quickly and might well move on before you reach your ‘punch-line’ if the video is too long. 30 seconds to a minute is generally long enough to get your message across. It is better to produce a number of short videos than one long one. The trick is to give your viewers the information they want as quickly and effectively as possible.
• Research your topic. Online viewers are usually in search of information. A superficial overview of your product is not going to meet their needs. Do your homework and make sure your content is informative as well as entertaining.
• Keep it real. Online viewers are not looking for a hard sell and are tired of the traditional advertising blurbs. Providing authentic content in your video and featuring real people helps to build trust.
• Measure your success. Make use of online tools to determine whether you are reaching your target audience. If your video is drawing a large quantity of traffic to your site but these numbers are not translating into increased sales you may want to rethink your strategy.

DON’T:

• Pretend. While most viewers do not appreciate blatant advertising, particularly on social networking sites, neither do they enjoy being taken for a ride. If you are marketing a product, however subtly, don’t pretend to be an unbiased blogger. If you are found out you risk alienating your potential customers.
• Be too polished. Of course quality is important. A poor quality video will not only be ignored by viewers but will also reflect negatively on your business. However, the use of fancy images and graphics are wasted on the small video screen and can be counterproductive. If the production is too slick the video loses its aura of authenticity.
• Forget to market your brand. Don’t get so carried away producing your video that you forget your objective. If you turn out the ultimate interesting, exciting or outrageous production but don’t highlight your brand, you might attract a lot of viewers but you will probably garner few if any customers

The bottom line is that a marketing video should be entertaining, authentic and informative. A good video marketing production will continue advertising your brand almost indefinitely while a poorly conceived video will keep returning to haunt you like the proverbial bad penny.