The video trend is here, it’s been here longer than you might think, therefore consider a few things before you decide to ”slap” video on your website. I have yet to find a service, product or cause that would not benefit from using video to sell, communicate information, or attempt to drive the emotions of the viewer. So we can move past “why do it” and focus on the how and what.

I meet with clients daily who ask… What should we say? Who should say it to? And how long should it be?  The only way to begin answering these questions is with a question. Who is your audience and why are you asking them to watch? Who is your end viewer? An example would be the clip I posted within this Blog. http://brightstreetmedia.com/getting-to-oprah/ My client wants to reach Oprah Winfrey to share her vision for an exciting new show. The target audience in this case is Oprah herself and all the support people around Oprah. There were two options we discussed with our client. One to have customers tell a story relating to the experience in a documentary/ interview  style. The other option was direct into the camera. We chose to go direct due to the end viewer.
It’s most important to determine who the end viewer(s) will be and fashion your video toward that viewer(s). Within this framework you must decide between content. Should you focus on your product/service and provide details and technical specs?  Or focus on communicating with testimonies from key customers telling stories?  In most cases testimonials will provoke the emotions of the viewer and motivate them to act.
The second part is the length of the video. This really depends on your product or service. It also depends on whether or not you allow the audience to choose watching or automatic play. With automatic play, a video should be under 2 minutes in my opinion and allow the viewer to skip the video as well. On the other hand if you allow the viewer to select and choose to watch you can go longer because your viewer has chosen knowing the length and will have the attention to view longer.
My last piece of advice is to ensure your video has a purpose and matches your product/service. It’s easy to add a million transitions or shoot with a green screen and add crazy backgrounds. Make sure there is a purpose to your madness.
Stay tuned to next week’s blog when I provide “how to do it yourself details” Don’t hesitate to send me a question or make a comment in the meantime.

That’s “The Word on the Street” for now!