5 ways to get attention with video (and keep it)
26 March 2021
There’s one vital element of any social video that can make or break your success.
THE FIRST FIVE SECONDS!
Let’s explore why those golden moments are so important and what you can do to get the best out of them.
Why is the start of your video so important?
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A lot of people will scroll through social media on their phones and only stop when something gets their attention. Therefore your video needs to stand out from all the other noise and stop that scrolling finger.
The problem doesn’t end there either. Making someone stop is one thing but encouraging them to stick around is quite another.
On Facebook you can see vital statistics (called insights) that not only tell you how many people viewed your video but how many of those viewers watched beyond 10 seconds.
The upshot is that you don’t have long to get their attention. If you get their finger to stop scrolling you will need some compelling content to hook them in and keep them watching right to the end.
So here are 5 ways to get people's attention and keep it.
1. Understand what they want to see
If you have done your audience research you will already know how your target market thinks. That puts you in the perfect position to serve up video content they want to see.
If you give them what they want in the first place they are more likely to stop, watch and interact with your post.
2. Get right to the point
Remember you can’t hang around here. All that pressing record, gathering your thoughts, adjusting your clothing, picking your nose and generally getting ready to speak should be reserved for the cutting room floor.
Instead get right to the point. Tell your viewer what they are about to see and do it as clearly as possible.
Remember every second counts.
3. Be visually impactful
If you want that finger to stop scrolling you need to hit them between the eyes with something that's visually appealing to them (see point 1).
Put yourself in the mind of your ideal customer and try to imagine what they would like to see. What will make them stop scrolling?
4 Tease the end at the start
If you want your audience to watch all of your video it might help to tell them what they’ll get for hanging around.
Let’s say you have an offer, a free e-book or something else they can go check out. Tease that content right up front. For example your opening gambit might be something like:
“I’m about to show you some the exciting new products we have in our Summer collection. Take a look and at the end I’ll tell you how you can get an exclusive 25% off voucher”.
5. Be seen as well as heard
Over 85% of social media users do not have the sound turned on. Yep, they watch but they don’t listen. Therefore your video needs to make as much sense without sound as it does with it.
You will no doubt have seen some videos that begin with a caption asking you to turn the sound on. This doesn’t always work. The reason most people have sound off is because they are in a place where they can’t (or don’t want to) activate the speakers on their phones.
Therefore it’s vital that you use captions or graphics to show your audience what you are saying … as well has having great audio.
Want more advice to help you towards video success?
The key to successful marketing on social media is not about getting the most amount of likes possible. It’s about getting likes from the right people who will turn into customers and buy from you.
I post tips like these ones all the time on my own social media channels. If you’re not part of my little social world already come and say hi.
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Producing music videos during the Covid pandemic was a bit like cooking with half the ingredients missing—you had to get creative, or go hungry. I ended up doing it three times, and with each attempt the projects got braver, stranger, and more ambitious. This one, though? This might just be my favourite. Not only because of the final result, but because of the inspiration (and a few happy accidents) that shaped it.