Video is anticipated to make up 80% of all internet traffic by 2019. It drives more engagement on social platforms, boosts page rank in search results, and converts customers; and it does so at exponentially higher rates than text or photo-based content. That is one trend you don’t want to be left in the dust on.
But not all video is created equal. You want your investment into video content to connect with the right audiences, support your SEO strategy, spread your brand, and drive conversions. To do that, you’ll need to be strategic, engaging, and polished.
Here are our five tips to get you there:
- Tell a story
Top YouTube videos engage viewers in a compelling experience. Viewers may come to you for information, instruction, or entertainment, but the best video creators know that the stronger an impression the video leaves, the more likely it is to be shared, to convert, and to boost a brand. People connect to stories at an emotional level. Tap into that power and shape your video like a master storyteller.
- Hook them fast
You have a very short window to hook viewers before they scroll, tap, or click on their way – under 10-seconds, in many cases. This isn’t a type of media that rewards slow-burn development. Get to the point and polish your content to be as concise and fast-paced as possible.
- Include subtitles
Obviously, this is a best practice for the visually impaired and you should do it in support of a more accessible world. What you may not have realized is that other viewers appreciate and also use the feature. Mobile users often keep the sound switched off when viewing in public locations, so if you skip the subtitles, they miss the message and are more likely to scroll past, rather than going in search of earbuds.
- Use the right tools
Professional quality video comes from using professional-quality tools. The good news is, those tools are getting more accessible and cost-effective than ever. Depending on your strategy and content choices, you may lean more on real-world video or animations. Choose an online or application-based video maker to gain access to a library of video and audio segments and easy tools to put the pieces together. You can put together high-quality videos with creative combinations of existing footage and audio clips, or invest more deeply in cameras and sound equipment to produce your own.
- Optimize
YouTube video viewing on mobile devices increases by 100% every year. Make sure your videos look great and work well across platforms and on all screen sizes. Video makers and YouTube’s uploading system support optimization well, however, be sure to take viewing experience into account when embedding videos on your own web pages.
Creating professional quality YouTube videos does take some effort. Invest in the right apps and equipment, take into account viewing preferences like mobile-first and silent-mode, and carefully strategize and script content before recording or creating for best results.
