The average American spends over 11 hours each week watching online videos. That includes long-form content like YouTube videos and short-form content like TikToks.
Business videos are one of the most engaging and powerful tools that brands can use to connect with customers and potential customers. While text and images are still useful, video brings attention to your brand and products in a more engaging way.
There’s a challenge, though: Digital platforms are crowded with videos. Your potential customers scroll through hundreds of videos every day. If you’re looking to create business videos that will actually get noticed, you’ll need to stand out.
Fortunately, capturing people’s attention isn’t just a matter of luck. Taking a little time to develop a strategy before shooting any video will help you produce standout videos that your customers will want to stop scrolling and watch.
Start with Strong Storytelling
You’re proud of your products or services, and you know your target audience will love them too. But keep your viewers in mind. The average person sees as many as 5,000 ads per day. A video that’s overly self-promotional will not stand out. A video that tells an interesting, engaging story that connects emotionally, on the other hand, will keep viewers watching from beginning to end.
Every business video needs to start with a strong idea before you begin filming. Ask yourself what you want your target audience to remember from your video. What problems are they facing that your business can solve, and what unique story can you tell about your brand?
Make the First Few Seconds Count
Over 500 hours of video are posted to YouTube every single minute. If the first few seconds of your video aren’t engaging enough, viewers will scroll on to the next video on their feed without thinking twice about your brand.
Before you start filming, think about how you want to capture your audience’s attention. What will get them to pay attention and keep watching? Avoid static, brand-heavy introductions, and opt for interesting visuals or thought-provoking questions instead.
Keep Your Message Concise
You might have a ton of amazing ideas you want to add to your video, but the key to a great video that captures your audience’s attention is keeping it concise and entertaining. People’s time is valuable, and attention spans are short. Work to consolidate your vision and get your message across in as little time as possible.
It’s worth keeping in mind that many platforms’ algorithms take total watch time into consideration. If a greater percentage of your audience watches all the way through your video, it’s more likely to be spread to a wider audience.
Use Platform-Specific Formatting
All platforms have unique formatting requirements and different audience behavior. A video that performs well on one platform might not do as well on another.
Video length is one thing to keep in mind:
● Instagram favors short-form content. Feed videos are limited to 60 seconds, while Reels and Stories are limited to 15 seconds.
● TikTok is best for short, snappy videos and following trends. Videos under 60 seconds remain most effective for immediate engagement and performance metrics.
● Facebook users now collectively spend 60 percent of their time on the platform watching videos. While users are more willing to watch longer videos, 30 to 90 seconds is still best for capturing and retaining attention.
● While X (Twitter) allows videos up to 140 seconds (for non-premium users), shorter videos tend to do better, especially with users who aren’t familiar with your business.
● YouTube is king when it comes to long-form content. Ideal video length can vary widely, from a 30-second YouTube Short to an 11-minute behind-the-scenes video.
● LinkedIn caters to professional and educational videos. Videos under 30 seconds long are particularly effective, although thoughtfully produced longer videos can do well too.
Posting on multiple platforms? Don’t just create one video and post it everywhere unchanged. Instead, consider optimal platform-specific specs, like aspect ratio, thumbnail design, captions, and viewing behavior. Optimizing for each platform can significantly increase the likelihood of a viewer continuing to watch your video to the end.
Use Quality Equipment
Now that you’ve nailed down the idea for your business video, it’s time to film. Viewers naturally equate high production quality with brand credibility. While smartphones have made it easier and faster than ever to make content, using professional equipment can significantly improve your final video.
However, many business owners don’t own their own professional lighting, audio, or grip equipment. It’s expensive and not always worth the investment to purchase, especially if you’re not regularly producing videos. One solution is to film your video at a studio that rents professional equipment on site. You’ll have access to top-of-the-line equipment at a fraction of the cost and without the hassle of external returns.
Light Your Video Professionally
Even if you use an expensive camera, your final video can turn out poorly if you don’t consider lighting. Under- or overexposed content can come across as unprofessional or unfinished. It may even make your brand seem less credible. Good lighting, on the other hand, dramatically enhances the final look and feel of your video.
For total control over your filming environment, consider shooting in a video studio with customizable lighting options. Fully equipped studios can give you access to key lights, ring lights, softboxes, lighting rigs, colored gels, and more.
Make Sure Your Video Sounds Good
Poor-quality audio can make it difficult for viewers to understand your message, causing them to scroll away from an otherwise excellent video.
Some of the most common audio issues you may run into include:
● Background noise
● Echo
● Reverb
● Inconsistent volume levels
● Distorted sound
Using professional recording equipment helps your audio sound crisp and clear. You should also consider filming in a professional production space that’s been treated for optimal acoustics, further improving your sound quality and minimizing any distracting outside noise.
Create Videos and Get Your Business Noticed
Getting videos noticed online isn’t about having a huge budget or finding a foolproof strategy to go viral. With the right mix of strong storytelling, engaging visuals, thoughtful formatting, and professional audio and lighting, your business videos are much more likely to stand out and attract potential customers.