What works with video content?
Video is a popular way to inform, educate and entertain. But with so many avenues available to engage audiences, why is video content so important? │ 4 minute read
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Video is by far the most popular way to connect and communicate with people in your own backyard or globally. The types of video people create and the visual formats available, fit to the purpose, the device and the digital app being used. But when you consider the competition from all kinds of content – blog sites, podcasts, radio, books, cartoons, music, gaming, sport, hobbies, print publications, and movies – drilling down to what works with video content is the key to creating a popular and engaging video.
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Perhaps it’s better if I describe what I think works. I always like watching a video for the detail an editor has invested in its creation. I look for the edit points – especially if they are smooth transitions and invisible to the eye. I listen to the music to gauge whether it is relevant to the story being told, and if it is a good piece of music. Also, what is the story about? Who is featured in the video? Are they credible? The background action in a scene can also play a role in the story, so I always look out for interesting elements that make the video a bit different to the rest.
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The type of audience videos aims to please – dog lovers, gardeners, music makers, doctors, scientists, cooks, or florists – is vital to how you structure and present information. Being aware of who the video represents: a commercial entity, sole trader, non-profit, company, or research organisation, is also critical, because this information guides how the video will be produced and who the target audience is.
Other elements play a part in how popular a video is. For instance, the subject matter and how the storyteller makes it look like it’s the best product on offer or the most incredible thing to do. I often watch “How To” videos to learn how to make stuff, but also, to observe the different techniques the editor used.
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The simplicity of the videography and postproduction helps make the content in a video stand out. This feature alone is integral to capturing the audience’s attention. Even though there are thousands of gimmicky special effects available, careful attention to the nuances of editing, make a noticeable difference to the final presentation. It’s important that you keep the edit simple and use subtle effects and transitions to emphasise your message.
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Timing the edit to make sure the audience’s attention is captured for the duration of the video is the real art of editing. You must also be careful about how much information you express during the video – I mean what is too much or too little – and are you making something that is going to engage people or send them off to sleep.
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You must also be aware of who your audience is. Should you apply haptic technology to engage more followers? For example, are the presenter’s voices audible or muffled? And if you’re adding text, packing the screen with too many words can be distracting visually, while not having enough words might at times leave the consumer confused about the message. And what are the people doing in the video? Does their behaviour, attire, and background scenery, reflect the video content?
Accessibility to your content is important to capturing the interest of followers, so creating a video that is inclusive and engaging is a high priority.
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Everyone can edit, and there are a lot of people who state they can edit videos on their resume or website. Technology is making the design of apps easy for people of any age and capability to use. I think this is a good way of introducing people to a career they might like to pursue. In addition, accessibility to editing technology enables people to communicate their message in more affordable ways so they can build their business and invest in a more professionally edited video in future. There are many editing apps available via Android and Apple platforms. I recommend you try these free video editing apps to understand the postproduction process more comprehensively and learn why editing requires mastery of high level technical and creative skills.
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Video content is important to engaging with an audience and if you would like to invest in a video to share your story or promote your products and services, please contact me at Salty Wave® via SMS, email or contact form.
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Written by Gabrielle Ahern
