Let’s stop talking about interactive video marketing
In a recent LinkedIn discussion of content marketing, a commenter noted that “there’s not a lot of demand” for interactive video marketing. That’s been my experience, too. Clients for our short videos get interested in call-to-action buttons, chapterizing long videos, even quizzes and branching, but they don’t follow up. Why marketers don’t do interactive video […]
Developing standards for marketing videos
Most companies we do business with publish comprehensive graphics standards manuals setting forth guidelines akin to those in the classic New York Transit Authority manual of 1970. These manuals set rules for trademarks and logos, typography, advertising, and web publishing. Many provide guidelines and PowerPoint templates for presentations. Some attempt to provide a visual language […]
Make your explainer video 20% shorter
“…there are very few movies that wouldn’t benefit from losing twenty minutes and the inclusion of an exploding helicopter shot…” — Roger Corman This quote, which I first heard on Mark Kermode’s BBC Film Review podcast, may not appear to have much to do with marketing videos, but I think it reflects an attitude video producers […]
Directing the viewer’s vision in explainer videos
Catching up with Alec Baldwin’s “Here’s the Thing” podcast from WNYC recently, I was surprised to hear, in a very good interview with the affable Julianne Moore, that some directors (she mentioned David Cronenberg and Woody Allen) rarely say anything to the actors on set. Instead of trying to share a vision with actors, they […]
Creating an explainer video may be harder than you think
In one of the generally excellent HubSpot blogs, I recently ran across this bit of advice: Compiling an explainer video isn’t much more complicated than putting together a slide deck in a PowerPoint presentation. You decide what to say and find some relevant graphics to jazz things up. Leaving aside the question of whether your […]
Is mobile growth a consideration for B2B video?
Video viewing on mobile devices grew 700% between 2011 and 2013, and didn’t slow down in 2014, according to the Ooyala global video index. Does the conjunction of B2B video and mobile growth matter to B2B video producers? True, most of this viewing was sports and entertainment, and there is still considerably more digital viewing […]
How to use video to increase penetration at key accounts
It’s easier and cheaper to grow your business with existing customers than it is to acquire new ones. So why don’t technology companies devote more video resources to this marketing tactic? Because most marketers think of making videos in just a few categories — overviews, testimonials, executive presentations, demos. But there is a more appropriate […]
Explainer video scriptwriting, in chapters
In fiction, everyone in the audience starts out knowing little or nothing of the story — and looks forward to the telling. Effective commercials tell stories. Most technology marketing videos tell the story of characters (e.g., the CXO) overcoming difficulties (e.g., bad data, poor performance) with new technology solutions. This article will discuss approaches to […]
Explainer video scripting: don’t tell buyers stuff — give them a vision
If you did any holiday shopping for, say, appliances or fitness gear — items that are practical and not cheap — you probably watched online videos. You tried to envision yourself and/or your giftee actually using the product. Maybe you watched the same video more than once, to reassure yourself. Maybe you sought further assurance […]
Producing more targeted explainer videos
How messaging and branding hurt your business Let’s assume that you work for a technology company with a viable brand and a professional marketing operation. Which of the following does more to make your brand central to the business lives of your customers: Advertising, corporate identity, and PR? Or Everything else employees do? Sure, branding […]
