Effective Strategies for Creating Engaging Videos That Captivate Your Audience

Increasingly companies and organisations are keen to explore how they can develop video content to promote their work.

With YouTube and social media channels such as TikTok increasingly seeking fresh video content there are now countless platforms on which to host video to engage with an audience. Last year, Instagram signalled its intent to get more involved in video content too.

Here at Motive, we are always keen to work with clients to find the most effective ways to get their messages across and video forms part of the multimedia toolkit available to them to explore with us.

Whether you are a novice or have some insight into the world of video production and editing, there are some useful tips to keep in mind when looking to embark on a digital project. Video can complement your company’s profile and social media strategy. Think about the following:

Storyboard - it is always useful to map out at the very start how you want your video to be developed. Getting some ideas down on paper or on a computer with the different shots or scenes you would like to capture is an excellent idea before you even start to film.

Hook - there are many estimates online about how long people are said to stay watching a video online, ranging from anywhere from a couple of seconds upwards. The important thing is to start the video with an engaging hook of some sort to capture the audience’s imagination. Then they will want to stay with the unfolding story.

Context - select a compelling thumbnail picture and text to give people context about what the film is all about. With dozens or hundreds of videos to choose from on social media channels, an absorbing intro will help you stand out from the crowd. But be honest about what the video is about or that could turn people off.

Value - When someone makes a decision to watch your video, a ‘transaction’ has taken place. Invest in this emerging relationship by giving them something valuable in return. Make your video content unique, absorbing and relevant to your chosen audience. This way they will want to stay and engage.

Accessibility - Think about any background music that might add further intrigue to your video. Does your video require text to appear on screen or even subtitles to engage with people who are hard of hearing or deaf? What else can you do to make your video even more accessible to your audience? Could animation help, for example?

These are just some ideas to help you start a conversation around video. If you want to find out more, please get in touch with Motive to explore the possibilities.