By Amanda Zantal-Wiener

Before I worked at HubSpot, when I created my very first series of marketing videos, I was stumped. Befuddled. Frustrated.

Here I had a collection of what I thought were great examples of visual content, and yet, I ended up asking myself, “Why is no one watching my videos?”

Where did I go wrong?

If only I knew then what I knew now. My absence-of-views problem was one that many marketers seem to face — which is why I decided to make a list of the most common factors that keep viewers away.

Read on, and bookmark them for reference when you’re formulating your next video content strategy.

Why No One Is Watching Your Videos

1) They’re too long.

It seems like we’re past the point of requiring evidence that supports the dwindling human attention span, but just in case — studies say it’s about eight seconds. On top of that, roughly two-thirds of consumers prefer videos under one minute, so in sum: Keep it short.

I’ll never forget what HubSpot’s CEO, Brian Halligan, said to me during a chat about content creation: “You’re asking to borrow someone’s brain.”

When you ask someone to borrow anything, the considerate thing to do is to be respectful of that person’s time, and when they might need it back. Generally, we need our brains — so when you create something like video content, remember that you have your viewer’s brain on loan.

That’s not to say that your video needs to be limited to eight seconds — after all, how much could you possibly say in that amount of time? But when you create it, make sure those first few seconds are highly engaging, as that’s when you’ll need to grab the viewer’s attention to maintain it.

How to Fix

When I end up with raw footage that’s over an hour long, I always like to re-identify the key message of my video and rewatch it to see what contributes to and what detracts from my goal.

After a good deal of brainstorming, I try to eliminate any unnecessary content that doesn’t support my goal. If anything feels overly modular, template-y, or like it’s just building upon existing content, it gets axed.

I suggest using storyboarding to map out your video’s flow, ensuring each second serves a purpose. Use analytics to measure viewer retention rates and pinpoint where audiences drop off. Keep your introduction concise and engaging, as it sets the tone for the rest of the video.

I also find having a storyboard is very helpful when I’m in a time crunch and want to make my videos as succinct as possible. Oh, and don’t forget — analytics are your friend. That’s not to say you should take a numbers-only approach.

On the contrary, you must make sure what you’re doing makes sense numbers-wise, and vice versa.

I sometimes get into situations where I feel anxious about the amount of content I’m “throwing out.” I …read more

Source:: HubSpot Blog

Author: Aaron