Now we all know that video has to be engaging. That’s first and foremost, after all, what’s the point of investing time, money and energy on something that no one will watch?
Now comes the second rule of video – know your audience. Yes, I’ve borrowed from Shakespeare for the title of this article, and yes, as usual, I have not delivered the line correctly. So, yes, Polonius, we should be true to ourselves, but the question to ask is this: which version of ourselves? The Lunch and Learn version? The Management version? The Consultative Selling version? The office Holiday Party version? A combination? This is where knowing the audience, and being true to them, is tantamount to producing an effective video.
Let’s boil it down. We want to engage. We want to be true to ourselves (our business). And in order to do that in an effective manner (that means, see a quantitative result) we must know our audience. The audience profile will tell you everything. Which is the right story to tell? What is the right style for that story, and for that audience? What tone will grab their attention and hold it, compelling them into action?
You see, scripted or unscripted. Live action or animation. Kinetic type or voiceover. Humorous or dramatic. Direct to camera, documentary, over the top, under the radar, informative, open-ended. These are all decisions that must be made before the first frame of video is ever shot. And how to make these decisions, and feel confident that it’s the best option? Know who your audience is. Break them down, understand who they are, and what is going to get them to click that play button. Video, at the end of the day, is a conversation. Pick that one ideal person with whom you want to have that conversation, and speak to them. You can’t make a bad decision if you stay true to your audience.
Until next time . . .
