How To Create Marketing Videos That Your Customer Won't Skip

There's nothing worse than spending a ton of time and resources on a video, only to have it flop.

And since customers have never been pickier about content, creating awesome videos is pretty challenging. Not only does the content need to be great, the audio and video needs to be exceptional.

You need to be able to watch videos from any device.

The host or narrator needs to be engaging.

It needs to have an irresistible hook.

It's a tall order, but not impossible.

In my experience, the key is to put yourself in the customer's position. If you focus on what the customer needs to learn from the video, the device they're going to watch from, and the platform that you’re publishing on, you can create assets that your customers will rave about.

5 Tips To Create Marketing Videos Your Customer Won't Skip

Honestly, there's nothing revelatory about creating customer-centric marketing assets. I know you know that.

But a lot of companies don't seem to. There's still so much video content out there that doesn’t consider the viewer at all. And it shows. The host is staring off-screen or seems distracted, the content is all over the place, and it’s difficult to hear.

We've all skipped over videos like that.

That's why if you don’t want to make a video that gets skipped, you need to go back to the basics of being customer-centric.

It boils down to a few key steps.

1. Write A Great Outline And Script

Similar to a blog post or lead magnet, you want to start every video with an outline, as well as a script. Your outline will be the bones of your video, and your script will be the meat. Ultimately, these will be the difference between creating a great video and making one that's just OK.

Start with the outline, and identify the video hook, story, and the benefit or offer that you're giving the viewer.

For example, here's a video that Ryan created recently.

Throughout the video, Ryan engages the viewer. At the beginning, he has a dynamic hook. He leads into a cohesive story with great examples. And finally, he leaves the viewer with a clear answer to the question posed in the title: How long does it take to rank #1 on Google?

2. Make An Unbeatable Promise

I've seen so many marketing videos that ramble on about topics without actually fulfilling the promise of the title or providing any actionable steps.

In fact, in every script you write, put: WHAT THIS WILL HELP THE VIEWER DO? at the very top in bright, bold letters. That way, you can't possibly forget to consider it. Because if you don't have an answer to that question, what you don't have is a reason to shoot that video.

Here's another Ryan example. What will you get from this video? You'll learn how to make content go viral. It tells you right in the title. That's pretty enticing.

What are you offering your audience?

3. Craft A Crystal Clear Title

When I write titles, I have two rules:

• Keep it clear and simple
• Tell the reader what they'll get

Because someone skimming through YouTube is only going to look at your title for about ten seconds. You need to convey the content of the video and the benefit quickly.

A good formula is:

[Explain what the video is about] [Describe the outcome of the action]

For example, the title of this very blog post is How To Create Marketing Videos That Your Customer Won't Skip.

[The video is about creating marketing videos] [the outcome is that the customer won't skip them.]

You want a title that's easy to understand. There should be no confusion about why someone would want to watch it.

4. Add Subtitles And Visuals

Earlier today, I watched a video while I was waiting in line to board a plane. I wasn't in a good environment to listen to it, so I turned the volume down and read the subtitles.

If I hadn't been able to follow the video without sound, I wouldn't have watched. And for every video you create, you should consider this. You can't predict the environment someone is going to watch your video in.

They could be on the train.

They could be in a noisy restaurant.

They could be at their desk in a quiet office.

That's why you should (at least) make sure that the subtitles work for YouTube. Ideally, you'll have subtitles and visuals that make it possible to watch the video without sound and still get the context.

5. Invest In Good Lighting and Audio

If you watched the last Game of Thrones season (don't worry, no spoilers), you know how angry people were about the "dark" episode. In fact, most people were so focused on how the episode looked; they barely paid attention to the plot.

(Of course, it was GoT, so everyone kept watching.)

My favorite scene from that episode of Game of Thrones.

But if it were something they had never seen before, they would have turned it off. When you're creating a video, consider this. Aside from having a good hook and a promise, the basic elements need to be there. It needs to be easy to watch and listen to.

Here are two videos I made for LinkedIn a few months ago:

Dark Lighting

Great Lighting

I shot the second one during the day and worked on getting the lighting right. The first was shot at night, and I didn't put enough effort into it. It's like night and day (dad joke.)

See the difference?

Creating Engaging Marketing Assets

When you're creating any marketing asset, look for any reason someone wouldn't read, click, or engage. Because guess what? Those are the things that are going to lose engagement. It should be a goal to make everything as customer-friendly as possible.

And with video, which is such a big investment, you don't want to make any careless mistakes. All you need to do is follow best practices, pay attention to your customer, and create something that you're proud of.