Here are practical tips that should be considered early-on to keep your audience enganged. These tips are mainly focussed on stories/documentaries/inforational videos.
Goals and purpose
- What is the main goal of the video? Brand awareness? Generating leads/sales? Support or inspiration for customers? Define the desired result beforehand.
- What is the actual call to action you want your audience to do? Very similar to the previous point, but it’s important to spell these out separately.
Topics to discuss
- Be focussed and specific, have óne key message
- Define main points that together bring the key message across. Less is more.
- For additional topics and information, ask yourself “Does this help make the key message come across?” If the key message would work without it, consider not including it. If it does feel too important, consider making an additional video for the subject.
- Determine the level of detail you want to share. Depending on your audience, some information might be too detailed. Other information might lack depth.
What will people see
- What products need to be shown, and in what way? (For example, a tool in use, or software being used on a laptop)
- What additional items are needed (Props, tools, sample products/results etc)
- What environment will the video be filmed in (Studio, workspace, outdoors, office etc)
How are people involved
- Is there a main character? What does he/she look like?
- Are there other characters? What will they do? What will they look like?
- Is there spoken word? If so, will it be a voice over, actor or a person being interviewed? When you need to interview people, less is more. If you can keep it to a single person, that’s great. Only add a second person when it makes the story easier to understand for the viewer.