Perhaps you’ve seen the word “Startup Video” a few times while browsing through articles. Ever thought about how it really works? A startup video is simply a short animated video that explains a business idea in a simple way that persuades your audience.
These videos use straightforward language with engaging animations to grab the audience’s attention. Startup videos help the company express their line of work, demonstrate different ways of solving the customers’ problems and reasons why people should choose them for the job.
The Goal
There are a few steps in making a startup video. First, you need to determine the goal of your video. Are you introducing your startup or boosting engagement with content? This is something you should decide on before doing the rest since startup videos can cover a wide range of objectives.
I believe you wouldn’t want to complicate something that is meant to be simple for your viewers.
Video Style
Next up you need to choose the style of your video. There are two major style options available: Live Action or Animated. Live action videos require casting actors to shoot the scenes, makeup, lighting, set design, studio, etc.. while animated ones are the kind that relies heavily on a computer software.
The Script
Now, you have to come up with a script; the process of writing the story you want to tell to your audience. It’s better to keep it short and filled with the important stuff. Reviews and feedback from creative professionals are encouraged because it can help you fix any mistakes you missed out.
While you’re at it, try to avoid a script that is too ‘salesy’. Make something that your viewers will enjoy instead of throwing sales heavy content at them.
Entire Video Production
Finally, the production of the video itself. You can work with individual freelancers or video production teams. This usually depends on your budget. If your choice is to go for Freelancer, sites like Freelancer.com or Upwork.com would be a good place to start your search. But one might ask, will the outcome be good enough?
To answer that, let’s talk about why quality matters in the making of a startup video.
The Market Gets Flooded with Videos but Do They Get Watched?
Google shows you a bunch of videos, and ads when you go through that search bar but it doesn’t mean each video gets the same heat. So, how do you ensure that your video attracts enough attention from your targeted audience?
It starts with the title of your startup video. Avoid wordy, fluff-filled titles. Your title shouldn’t be ‘clickbait’ material, that will mislead the viewers and make them feel duped.
Clickbaiting is a big no-no. It can cause penalties on SEO and some social media platforms. Your title should be as clear as the video content you’ll be talking about.
Ask yourself, ‘is your startup video shown to the right audience?’ before creating visual content that caters to the people. Consider what your audience wants to see in the video instead of what you’re eager to show that might be completely off target.
Here’s another tip; does your startup video make the viewer feel anything? Happy, sad, or just the feeling that you’ve gained something from the video, this can influence the decisions made by your viewers turned customers. Although, remember to be careful and avoid making content that is offensive or highly negative just to get a reaction out of them.
Attention Span is Low Among Viewers so Keep It Short
There’s a reason why startup videos are kept short and filled with details. Studies say the attention span of humans is around eight seconds. Not to mention, two thirds of consumers are more likely to finish a 1 minute video instead of something that is 5 minutes long. Point blank, keep it short, keep it important.
You can brainstorm how to capture the viewer’s attention in the first few seconds rather than think of more content for a longer video that no one is interested to watch. Here’s a useful tip: Animated marketing videos usually last between 60 to 90 seconds, and no more!
Quality Vs Quantity: Quality Always Wins
The market doesn’t want a cringe worthy video, especially when it comes to business ideas. This is why it’s important for you to present a quality video to your audience that grabs their attention. Make the content of your startup video worthwhile of their time and I believe they’ll listen to what you have to say.
One properly executed startup video is more efficient than a bunch of filler videos that wastes time. So if you have a budget of $5000, instead of creating 5 videos, invest that amount into creating one outstanding well-produced video.
Successful videos usually stand out more than the rest. Wix.com is a great example, with over 53 million views on their ‘Create A Professional Website For Your Business’ video on YouTube.
In the video, we can see the layout of their website and the key features it has to offer. Under a minute and eighteen seconds, the video is filled with live animated examples of how their website works and the benefits of using it yourself, and your line of business.
Storytelling is Important
Good stories captivates the audience more than anything so use that to your advantage. Apply storytelling and emotion to your startup video so you can gather a larger audience. Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman says that 95% of purchasing decisions are subconscious, meaning that it’s more about how the consumer feels. So, the more you can connect with your viewers emotionally, the better.
Search & Research
Just like writing a thesis for university or an online article, research will make a noticeable difference in your startup video.
Spend some time to get your own ‘homework’ done. With facts supporting the purpose of your video, your audience knows you’re taking what you do seriously.
Enough research helps you determine what kind of approach your audience is more keen on accepting instead of creating generic startup videos that people had grown tired of watching.
Final Words
Through this article, I am hoping that you’ve picked up a few pointers here and there to help you create a solid startup video. A video done well can definitely help you gain online visibility and build brand awareness over time. With marketing videos like these, visitors will be encouraged to stay longer on your startup website which in turn helps converting more sales.
Best of luck in creating your first startup video!