How to make videos that people want to watch

By Voight Thornton

If you create videos for your small business, it’s important to make videos that will keep viewers engaged.

Holding the attention of your audience is not just vital to boosting your conversion rates and getting more

subscribers — it’s also a critical element to help your ranking with YouTube. It’s not just about views anymore;

your viewers’ retention matters the most. Google and YouTube are now looking at the amount of time your

viewer spends watching each of your videos. Providing first­class video content is key to keeping video viewers

engaged and building your company’s credibility.

So let's take a look at what it takes to keep viewers engaged!

Adios, Talking Head

Get rid of the talking head! There’s nothing worse than watching someone ramble on and on in a video that they

made just for the heck of it. This might have worked in the early days, but not anymore. All your videos must

have direction and a bit of spice in your delivery.

Add B­roll footage

B­roll footage is extra or secondary footage that can help move the story forward and reinforce important points

to keep your video entertaining. You can film great b­roll footage or purchase it online via various websites.

Include music

Use music if you want to effectively pull on the heartstrings of your audience. Music helps to evoke emotion; it

can create a sense of happiness, fear, romance, or even adventure in the video.

Open & Closed loops

Opening and closing loops are essential for increasing video engagement. Opening loops are generally 2­6

seconds in length and reveal the main benefit of the video. This prepares your video community of what to

expect in the video. Closed loops are 4­7 seconds in length and use personal branded logos, animations or text

to deliver your call to action. Just don’t wait too long to open them— you only have a few seconds to hook your

audience. Creating videos that people want to share is one of the most effective ways to grow an audience. It is

powerful because people are learning about you from the people they trust the most ­­ their friends, family and

followers. Make sure to open that loop as soon as possible so your viewers will stay and create a powerful

closed loop to build your video community.

Increase your Reach

Ask any top video guru how they climbed to the top ­ what’s their secret? Usually, a loyal fan base and a

promise to deliver valued content is emphasized in their answer. It takes time to build a community of fans but if

you truly connect and engage with them, your fans will want to come back for more if you showcase your social

promise. For example, converse with your top fans, use social media to extend your channels reach, and also

generate excitement with live events i.e. (Google Hangouts). Building a healthy community can lead to a

zealous fan base and long­term growth of your channel. Tap into your audience so they become a social army

of promoters for your brand.

Tell a story

The power of storytelling is paramount. It’s the way people passed around vital information for thousands of

years before writing, reading or even texting. No one walks away from a good story before it’s finished — which

means your viewers are far more likely stay to the end of your video if they’re intrigued to see how your story

turns out.

Keep it moving

Pop quiz! What's the fastest way to lose your audience? Make a monotone, stiff and static video. Even if you've

decided to stay in the same place for your entire video, you still can drop in interesting graphics or video

transitions to keep your viewers engaged.

Make it personal

You are the most essential element for engaging your audience. When you’re talking to the camera, approach

your delivery as if you’re actually talking to one person. Be natural and sincere. Keeping this mindset also

allows you to focus on value­driven content.