Create Video Content Like the Big Brands

Have you been put in charge of creating video content for your marketing team? Do you understand that videos are great for engaging an audience, but don’t have a clue about how to create ones that are effective and get people to see your brand as the obvious choice?

Here’s what you do: Just copy form the big name brands who have been making remarkably effective commercials for decades.

Here are strategies big brands use to create video advertising that moves their audience and gets them to take action.

Make an Emotional Connection

Here’s what Madison Avenue knows that you may have not figured out yet: consumers make purchasing decision based on emotions, not logic. They will use logic after the fact to back up their decision.

Subaru is great at this. Sure, they’re ultimately selling cars, but before they even talk about safety features or gas mileage, they’ll show you a father driving his little girl to her first day of school and highlight what both are feeling. The viewer is emotionally moved; who doesn’t want to connect better to family members?

It doesn’t matter if you are selling a rug cleaning service, treadmills, or pizza, find ways to make your audience feel something, and you’ll have a much better chance at getting them to buy from you.

Illustrate How Your Product or Service Personally Relates to Your Audience

Often your audience may not even recognize that your offer is relatable and will add real value to their lives. It’s your job to show them how and why your offer affects them, or rather, how by NOT taking you up on your offer they can be negatively impacted.

Let’s say you’re selling a driveway paving service. Many people don’t see paving, or repaving, their driveway as a priority. So what, it has some cracks, no big deal. Or so they think. But then you create a video of a husband and wife, all gussied up, obviously heading to some big, important event. Someone’s getting an award tonight at the black-tie banquet.

Out they head to the driveway to get in the car. They’re running late, her heel catches on a crack in the driveway and down she goes. CUT TO: They end up spending the evening in the local emergency room and she comes home with her arm in a cast instead of holding her award.

You could do a series of these… a dad teaching his 7-year-old son how to ride a bike in the driveway. The boy is doing well until… the tire catches on one of the cracks in the driveway and down he goes. CUT TO: The family is once again at the ER so he can get stitches. “Repaving your driveway will not only help it look nicer, it will help you cut down on your medical bills.”

Make your audience believe they NEED your product or service and your phone will ring.

Use Humor

We have all seen men and women who are not classically attractive, yet they are in a relationship with people who are beautiful, smart and dynamic. Inevitably the partners will always say, “He or she makes me laugh!” That’s what matters to them most.

Making people laugh is powerful, so don’t be afraid to use humor in your videos.

Do you remember when Allstate had boring ads? Then they saw how effective Geico’s funny ads were and now, guess what? Allstate has the funny Mayhem mascot.

When All Else Fails – Go for Cute

Babies, toddlers, puppies and kittens, we all love them and they are great for bringing in brand love. It never hurts to just go for the cute factor. Remember when Coca Cola created the super bowl ad where the penguin tries to steal a Coke from the polar bears watching the game? It worked because it was cute as all heck. If they had made that commercial with a few guy friends hanging out, it just wouldn’t have been as effective.

These are just some of the ways you can start creating killer videos that will help your brand stand out. Get a group of your most creative marketers together and start brainstorming ideas. Gather a few of those ideas and create an internal survey to see which one your staff members like the best. Chances are the winner will be a winner with your customers and prospects as well.