The statement “a commercial should be as short as possible” can be found in any article on how to make a great video that will be viewed by hundreds of thousands of users. Many experts consider the length of a video to be one of the secrets of success. The shorter, the better. But is 30 seconds always enough to get your message across to a potential customer?
Long videos vs. short videos
30 second explainer video has many advantages. According to marketers, it is the length that allows you to keep users’ attention until the end. Also, many of those who watched to the end went on to other company pages to watch more videos on this topic.
But are long videos that bad? Not if they evoke emotion! Experts have found that it’s the emotional involvement that drives people to finish the video to the end. What’s more, if the emotion was strong, there’s a much better chance that people will remember what the video was about and make a purchase.
Why 30-second explainer videos are so effective?
It’s very simple. People watch such videos most often to the end. For this short time the viewer does not have time to get tired, or forget what was originally intended from it. And if you add a marketing trigger at the end, you get more conversions and purchases.
How many words are in a 30-second explainer video?
According to experts, the number of words should not exceed 75. But the less text there is in the video, the better. If there’s not a single word in your brilliant script but the meaning and message is clear, your video will definitely hit the top in the number of views.
Strengths of 30-second
Among the advantages of short mini-movies are:
- High audience engagement;
- Lower explainer video pricing;
- It takes less time to prepare and produce compared to standard commercials.
Let’s discuss these points in more detail. We all know that in the age of social media, people only accept very brief information well. This approach dictates strict rules. You must fit the main point into one or more sentences. But this also has benefits for the company. You need to spend much less time on video filming and editing. It also reduces your studio rental costs and operator hours. Also, keep in mind that the introduction of triggers encourages viewers to come back to your channel to see new videos. Thus, without much material and time costs, you get a more loyal target audience.
How to make a 30-second explainer video?
To get an effective ad, you need to go through several logical steps:
- Gather all the information about the company or product;
- To write a non-trivial scenario;
- Make a script for each frame;
- Take a video or make a presentation of slides;
- Overlay music, sound effects or a voiceover;
- Cut the clip and add special effects.
A simple change of bright pictures won’t be remembered by anyone. Even such a short video should have a storyline. Also, the audience should immediately understand why they are watching the video. If the idea is clear from the first frames, you’ll get a prepared target audience and a high conversion rate.
Let’s wrap it up!
There is no perfect recipe for a working video. Unfortunately, even videos created by all the rules can fail. But still, if you stick to the main principles of marketing, the chances of success are much higher. How do you properly make short videos?
The right answer depends on many factors. Starting with the goals you set for the advertising campaign (increasing sales, increasing loyalty, informing about a new product), and ending with your target audience, its belonging to a certain sociotype, gender characteristics, interests, and so on.