The Pitch Avatar team shares their perspective on the near future of one of the most popular formats.
In the subtitle, we highlighted the popularity of short videos for a reason. We are referring to videos lasting no more than 2 minutes. Ideally, up to one minute. Various surveys and statistical studies in recent years show consistently high influence of “shorts” on the online space in general and on marketing in particular. Let’s share some data that clearly answers the question: “Why should short video be one of the main tools for marketers and sales?”
- 83% of marketers believe that business videos should be short.
- From 2022 to 2023, the number of YouTube Shorts users grew from 1.5 to 2 billion per month.
- 72% of consumers prefer to learn about new products and services from videos, 68% agree to watch business videos if they are less than a minute long, and 93% of marketers manage to attract customers through social media videos.
Additionally, short videos are among the easiest and cheapest types of online content to create. For quality short videos, amateur cameras or mobile device cameras are usually sufficient, especially with the wide range of solutions (including AI-based) for editing, processing, and adding special effects.
However, here’s the main secret: a short video by itself does not promote or sell. It’s merely a successful format for packaging. The task of the short video creator is to make this packaging attractive and fill it with content that interests the consumer. How to do this? Find inspiration in the advice based on the experience of our Pitch Avatar team. Note that we’ve created a kind of step-by-step guide, so the order of our tips is important.
Create short videos that will be watched
Don’t dismiss this advice as trivial. Our observations show that short videos, like online content in general, are often created as a general information dump with no clear audience in mind, making it dull and unclear. Common pitfalls include “talking heads” sharing vague or overly technical information. Instead, remember that video’s main advantage is its ability to make the viewer perceive what they see as reality. Therefore, your short video should be engaging and useful to the viewer.
Identify your target audience
To effectively address your short video, you need to clearly understand your potential customer. Who are you trying to sell your product or service to? Who are you trying to interest with your ideas and concepts? Knowing the age, location, occupation, interests, and problems of your audience will help create a focused and engaging video.
Define the specific goal of your short video
Once you’ve identified your target audience, decide on the exact outcome you want from your content. Do you want to introduce your brand/product/service? Encourage viewers to visit your website? Sign up for your event? Visit your store? The answers to these questions will shape the script of each video. Without a clear goal, your video will achieve nothing.
Create videos under the Motto: "Only the essentials"
Determining the goal simplifies filling your video with information. The video should only contain the main message you want the viewer to act upon. Everything else is secondary and should be excluded.
Create videos according to the goal
First, decide what information you need to convey, then see how long it takes. Sometimes, a short video may not be suitable, and it’s better to create a good medium or long video than a poor short one.
Seek original ways to present information
There are almost always ways to convey any proposal or idea within a short video. This might involve showing rather than telling, using animation, or other creative methods. Explore new ideas and experiment.
Edit short videos to a professional level
Although viewers are often more interested in content than quality, short business videos still need professional production values. Use special effects and AI-generated elements to enhance quality.
Create content chains and sequences
Linking short videos to other content increases their effectiveness. Descriptions should contain links to related articles, online presentations, webinar recordings, reviews, etc. This approach broadens marketing options and solves the problem of limited information space in short videos.
Adapt videos for different devices and contexts
Ensure your content is viewable on smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs, social networks, YouTube, etc. Your video should be understandable without sound, which is easy to achieve by adding subtitles.
Stay updated on trends and competitors
Study popular short videos in your field and learn from your competitors’ successes and mistakes. This helps you stand out and avoid outdated ideas.
Integrate AI chatbots and quick feedback systems
Fast connection with potential clients who watch your videos increases conversion rates. Equip business videos with AI chatbots to answer standard questions and direct more complex queries to the appropriate staff. Consider using our Pitch Avatar for this purpose.
Summary: What does the ideal short promotional and selling video look like in 2024?
It’s a video lasting from 15 seconds to 1 minute. It is clearly targeted to a specific audience. It conveys only one main idea without distractions. Its script is based on an original idea and unique ways of delivering information that distinguish it from competitors’ content. Using AI solutions and tools, it is processed and equipped with special effects to a professional level. It is adapted for viewing in different formats and on various devices. Its content is understandable without sound. It is linked to other brand content and equipped with an AI chatbot and feedback system.
If you manage to create promotional and selling short videos that match this description, 2024 will definitely be successful for you!
Wishing everyone good luck and high revenues!
