Photo Credit: Ronnie MacDonald

Filming great video is an art, a science, and it requires some luck, too. Through the years I have learned by a little trial and error — okay a lot of errors! — that following these five steps will go a long way toward creating truly compelling and professional-looking video as part of your channel marketing strategy.

1.  Scripting
2.  The Set
3.  Filming
4.  Editing
5.  Marketing

Scripting

You don’t necessarily need to write a verbatim script, though it can help to make sure you’re clear about the entire video. At the very least, jot down the talking points you want to cover.

The video should cover two to three talking points total. Don’t try to cram too much information into a single video. It’s better to split it into two or three videos if you have a lot to say. Two to three minutes max per video. Though there are longer videos, like the ones from TED speakers, most people don’t have the attention span to sit through more than a couple of minutes.

As you write the script remember the audience – who will be watching this video, what are their pain points, and what keeps them up at night? Address those things.

The dialog should consist of sound bytes, short and catchy sentences, rather than ones that are long and verbose. Watch the news, or sports interviews for inspiration. Notice that the quotes are almost always short and sweet. Mimic that in your own videos.

Call to action!

What do you want the audience to ultimately do as a result of watching the video? How can you achieve greater partner enablement? The video should contain a clear call to action with a link to your website, blog, or product page at the end (and in the description on You Tube).

Finally, make sure your video isn’t overly salesy. There’s a reason why TiVo was invented: people don’t like to watch commercials. Ask yourself: would I watch this video?

 The Set

A set is where you film your video and should fit the mood of what you’re trying to convey. The backdrop of your video (what’s behind the talent) should be simple, not distracting, and set the tone. (A lively scene if you’re at a conference, for example.)

Tune in next time when I cover the three final steps (filming, editing, and marketing and promoting) in creating your video masterpiece.

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