Nick BuchheitGetting people interested in your message can be a lot harder said than done. Competition for attention is fierce, as over 500 hours of new video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
So what can you do to avoid having your message and your corporate video ignored and blocked out?
In this article, we’ll have a look at what you can do to get your corporate video to stand out and get noticed.
The Number One Mistake When It Comes To Corporate Video
There’s one assumption that many businesses make. It’s the assumption that people, by default, are interested in your message. But nothing could be further from the truth. People, by default, are constantly trying to filter out marketing messages and avoid consuming information that is not relevant to them. The flood of marketing material that meets us every day when we turn on our computers means blocking out most of it is necessary. We all do it.
Common Traits of Corporate Video
Instead of assuming that people are interested in what you have to say, it’s important to realize that attention and interest will need to be earned. If you don’t embrace that mindset, you will risk ending up creating mediocre videos that are:
- Too long and elaborate
- Not engaging enough
- Lacking in storytelling
- Visually uninteresting
- Expensive but with low ROI
Creating video is an investment of both time and money. And while creating a good corporate video is the most effective way to yield a significant ROI from your marketing material, creating a bad corporate video that nobody pays attention to is a costly affair.
Stop Doing What Your Competition Is Doing
Stop keeping up with the Joneses. Many companies will look to their competition for inspiration and then try to do something similar but better. But that will not make people pay attention to you. Instead, you want to do something entirely different.
Be Authentic and Transparent
Today’s consumers are inherently skeptical of marketing messages, and the general trust in brands has plummeted in recent years. Especially the millennial and Gen Z generations are extremely sensitive to corporate BS and will sense things like any-colour-washing from miles away. What you need to do to get your message across is tell it in a way that resonates with people. An authentic way that shows your brand’s personality and the value of what you do differently. In today’s marketing landscape, transparency and a humble attitude beat polished perfection any day of the week.
Related reading: How To Create Authentic Brand Videos – And Why It Matters
Dare to Be Honest (and Bold)
One great way to stand out is to be bold enough to “tell it like it is.” This is a classic stand-up comedian trick that can work wonders for your corporate video. If your niche is perceived as boring, perhaps you can call that out and have fun with it instead of trying to change it? Or, if your products are jammed with sugar, don’t try to make them look healthy – focus on the decadent indulgence instead.
Leverage Storytelling and Focus on People
Nothing is more interesting to people… than other people. The stories we gravitate towards, read, watch, and share almost always revolve around humans. And yet, many marketers forget this and create videos revolving around things and products instead of people. This is a mistake. When creating your corporate video, it’s often better to focus on the people behind the brand than the products you offer. Or, even better, on the people whose lives your work and products are changing for the better.
Related reading: Creating a Story Arch for Corporate Storytelling
Draw Inspiration from Other Industries
There are many things marketers can learn from TV commercials. Through decades, the creators of TV commercials have honed the craft of creating short, compelling, and story-driven ads that are not only informative but entertaining as well. Features that, unfortunately, are less common incorporate video and B2B video advertising.
Related reading: How Cues from TV Commercials Can Improve Your B2B Video Marketing
Get Super-Clear on Your Target Persona
You know what? Not everyone has to get it. The important thing is that your target audience gets it. Having the guts to speak directly to them without explaining everything to the others who may be watching can be a powerful way to create brand affinity and the sense that you “get” your customers. But to do that, you need to know exactly whom you’re serving, down to the color of their pajamas and what they like for breakfast.
Keep It Short and Simple
Focus on your core message. Who are you helping, what problem are you solving, and how do you do it differently from everyone else? The rest will just create noise. You need to know what you want your audience to remember after watching your video and focus on that. Focusing on one thing at a time, and creating a new video for the next thing, is usually a good rule of thumb.
Related reading: 4 Tips on How To Avoid Information Overload in Your Videos
Key Takeaways
To stand out from your competition, it’s crucial that your corporate videos don’t look, sound, and say the same as everybody else’s. But if you manage to check the following seven boxes, chances are you’ve got an attention-grabbing winner on your hands:
- Stop doing what your competition is doing
- Be authentic and transparent
- Dare to be honest (and bold)
- Leverage storytelling and focus on people
- Draw inspiration from other industries
- Get super-clear on your target persona
- Keep it short and simple
At Covalent, we’re experts at creating original and engaging videos for B2B brands. Get in touch to explore how we can help your brand with B2B videos that drive conversions!