Briefing

What makes a video engaging?

People move from one piece of content to another quicker than ever, consuming hundreds of videos and ads every day on their smartphone.

The likelihood of someone scrolling past a brand’s video if it doesn’t capture their attention straight away is very high.

A non-linear story, a video that starts with the climax, emotional trigger or the big idea before it provides more information as the story progresses, is highly impactful as it prevents users from moving on too quickly.

What does a good video look like?

The first few seconds of your video are crucial and need to have a strong hook to engage and entice your audience. 

Starting off with an engaging question, offer or interesting take away will generate longer dwell times, increased numbers of views and interaction rates, compared to videos that tell their story linearly.

Rearranging the traditional linear way of storytelling enables you to maintain the key message of your ad while emphasising the humour, value proposition, climax or CTA (call to action) of your video in a more engaging way.

Example 1 – Adidas Starting off by saying “It’s impossible”, slightly confusing the viewer before cutting to powerful performances of diverse female athletes.

Example 2 – MOB Kitchen
Before going into details of a burger recipe, they hook the viewer with a shot of an appetising, slightly squashed burger oozing with cheese.

How can I best tell my brand’s story through video?

Experiment with different non-linear story arcs to find the one that works best. Together with a dynamic mix of audio and visual elements, video is a very powerful tool for telling your brand story and offering value to your community and customers. As a result you’ll likely see higher conversion rates and more engagement.

As always, if you have any questions or need help with video production or forming a video strategy, then please get in touch.