What makes a great video, and what keeps people watching? Is it a compelling narrative? Or maybe it's all about locating the precise audience at the right moment.

Year after year, the facts back it up: 96 percent of marketing executives interviewed by Animoto spent ad dollars on video marketing, with a 91 percent approval rate.

Here are 7 secrets to create a successful video. We hope you find these pointers helpful as you plan an effective video marketing strategy.

7 Secrets of Super-Successful Video Marketing

Your video marketing strategy is more than just a few videos. It's the entire process of getting the target audience to know about you and trust in you. Here are 7 secrets that will help make this happen:

1. Concentrate on Stories, Not Sales

"It's not what you say, but how." --Cecil Adams

In the future of marketing, stories are more important than sales. Why? A good story has a quality that can't be measured with numbers or conversions - they connect people emotionally, fostering loyalty and appreciation for brands who tell well-crafted tales.

Story Telling

In today's world, where consumers want transparency about their products before making a buying decision, it is easy to see why the focus has shifted away from traditional methods such as advertising campaigns.

A great example of storytelling is that the video must have a dual purpose - to both entertain and educate. However, if it's just entertainment without any message or value for the relevant audiences, then prospects will likely tune out before your story is over!

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2. Know Your Audience, and Speak to Them

It's no secret that people have different interests and preferences, which means you'll need to tailor your message accordingly.

via GIPHY

For example: if I'm speaking with a group of financial advisers, my input will focus primarily on finance; but for someone else who works at an organization delivering education across Africa - we're not just talking numbers here. So it could be anything from curriculum development strategies through teacher training programs...the list goes On!

One of the best practices is to know your selected audience and speak to them in a relevant tone. For example, if they are interested in the topic of success, then be sure you deliver it through an engaging perspective so as not to let them down!

Also Read: 7 Techniques To Keep Leads Engaged And Turn Them To Customers

3. Constructive Initial Plot

A constructive approach to your video can help you get started on the right foot, and it is one of the best video marketing tips for small businesses to follow. You can make your video more engaging by starting with the beginning first.

For example, instead of showing all at once or giving a quick overview before diving into details, you could start by explaining what's going on from the prospect's perspective. This will give people an idea of why they should care about whatever storyline comes next!

The video you create will help give your story an edge that potential customers won't want to navigate away from. With today's attention spans being so short, this is an important factor for getting potential customers interested in the first place!

Utilize a hook or preview so viewers are interested enough before diving into the main content!

4. Use the First Few Seconds Wisely

It's the first few seconds that will make or break your message, and you only have a second or two to create an impression. This is one of the video marketing best practices recommended by many experts.

When you make your first impression, clients will either like it and be on board with the strategy or not. Therefore, the tone of voice should match how you feel about presenting your business pitch to the prospects.

The average attention span has decreased to 8.5 seconds, so if you want prospects' interest in your video, make sure what content they are looking at and understand why this information matters or impacts their lives.

If you want people to watch your video, the best way is by using a hook in the beginning. A great example of this would be Gary Vaynerchuk's YouTube channel, where he regularly releases entertaining and informative updates.

5. Upload an Interesting Thumbnail

Thumbnails are the best way to grab someone's attention before your video starts playing! So if you want prospects excited about watching, then upload some high-quality thumbnails.

Whether you upload a video on YouTube or send a personal video to one of your prospects, an attractive thumbnail makes a huge difference.

Customize Your Thumbnail

Wistia found one of the great video marketing tips - they could double the number of plays on their videos by simply choosing a thumbnail carefully. It turns out this small decision could significantly impact how people engage with content, so make sure you're using thumbnails wisely!

A thumbnail is the first thing that viewers see when they open your video, and it should provide them with a brief introduction to what’s coming up. For example, "This is how my SEO Strategy turned out!"

6. Clear Your Background Clutter

One of the most important things to do when you're on a video call or recording your own personal videos for YouTube or Videoform is clear up any background clutter.

Clutter can make it difficult for viewers because they will have trouble following what's going on in front of it!

Clear Background Clutter

The right image can provide an instant sense that will influence prospect’s opinions about your product in just one glance; however, if you record a video with more things in the background, the viewer tends to get distracted.

7. Draw Your Viewers in, and Give Them a Clear Call to Action

A CTA is an essential component of quality video content while creating effective marketing videos. So it's no wonder that you should always include one if your goal with the video is to optimize its potential for success!

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A call to action can take many different forms: sharing, booking a meeting, scheduling 1-1 call etc...

CTAs are crucial for video. They encourage people to take action, such as clicking or signing up right away!

To Wrap Up

In a world full of competition, you need to create something extraordinary for your brand or business to shine. With these 7 secrets of successful video marketing  for different marketing channels- you will have no problem achieving success with conversion rates and an audience base that is hungry for what you offer!