Sometimes the best way to say something is by showing it. How best to do that. It is my opinion that you should treat your audience with a degree of intelligence. Don’t show them, tell them and put the words on the screen for the same message. You can use visual and sound counterpoint to be showing one thing and saying another thereby your message combines the two and actually says a third thing. To employ this method it is important to have a good script. Even if you are doing a documentary style video you can write (or extract from the footage) a story that makes sense and treats the audience with respect and intelligence.

Following a workshop I gave for the Sonoma County Volunteer Center I want to give some helpful tips for what makes a valuable marketing video for your organization.

First, you want to keep your video short and concise. We in this country have been raised on short (30 seconds to one minute) commercials on TV. We also have the most sophisticated productions in the world. People have a short attention span due to this conditioning. Most people will not sit through a video that is beyond 10 minutes no matter how compelling you make it.

Know your target audience. Taylor your video to the market you are trying to reach. This may mean that you will have to create many videos if you have several different types of audiences.

Use appropriate language for your audience. If you are trying to reach a younger audience the words you use should reflect that.

Stay tuned for more info about this and other helpful hints.