Trying to generate traffic from your YouTube video campaigns but not getting the results you want? YouTube might look simple, but without a consistent marketing strategy you risk squandering money and not achieving the ROI you hoped for.
So, what’s the answer? The trick lies within the first 5 seconds of your video. Unless you capture the viewers interest in the first few seconds, they will lose interest and scroll to the next video.
Grabbing attention quickly is the best way to boost your content traffic. And the good news is, with the following tips, it’s not too difficult to achieve.
Tap into Emotion
Take a moment to think about your favorite ads. Chances are they make you laugh or invoke an emotion that draws you towards their messaging.
Tapping into a person’s emotions within the first five seconds of your video is one of the best ways to retain their attention.
We often use our gut instinct when making purchases. Of course rationality plays its part, but in general, it’s our feelings that persuade us whether to hit the buy button or not.
By using emotion in the first five seconds, you’ll not only generate more traffic, but you’ll also positively influence your viewer’s future decisions towards your brand.
Use Storytelling Techniques
Storytelling has always been a powerful marketing tool because it creates a connection between you and your customer. When used in marketing videos, storytelling can increase your conversion rates and help you nurture customer relationships.
Engage your viewers from the start with a curiosity-building voiceover or use intriguing visual images to tell the story. The words you use and how you say them set the tone of your video.
Sequential storytelling is a great way to tease your audience and keep them checking back for the next installment. Create anticipation by building excitement through movement, sound effects, and music.
Take Your Viewers Back to the Good Old Days
We all love a trip down memory lane. There’s something sacred about the past that makes it so appealing — and it’s that appeal that makes nostalgia an excellent video marketing tactic.
Tapping into nostalgia isn’t just about using old-school props or even referencing the 80’s (although it can be). Instead, it’s about targeting your audience with something that makes them think of their childhood and allows them to remember a time when things were simpler.
Linking the “new” of your product with the “old” of yesteryear is a fabulous way to draw in your viewer’s attention and keep them watching.
Stay Clear of Using Custom Intros
Many brands try to create custom intros for their videos. They aim to create an introduction that will make people pay attention and watch what they have to say.
The problem with custom intros is once you’ve seen it a few times, it becomes boring. Time is precious, and people don’t want to spend 60 seconds watching an intro they’ve seen ten times before.
You have 5 seconds to grab attention, so it’s best to get straight to the action without any intro distractions.
If you want to demonstrate your brand, why not create a channel intro instead? Channel intros are the perfect way to highlight your brand without wasting valuable intro time in your marketing videos.
Keep Your Audience Curious
Trying to persuade and influence someone can be challenging, especially on the web where there’s so much competition. One way to make it easier is to generate curiosity.
Start by looking at your target audience in terms of demographics and psychographics. What does your audience enjoy? What are their interests? What excites them?
When creating your video, focus on these points and use curiosity-invoking questions at the start or in the video thumbnail. The trick is to keep the answer to the question hidden until the end of the video. Then your audience will be drawn in and engaged in your content.
Start With Eye-Catching Visuals and Sounds
Movement and sound pique people’s interest from the start. Close-ups, human emotions, and vivid colors grab attention and make your viewers take notice.
Sound is just as important as movement because it can help you get your message across even when the viewer isn’t looking at the screen.
There are different ways to incorporate movement, including:
- Add text or animation
- Use split-screen effects
- Put multiple cameras at different angles
When planning out your video marketing campaign, think about what movements or sounds would enhance the experience for your viewers and incorporate them into the first 5 seconds.
Motivate and Inspire Your Audience
The main aim of any video marketing strategy is to get your audience to take action. Whatever your goal, your video should guide your audience towards that action.
There’s a range of different ways you can use to inspire your audience. Social proof, overcoming objections, and focusing on the benefits of your product help inspire viewers to act.
Try starting your videos with customer stories and testimonials. By opening with an intriguing scenario, you’ll keep viewers engaged.
If your brand associates with or supports a charity, explain how each purchase contributes to the welfare of others. Charitable contributions have the potential to influence purchasing decisions.
Create Native Ads
Native ads’ look, feel and function closely mimic traditional content found on YouTube. This makes them more engaging and less disruptive to your viewers.
If you want to capture attention within the first 5 seconds, you need to make your native ads educational or informative rather than promotional.
Making your ads authentic and relevant encourages your audience to click to find out more.
Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment with Your Video Marketing
If you want to capture the attention of potential subscribers in the first five seconds of your video, create an ad that immediately jumps out at people. It needs to be engaging, interesting, and give a preview of your brand. The more unique and special, the better your chance of success. Experimenting with different techniques will lead you to the most effective way to increase your video ROI.
About Torrey Tayenaka
Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO at Sparkhouse, a corporate video production agency. He is often asked to contribute expertise in publications like Entrepreneur, Single Grain and Forbes. Sparkhouse is known for transforming video marketing and advertising into real conversations. Rather than hitting the consumer over the head with blatant ads, Sparkhouse creates interesting, entertaining and useful videos that enrich the lives of his clients’ customers. In addition to Sparkhouse, Torrey has also founded the companies Eva Smart Shower, Litehouse & Forge54.
