Video for the Web: Getting Bang for the Buck
Grabbing and keeping attention is not always easy when your subject matter or spokesperson isn’t the most dynamic. Shows like “Shark Men” or “Monster Bugs” are easier to sell on National Geographic and Discovery (full disclosure: I used to work for these companies), than “Understanding Medical Loss Ratio: The Numbers Behind the Policy” (I made that one up).
But no matter what the topic, the approach is still pretty much the same: Tell a story. In fact the best way to get bang for your buck in video production is to tell a story that is easy to follow and draws the viewer into the character.
I have a list of questions that I’ve used for videos for more than a decade; a lot of those videos were for major broadcasters and a lot for government clients. The top 3 questions are:
- What’s the main point(s) you want to make in the program? (keep it to 3 or less)
- Who is the target audience?
- What do you want them to do after they watch the program? (call to action)
Knowing the answers to these three questions builds a foundation on how to best spend your money and get the product you want.
OK. These are pretty simple points to figure out, so why isn’t every government video a hit? The easy answer is time and money. The complicated answer is time and money.
One of the great storytellers in the new media age is Hans Rosling. Hans takes centuries-worth of complex trends and explains their meaning in story form. One example is from a TED Talk about energy consumption. Hans draws the viewer in because he has a story to tell about his grandmother in Sweden that relates to the subject. He could’ve spouted off statistics and theories and the dire consequences of global warming, but he got his points across more memorably through the story of his grandmother. The lessons learned from listening to stories last much longer than spewing statistics and facts.
We’re working on a video on patient safety right now. Last month HHS held a press conference at the National Press Club with the Secretary and top HHS officials; they had all the facts and figures down cold. They presented professionally and answered questions concisely. The person who got the most attention, though, was the mother who lost her 18-month-old child due to medical errors. She had a story to tell.
We were able to pull that story out and develop a video that, we believe, is memorable and moving. Because it is memorable and moving it will have a greater impact on improving patient safety. When video is done right, it can have an impact on behaviors that influence public health. A video that drives home the call to action is a video of value.
Put time into drawing analogies, looking for real-world examples, finding stories. On the web you have only the very beginning of the video to make an impression that will keep eyeballs on the screen for the entire presentation. Don’t bury the lead. Present a powerful story at the top to keep your audience engaged and caring about what you have to say. That’s where the money is best spent.
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