‘Start small, start scrappy’: a Y Combinator startup founder’s tips on making killer videos

Photo credit: blueferret21.

I used to check my Facebook first thing in the morning when I woke up – a quick scan of my notifications and my newsfeed gave me just enough time to wake up a little bit more and build the motivation to walk the ten steps to my kitchen (and my coffee). When I realized I was spending longer and longer in bed on my feed, I had to stop and deem it a morning commute activity: there were just too many videos catching my eye.

But what makes a productivity-killing video different from an annoying cry for attention?

Social media users like me, easily engaged by videos, are the new apple of content creators’ eyes. To nab more of my waking hours, they’re putting more of their muscle than ever into video content. But what makes a productivity-killing video different from an annoying cry for attention?

If you’ve just hopped on the video-making train and are feeling a little overwhelmed by the area, no worries. I spoke to Michael Litt, co-founder of Y Combinator video startup Vidyard, for tips. The Salesforce portfolio company, based in Canada, creates products like ViewedIt, which help increase and track customer engagement via short, personalized videos. It has found surprise success in Asia.

According to Michael, good videos don’t have to be huge, flashy productions. He shares guidelines that can help even the most bootstrapped of startups communicate with genuine, quality visual content.

See: The Y Combinator video startup that accidentally nabbed success in Japan

1. The eight-second rule

Microsoft Corp. researchers have found that a person’s attention span is officially lower than that of a goldfish. You’ve got eight seconds or less to make an impression on a person, so don’t waste your time with fancy introductions. Get to the meat of the matter – people are more likely to pay attention, and you’re going to waste much less time.

Michael points out videos that begin with a 15-second company logo. “People know they’re on your website,” he shares. Only portray the information you need to portray – the more direct, the better.

See: This startup uses AI to automatically generate videos from text articles

2. Don’t be afraid to start scrappy

“Start small, start scrappy,” Michael tells Tech in Asia. He likens video creation to a muscle – the more you use it, the stronger it gets. You’re not making an Oscar-nominated film – don’t fear editing the video yourself. You don’t need a ton to money to create something engaging and relatable.

If you can get something to analyze your videos, do it – even if it’s built-in YouTube tools. Learning how different messages affect engagement and the way people interact with your company is always useful information. From there, you can tweak your messages until you find what works.

See: Bite-sized digital marketing tips from Cheryl Yeoh and Khailee Ng

3. Avoid “Super Bowl Syndrome”

Michael warns against “Super Bowl Syndrome” – a condition that tricks people into believing that staggering amounts of money need to be dropped to get people to listen to a message. Super Bowl ads are entertaining and cost millions of dollars, but you don’t need cash to run a successful video campaign. Believing that it does can drain your resources and hurt you in the long run.

You’re more likely to get someone to listen if you explain why you’ve created a product rather than what it is and does. Get that information out first.

See: Meet the video production startup in Singapore that just raised millions from Sequoia

4. Get personal

At the end of the day, you’re communicating with your viewers – visual content is just another way of reaching people you’d grab a coffee or beer with. When you’re considering the message you want to send, move away from a bells-and-whistles production and start simple – a short, direct address from your company CEO. Seek the same kind of “personable and complete” communication for the rest of your company’s messages, advises Michael.

The barrier of entry for visual messages is much lower that way. Between you and your camera, you already have an effective communication and marketing tool. You just need to get out there and start talking to people.

See: The two startups that quietly cooked up video magic with retail giant Target

This post ‘Start small, start scrappy’: a Y Combinator startup founder’s tips on making killer videos appeared first on Tech in Asia.

from Tech in Asia https://www.techinasia.com/y-combinator-vidyard-founder-video-tips
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