Do you need a video? Yes.

Nobody wants to read. Just watch, you’re going to skim the rest of this article.

But before you go ahead and start drafting up your Citizen Kane of web videos you have to clearly know what kind of video you need. The important thing is to stay open minded as you dive deep on these 5 questions that’ll help you determine everything.

But before we start please remember this one fact when answering each question – people don’t care about you. They care about what you can do for them.

Who is your audience?

Who are you hoping to reach – think age, gender, profession, geographical state, preference in Netflix shows… The clearer image you have of your people. The easier you can talk to them. IE – Using a Hanson reference when communicating with high schoolers may go over their heads a little.

What problem do you solve?

Now that you know your audience you should know how you improve their life. And no, it’s not your product – it’s the positive impact your product or service creates. They have a pain that you have the medicine for. 

What outcome are you looking for?

Do you want people to browse your website? Purchase a product? Donate? Or is it simply brand awareness? Video is a tool that inspires action – if you know your destination, you can give proper directions. 

What is the shelf life of this video?

If this is a one-off video for an event, perhaps prioritizing a lower budget is wise. But if this is going to be your first impression that’ll live on your website for the foreseeable future, then it’s wise to swing for the fences and invest the right dollars, time & talent into hitting a homer.

How can you stand out?

What has or hasn’t worked for you in the past? What are your competitors doing? Do you like it? A lot of people go with the norm because they are too afraid to do something different. But here’s the reality – if you’re going to play it safe, you are going to be ignored. Think, how can you show some personality? Don’t be iceberg lettuce without any dressing… Nobody wants to eat that.

All in all, its most important that you have answers to the questions above. This adds clarity and truly lets you sift through the ideas that will work, from the ones that won’t. Be likeable, be clear & above all… don’t be boring. 

BONUS Q!

What are the videos you like or you think your audience will like?

Create a playlist and figure that out. All too often I see companies afraid to do comedy, but their audience would kill for a refreshing outlook on a sensitive subject. Who would rep your brand the best? What are some stories that explain your life changing magic? Don’t copy other people’s stuff, but find inspiration to make your own unique video.