Learning from what we’ve done in the past is the quickest way to improve upon what we do in the future. Our video team is constantly producing new videos and implementing new ways and ideas to improve each one. Sometimes, like a quarterback in football, you’ve got to sit down and watch the film to figure out what worked, what didn’t, and what needs to change.
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So, come with me inside the mind of our videographers as our video team dives into each iteration of our Why We Use Wistia video and gives us insight into what they see when breaking down a video.
The First Attempt
Believe it or not, at one point Nextiny was just a hatchling in the world of the video but that didn’t keep us from trying and trying and then, trying again.
The first step to analyze this video was to identify the major cause of its shortcomings.
Improving Your Video’s Audio Quality
To our video team, the most obvious fault of this video was the poor audio quality. Not only can you hear the sound bouncing off the drywall, but it also doesn’t sound centralized or that it’s even directed at you, almost like you’re hearing the echo of his voice off the wall rather than his actual voice.
Aaron: You can tell that the audio quality was recorded through the internal microphone of the camera. So, for the second iteration, we made audio, specifically equipment, a much higher priority.
This lack of quality audio also takes away from the video in other ways. With the quality of today’s cameras and microphones, the audio really sticks out and is almost jarring to hear which detracts from the way the video engages its audience.
Isabella: Right off the bat we wanted to upgrade the obvious like the message of the video, the lighting, and the audio. Overall, though, the video wasn’t engaging enough so we wanted to just start from scratch
Attempt #2
Identify What You Did Right
On the second attempt, it’s important to first identify what you did that improved upon your last iteration, the worst mistake you could make is to go backward. Find out what you did right so you maintain that going into your next version.
In this case, the last video’s biggest issue (the audio) was vastly improved upon along with a number of things that make small differences which add up to big improvements.
Isabella: With more intentional lighting and better setting, one that provides some depth, it makes for a very crisp frame.
Aaron: The audio is far superior.
Though this video made huge strides, there’s still work to be done and it’s time to identify those opportunities.
Setting a Tone in Your Videos That Matches Your Brand
For this one, both our videographers touched upon the video’s tone and vibe. Everything from music to message sends out a different feeling than we want and one that doesn’t match the trajectory of our brand. Videos should always be considered an extension of your brand. Of course, you should use the right imagery and colors, basic branding things, but always be sure to match the tone, also. Just like when writing blogs, social posts, or web copy, consistency in your voice is how you build a strong brand.
In this video, one thing you may notice is the music. It’s gloomy, it’s too placid, and it’s delicate. Most of all, it gives off a feeling that’s different than the one we’re trying to convey. We’re excited about Wistia and when your Wistia hype video comes out sounding like a dramatic monologue in a romcom, something is amiss.
Isabella: The main problems in the video lie in the messaging and the music. The music is very somber and, as we continue to build Nextiny’s brand, we knew we had to change this. Even things as simple as an audio track can have big effects on a video and you want it to reflect your company’s personality.
Aaron: The entire vibe of the video was low energy and the main reason is the music selection. It’s critical to choose a song that flows with the video and keeps the pacing quick so that the education can be immersive.
Attempt #3
With multiple new and beautiful settings and a cool new shirt for Gabriel, there’s a lot to like about the most recent iteration of this video.
Firstly, it improves upon the things noted from video #2: The music is improved and matches the wanted tone and the messaging has been cleaned up and streamlined.
Aaron: There’s an emotional shift thanks to the music which is more quirky and fast-paced right from the beginning. That and this video’s improved consistency, speed, and energy keep it flowing and doesn’t allow the viewer to become bored or tired.
The biggest improvement comes through in the video’s team’s effort to make the video as engaging as possible.
Make Your Videos More Engaging
The last thing you want people to do with your video is to turn it off. Check your average watch time on your videos and you’ll quickly be able to see that your videos aren’t engaging when that number is 3 seconds. But how do you engage with people? What can you do to make your video appealing and interesting enough that people will sit through the entire thing?
Intentional Copy and Tone
One important aspect of engaging people is making your video intentional through a focused script and a consistently entertaining tone that matches your brand and what people would expect from that video. If they come to Nextiny, they’re expecting fun and fast. If you give them dreary (as we did above) they’ll bounce out.
Also, make sure you’re delivering on what you promise. This video is about why we use Wistia for our videos so we made sure to get to the point faster and stay there.
Isabella: In this video, we wanted to be more intentional with our messaging. If we are trying to show “Why We Use Wistia” we wanted to do so by actually walking through Wistia’s best features as Gabriel explains them in the video. This took a lot of planning.
Post-Production Tools and Editing
In order to further increase engagement, we called upon some more post-production magic.
You’ll notice way more flashy graphics, quick cuts to other scenes (like Isabella on the computer), and more interesting transitions between scenes. These all contribute to making the video friendlier, faster, and more engaging.
Isabella: We added elements like cutaway shots, animation, text graphics, and more to this video which took some more post-production love but we were happy with the outcome. The message here is also much more concise, which is vital to keeping engagement up. This all helped to contribute to the overall improvement for this video.
These videos show off the things you can do to improve from video to video and, in some way, showcase the evolution of video at Nextiny. We’re firm believers that if you have a valuable message, grab a camera and find a creative way to put it out there!
It doesn’t need to be a Hollywood production to get attention from your viewers. The video just needs to be intentional. Think about what you want the video to show, to say, and the emotion you want to evoke from your audience.
As you embark on your video marketing endeavors, remember that everyone starts this journey somewhere. This might be with an iPhone (which is how we started here at Nextiny!) or it might be with a full video production team; either way, you’re committing to a form of communication that has become imperative in the marketing game.
As you create videos for your company or your clients, don’t set them and forget them! Go back, analyze, optimize, repeat. When there’s no more room to optimize, it’s time to hit the drawing board again. As video metrics become more and more translatable, the possibilities for improvement are endless!
