Read Time: 5 Minutes

Before we begin, there’s only one space left for my upcoming video workshop:

I’m hosting an in-person video production workshop on the 17th of August in London. Learn the tips, tricks, and secrets behind creating your own videos that stand out online, and get your viewers hooked!⚡️

Secure our only seat left at the workshop, and find out more information here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/641187217227 

Video. Heard of it? Of course, you have. It’s only the most in-demand marketing tool at your disposal this year, and with more and more businesses creating content it’s getting harder to grab attention online.

But amongst the video hype, businesses are forgetting that video is one of the most powerful sales tools that exist today when used correctly, and instead, they chase the dream of going viral and getting noticed online.

Don’t fall into this trap.

Money isn’t the end goal, but money acts as the fuel to drive your business forward, so it’s only natural to want more of it.

In this week’s newsletter, I’m going to share my learnings about creating videos that increase sales and conversions, because ultimately, that’s what we’re all after.

So, let’s dive in!

#1: Hook Your Audience

95% of videos don’t include a strong enough hook to get a ‘yes’ from a viewer, which acts as a soft sale. They’ve spent the currency of time, and they want to receive a good return.

The key here is to show what’s in it for them, within the first 2-3 seconds. But ensure that it’s relevant to what they’re looking for. A video about selling blocks of ice to somebody in Antarctica won’t go down well. 

A great example of an impossible-to-not-watch hook would be MrBeasts’ latest video, as it instantly engages consumers and lets them know what they’re about to invest their time into:

#2: Push Emotional Triggers

You need to act as a salesperson, not a creative. This means tapping into the emotional triggers of your audience such as fear, greed, reciprocity, and trust.

Examples of this would be mentioning limited-time discounts, offering ‘free’ products or services to inspire loyalty and reciprocity, and talking about the success that a viewer will have if they decide to purchase your product or service.

Remember, people buy feelings, not things. 95% of sales are decided through emotion and not rationality. Craft your videos around the story of success, inspire loyalty, and enable your viewers to get emotionally invested.

Take this example from The Wolf Of Wallstreet, and spot the emotional sales tactics applied:

#3: Be Optimistic, Not Realistic

Sell the dream, not how to get to the dream.

You need to create videos that scream optimism, in that your product or service will work out in the favour of your viewer. Viewers pick up on the energy of your content, and if you’re excited about what you do, chances are that your audience will be too.

For example, nobody wants to watch a video that explains the long, time-consuming, expensive process of creating a video, they just want attention and new sales. Sell that dream.

This example from Bentley does a great job of selling the dream lifestyle of an owner of their cars, and makes viewers crave that experience:

#4: Create Intrigue

You won’t be converting viewers if they’re not interested. So, make them curious, sell the lifestyle they could have, and allow them to follow the journey of your product or service.

This can come in many ways, from creating company update videos of new products or services, having a host on camera that feels relatable and connected to the viewer, to showing glimpses of what you have to offer.

Tesla is a great brand to take inspiration from when it comes to creating intrigue, especially around their upcoming Tesla Bot. Check out the video that they’ve recently posted:

#5: Create Need, Desire, and Urgency

Truthfully, most videos don’t convert into sales because they don’t create a sense of need, desire, or urgency. Again, tapping into emotional selling. Instead, they talk about the features and benefits of a product or service, and that’s not what a potential customer actually cares about.

It’s important to mention why you’re unique, but it’s more important to mention why a viewer needs your product, what will happen if they don’t purchase it, and what others in similar situations have experienced when using your product or service.

An example of this would be this advert from WHOOP called “The Best Obsess”. It’s a great example of showing a ‘tribe’ that others should fit into if they also obsess:

These are just five ways to drive more sales with your videos, but as with everything I write, these concepts just scratching the surface.

Video production is complicated, and it’s not as simple as just having an idea, pressing the record button, and watching the customers come flooding in. If it was, we’d all be multi-millionaires living up in the Maldives.

TLDR 💁🏼‍♀️

For those of you that want the condensed version:

• Hook Your Audience: Grab attention within the first 2-3 seconds, showing relevance and what's in it for them.

• Push Emotional Triggers: Appeal to emotions like fear, greed, reciprocity, and trust, focusing on feelings rather than features.

• Be Optimistic, Not Realistic: Sell the dream and excitement, not the process, to create a positive outlook for viewers.

• Create Intrigue: Make viewers curious by showcasing new products or services and presenting a relatable host.

• Create Need, Desire, and Urgency: Highlight the importance of your product, its unique value, and the consequences of not having it.

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Consultancy Sessions: If you want to put everything in this week’s newsletter into practice but don’t know where to start, consider booking a personalised call with me where we’ll breakdown your videos, figure out what needs work, and put a plan in place to get you to where you want to be.

2. Content Strategy Workshop: A full day of strategy development, creative ideas, and video production training to get you and your team ready to create regular videos in-house. There’s one space left for my August workshop, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Until then, I’ll see you in next week’s newsletter!