Video brochures provide an excellent way for companies to tell compelling stories about their products and services. The combination of audio and visual has an unparalleled affect on viewers, and ROI with them has proven to be excellent.

With that said, we get asked often how long videos should be in video brochures. So, the recommendations in this blog are an effort to answer that question as well as provide other information we feel might be helpful.

How to make the best videos for video brochures

Although there isn’t one specific piece of advice we can offer on how to make the absolute best videos, it is key for producers to know their intended purpose. People’s brains naturally process information differently, but knowing the intended purpose makes a huge impact on what information should be presented and how long the video should be.

For example, engineers have a different way of thinking than most people. They prefer to explain their thoughts and sell their ideas with a lot of information, and they also like to absorb large amounts of information before making decisions. On the other hand, most other people prefer detailed information to be short and important points to be made quickly. While they don’t always communicate their thoughts and ideas that way, they definitely wish everyone else would. LOL! Anyway, since the majority of people don’t think analytically like engineers, we believe videos, especially when used for business, should be short. More information can be presented later (sometimes even in the same video brochure as other buttons can be included to activate them), and it’s better not to bombard someone’s mind with details at the very beginning of a relationship. What tends to occur when that happens is they talk themselves out of feeling interested.

With that said, here are suggestions to help videos perform best in video brochures.

• Most videos should be short. 30 to 60 seconds is ideal. In the world we live in, attention spans aren’t as long as they used to be and people feel like they’re more busy. Even if the urge is strong to fill a video full of information, short videos usually produce better results. Remember, more information can be presented to interested prospects soon enough and it’s better not to bombard people, especially early on in relationships.
• It’s beneficial to grab the attention of viewers quickly. To keep most people listening, this is necessary. However, be sure that if you use humor, statistics, ask a question or make a promise, it isn’t offensive or distracting enough to damage the presentation.
• Viewers need to believe you know their challenges. If viewers can see that you are aware of their problems, they’ll be more interested in learning how your product or service can help solve them.
• Viewers need to believe you understand how their challenges affect them. Illustrating to viewers you understand their challenges from their perspectives will help you make a greater connection with them.
• Your solution should be clearly introduced. Once viewers believe you understand their problems, the time will be right for you to present the solution you have to offer.
• Your solution should be demonstrated. If you highlight results and benefits much more than features when doing this, it will make a great difference. People ultimately make purchasing decisions based on what they’ll gain, not detailed information about the products or services they are considering.
• A call-to-action should be included. Using an “if” and “then” statement is a good strategy.
• Proof of success should be included. Showing testimonials, reviews and case studies showing what you have to offer has helped others should make a great difference.
• Humor should be used cautiously. Humor is a good way to keep the attention of viewers. However, it should not show up randomly or in a disconnected way, and it definitely should not break the tempo leading up to your solution or call-to-action. Even when it’s funny, humor can be distracting the cause viewers to miss important points or become offended. Also, it can increase the length of videos and, remember, attention spans simply aren’t as long as they used to be.
• Communication should be presented in ways viewers will easily understand. Talking fast doesn’t mean listeners will hear more. In fact, listening to someone rushing through a presentation is often a turn off. The best way to present messages clearly is to be calm without using words or phrases your audience may not understand. Avoid being monotone, annoying, or boring, and definitely keep it positive.

The best video brochures show viewers what they’ll gain

People make the majority of their purchasing decisions based on what they believe they’ll gain, not what someone else finds interesting or tells them. Because of this, the best video brochures show viewers how they’ll benefit instead of presenting a ton of details about products, services, or opportunities.

An easy way to think about this is that while statistics, product details, company philosophies and other background information might be interesting, other videos or actual conversations can be used to satisfy that part of a sales process, if necessary. To be the most effective, the best sales tactic is often just to help prospects envision success using whatever is being sold to them. If it will solve their problems or make their lives better, they’ll usually want it.

To learn more about video brochures or any of the other video marketing products we offer, contact us today.

John Bynum

Having owned an advertising magazine in Utah, I’ve worked in marketing for over twenty years.

I started writing for MediaFast in 2014. The first time I held one of their video brochures, I thought something like, “Wow! This blows away our magazine and any other print advertising I’ve ever seen. This is like a TV commercial, and I’m holding it in my hands. Amazing!”

Since then, video brochures, video mailers and video boxes have become leaders in marketing performance. It’s a privilege to write about them. I also love MediaFast—with its top-notch product quality, industry leading customer service, and all of the wonderful people I get to work with.