A is for Aware

"Marketing videos for business" is about as concise as I can get when it comes to the old elevator pitch phrase describing what Quietwater Media does. That phrase paints with a wide brush, leaving the devil, as the saying goes, to be found in the details.

"Aware" is the first word in this 26 letter April blogging challenge, and it is one that uncovers some of those devilish details.

For a business, it has been my experience that the decision maker who is AWARE of where they want this particular piece of marketing content to fit, is the decision maker that enjoys some positive vibes. Video can be complex. Thankfully most of the complexity is behind the camera and in the editing room. The complexity starts in front of the camera when the business does not know their target and/or where they think the viewer watching their video fits in the buying/sales cycle, aka "the funnel". This is an image that may have fallen out of vogue, but nonetheless is an image I still like for positioning a viewer in the context of their buying decision process.

That was a mouthful.

While it may be frustrating, being aware of that target person is a good thing. It's a good thing because it should "force" you to craft and deliver a simple message to that targeted buyer. That awareness starts with some idea of demographics, even if it is qualitative and fuzzy, even if it is who YOU WANT to view the video. Having some attributes attached to that customers is a good thing. For example, a woman between 36 and 44, online during a week night evening. Maybe she is researching something during the ads on TV so she can add a widget to her list for the weekend. Maybe not. Maybe she is looking for a birthday present for her husband.

The point is don't just make a video to make a video. For that matter, any content you make should at least be vaguely pointed at a target customer that you are AWARE of.

It's been my experience that being AWARE of your target keeps your message short and focused. Instead of going long and being all things to all people, your message is concise and aimed at the concern(s) of that targeted viewer. You are done before people start to glaze over and leave (e.g less than two minutes, closer to one is better).

Speaking of which I'm going long myself.

bye!