Producing the Best Videos for Mobile

Mobile Video is Everywhere

If you are a savvy business person, or simply someone who has turned on the news since 2007, you must be aware how important mobile technologies have become. By 2016, half of all web video views will come from mobile devices, which includes everything from the iPhone and other smartphones to wearable technologies like the iWatch or Samsung’s Wearable Gear. So, what are consumers looking for with mobile video, and what are the strategies for video marketing, especially corporate video marketing, that businesses can use?

First, Produce Content that Can Actually Be Used

This may sound obvious, but it’s amazing how much web video content can’t be fully experienced on mobile devices. Some common issues with mobile videos are…

• Inadequate Resolution: Either the video resolution is far too large to be streamed properly (thus obscuring the finer elements of the video), or the resolution is so low that viewers can’t distinguish what’s on screen. Solve this problem by producing videos at resolutions that can adapt for play back in a variety of resolutions. For example, 1920X1080 resolution, or 640X1136 (native iPhone) resolution will typically work.
• Interactive Elements Don’t Work: Some web video players, like Flash, either won’t load on mobile devices, or may alter the interactive elements of a video for mobile playback. Solve this problem by hosting videos on HTML5 sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

What About Video Content?

There’s a trend in corporate graphic design that is pushing design towards large, bold fonts and colors that grab viewer’s attention. For example, check out the SNL 40 graphic redesign that launched with the sketch comedy show’s newest season. The sort of vibrant colors and huge fonts make the redesign feel extremely current, and this is the sort of design that business’s should look toward to accomplish the same effect. Oh, did I mention that Skillman Video Group offers full service motion graphics production? But, back to the point, since your video content needs more than splashy design.

Be Quick!

In terms of content, your videos should be succinct and to-the-point. Consumers don’t typically want to spend more than three minutes looking at marketing materials, and this is especially true for younger millennials.

Be Clever!

Also, consumers have been shying away from anything that resembles a “hard sell.” So, it’s best to avoid any marketing content that seems like it could have run on the Home Shopping Network. Instead, produce something clever, funny that helps communicate what your organization does in an unobtrusive way. For example, check out this video about a man who is stuck in the past. Oh, and yes, Skillman Video Group produced that video.

Old Timey Marketing from Skillman Video Group on Vimeo.

Use a Call to Action!

Call to Actions or CTAs, are buttons that appear on your video that link to other videos or pages and content that invite consumers to engage with your brand. And, using this method of engagement can be extremely effective, especially when used to link to a social media account.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.