Everyone has a pretty little animated video online talking about their brand, app, or service. But few dare to show their face and put themselves out there. A video spokesperson can elevate your marketing materials and make you look like a boss. The good kind, not the kind everyone hates. Learn why using real faces can be just what you need.
Sure, there are many ways to create entertaining and memorable videos, and I don’t mean to badmouth them. Selection is the spice of life, after all. However, I contend that a video spokesperson can be your ace in the hole when appropriately used. It’s a direct, clever, and charismatic way to assert your presence and put a visible face on your business.
In a way, it’s like having your television host deliver exciting and relevant information to the audience. You can use a video spokesperson for other things, not just branding.
But of course, not all video spokespeople are the same. You want to use someone personable, reliable and who can embody your principles and values on camera. First, let’s look at what this whole thing is about.
What is a video spokesperson?
Think of these individuals as basically your news anchors. They are a person either an employee or a professional – who is tasked with speaking on camera on behalf of your company or organization. You can think of them as ambassadors for a message, brand, or cause.
What are the key characteristics of a video spokesperson?
- Charisma: They have a screen presence; the camera naturally draws them in. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of flair, either. Personality is an asset, not a detriment.
- Diction: Recording a video is a kind of public speaking. It’s not just about looking pretty; it’s about being clear and concise, having good diction, and staying entertaining.
- Emotional resonance: Hiring a video narrator allows viewers to connect emotionally with the message or topic. Sometimes it’s okay to take a more detached approach, but you need to get the most out of a live actor.
Some statistical basics
One question that may be running through your mind is, “Why video at all?” It is just one of the most appealing ways to reach your consumers. When they click on your advertisement, site, or social network account, you have a far greater chance of grabbing their attention if you show them a video.
Don’t just take my word for it; here are some statistics:
- 96% of online shoppers find video crucial during their decision-making process.
- Videos attract two to three times as many monthly visitors, double site dwells time, and lead to a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines like Google.
- 87% of online marketers use video.
- One-third of the Internet is on YouTube. That’s more than a billion users.
- 45% of individuals watch more than an hour of video per week on YouTube and social media.
- In the U.S. alone, 85% of Internet users watch online videos. Of these, Millennials (25-35) watch the most.
- An astounding 80% of all internet traffic is streaming video alone.
- Of all online presence, one-third is watching the straight video.
Those are all pretty impressive stats. As you can probably guess, if you’re not giving video marketing the attention it deserves, you’re missing out big time. And that’s not even taking mobile stats into account, as we’ll see below.
On the way to Mobile
- About half of all video streaming is via mobile devices. Good times to be an internet marketer and a chiropractor.
- Ten million videos are viewed on Snapchat every day.
- 92% of mobile device users share the videos they watch. That’s a recipe for viral content.
- Of all the videos streamed on Twitter, 90% of the views are on mobile devices.
Finally, there’s the issue of engagement
Engagement stats
People are undoubtedly glued to their screens, and we know that videos are the leading cause of that. But what does that mean for marketers?
- For one, it’s all about distribution. Videos on social media are shared 12 times more often than text and images alone.
- People watch nearly three times as many brand videos on Facebook and twice as many on YouTube.
- 51% of marketers agree. Video offers the best ROI (return of investment) of all possible marketing strategies.
- Video increases organic traffic by 159%.
- Video on your touchdown page can increase conversion rates by 80%.
- It’s great for SEO! It increases the likelihood of appearing on the first page of search results by 53%.
- Videos embedded on social media platforms reach ten times the audience compared to YouTube links.
- Almost all (85%) of videos on Facebook are viewed without sound. Subtitles are a must, even with a video narrator!
- After viewing a video, CVR increases to 4.8% (vs. 2.9%).
- Viewers retain 95% of a message when watching a video vs. 10% when reading text.
- 46% of users take action immediately after watching a video ad.
I hope you are convinced after this list of points. Incorporating a video spokesperson into your video marketing strategy is a great idea within a great idea.
How do I find a video spokesperson?
You have two great options. If you are good in front of the camera or have a collaborator who is a good fit, you can try to produce your video yourself. The DIY method is riskier because you’re putting an unproven employee in the line of fire, but it can be enriching.
The second option is to outsource all or part of your video production to a video production service. First, let’s address the potentially most challenging point of the two options and get it out of the way.
Doing it myself!
All right! Then it’s time to activate your inner actor or actress. Or, if you have the perfect member of your team who would love to be on camera, you’re ready!
- A video camera
- Lighting kit
- Wireless microphones
- Tripods
- Shotgun microphone
- Boom pole
- Headphones
- XLR cable
Of course, all of this is only possible if you have a great actor or actress to support your project. I would also recommend you invest in a green screen.
Right now, it’s very fashionable to place actors in front of a variety of artificial backdrops. Try out the best style for you (and it doesn’t look completely ridiculous).
You (or your performer) should be familiar with the script and know what they need to do. Make sure your script is on point, and do as many rehearsals as necessary. On the day of the performance, you need to get it perfect. If you don’t, know that corporate videos have their version of production hell.
A little personal story
I once worked on do-it-yourself video production for a small business. I had to be the narrator for the video and knew everything we had to do by heart. But we were constantly changing the script, the location, and even the products we wanted to feature!
There’s always the possibility of changing things on the fly. But if you’re very inexperienced, numerous setbacks can cause you to lose confidence and delay the entire production by weeks or months. Even if you make it to post-production, there’s no guarantee you’ll like the result. Ensure you handle all of these steps when the time comes for production.
- Script
- Actors
- Location
- Equipment
- Have a rough idea of how long the whole thing will take
- Video editing software
Don’t leave any of this to chance!
Is there a website for video speakers?
Of course, please make sure the websites you visit or the professionals you want to their craft before you hire them. Check their portfolios, make sure they’ve proven themselves with their previous clients, and only hire them if they “pop” for you. When you find the right one, go for it! Finding the right video spokesperson is like falling in love: you’ll know it when you see it, and nothing can replace it once it’s there.
Website like Whiteboard Video Animation Services dedicated exclusively to offering video voiceover services. They have a wide range of professional actors and actresses who are excellent at delivering complex scripts and conveying brand messages.
Video is the name of the game these days. The people have spoken, and they will continue to make video the most popular form of media online. Adding a video spokesperson to your marketing strategy may be just the right idea to win even more hearts and minds for your brand.
With the development of new technologies, producing a spokesperson video is no longer a rocket science, but having the rightspeaker video that will capture the audience and improve your sales conversion can only be produced by spokesperson video specialists at Whiteboard Video Animation Services.
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