Why Most Corporate Videos Don’t Keep Viewer’s Attention

It may not be what corporations want to hear, but the depressing reality is that the great majority of corporate videos simply do not keep the attention of their viewers.

Videos take time, money and effort to produce, and when viewers fail to stick around for the duration, it can feel like a terrible waste for anyone and particularly for corporations that are hoping these videos will bring them more customers.

But why do most corporate videos fail to keep the attention of their audience?

The short attention span

The truth is that the audience of today has a much shorter attention span than may once have been the case and in that most instances if they have not been grabbed within as little eight seconds of the video, they will tune out.

Ensuring that you have grabbed the attention of your audience within the first few seconds of the video is thus of more vital importance than ever before.

One way that corporate videos can ensure viewer retention is to not only to get straight to the point, but to make shorter videos that consistently stick to one simple message.

Bad videos

However if a corporate video is failing to keep the attention of viewers, it is a mistake for corporations to just blame the audience. Many corporate videos fail for a number of other reasons, including failing to provide the audience with a problem that your product or services can solve, or making it clear what benefits they bring.

Other issues that plague corporate videos in particular include a failure to communicate the message in a clear fashion, content that is rambling and redundant and the video’s production quality being not up to par.

Many corporate businesses also treat videos as checklists without considering if they are entertaining and appealing enough to get people to actually watch all of them, let alone absorb the message and then follow through to the desired end result (making a purchase).

Videos should move quickly to ensure viewer retention

Viewer retention should thus be a major priority for those producing corporate videos.

One of the best methods to maintain viewer retention is to ensure that your video moves quickly. This may seem like a simple point but it cannot be overstated. The hook on which your video is hung should be focused on immediately in the first stage of the video. The introduction needs to make the viewer immediately want to see more of it.

The simplest way to ensure the viewer will want to keep watching is to generate an emotional response as soon as possible to engage their interest.

Quality production

It is vital that any corporate video delivers excellent picture and sound quality. No one is going to keep watching a video that has a poor quality picture or which they are unable to hear properly. Not only is a video that has poor quality in either picture or sound unlikely to keep the viewers attention, but it could even have more serious consequences by creating a negative and even unprofessional impression of your company.

Everything should be about the consumer

One of the most crucial ways to ensure that a viewer will continue to watch a corporate video is to make certain that everything in that video is about them or relates to them in some way. According to YouTube video statistics, videos featuring the word “you” within their first five seconds had a 97 percent higher viewer count than others. Although corporate videos are obviously different to YouTube videos, findings carried out on different platforms can still be applicable.

It is increasingly difficult to hold the attention of the modern viewer, but it is not impossible. 
Here at Zaini Media, we have many years experience in producing corporate videos that will get the results your corporation wants. Contact us today!