You don’t need to be Tarantino to make a great video

We like videos. Fact. Our phones are chockers with Instagram reels, TikTok dances and bare-faced make-up tutorials. We even watch them with the sound off and read the captions. We’re engrossed and invested. And after we’ve browsed our socials, we flick on over to YouTube and join the hundreds of millions of daily users to watch something else; maybe Beyoncé’s new video, an instruction video on how to fix a leaky fridge, or some soothing unboxing.Video engages and captures our attention. And we’ll say it again, we like it. And if we like it, so does your audience.Right now, we don’t think that video is used nearly enough in presentations. But the truth is when it’s there, and used correctly, it has real impact. Plain and simple. Play that reel and watch your audience look up, watch them look away from their phones, and boom – you’ve caught their attention.Multi-sensory experienceRemember, a presentation is a fleeting moment to get inside your audience’s mind, don’t waste your time when you’re in there. You want them to recall your key points. That means clear visuals, videos, great verbal communication and winning content. Video kisses goodbye to death by PowerPoint. It helps you to engage and grab your audience in an instant and take them with you on a multi-sensory journey.A visual story at the beginning of a presentation is often a great way to get your audience to sit up and take notice. Something short, 15 seconds or so, that says this is no ordinary presentation, be prepared!Real people with real responsesYour audience connects strongly to verbal and visual cues. They’re more likely to remember something that has triggered an emotional response. For example, if you’re fundraising for kids in a deprived area, showing a 60 second clip of how these children are living will hit home a lot more than a PowerPoint slide with highlighted figures and percentages, or even an image. Or you’re a skateboard company that’s had an uptick in sales; show how the boards are being used, head on down to the skate park and film some jumps. Talk to real customers about why they choose your boards and why they’re different. Show your audience how they’ll feel. They’re more likely to recall the video and your message.Keep content genuineFor this smartphone age we’re in, authentic content is the only way forward. Slick video reels and over produced studio-style films, read to a script, feel contrived. Your audience wants real customers, real experiences, truthful confessions – just like what you want to see on your social media and your product reviews.And your audience wants the videos snappy – 30 to 60 seconds. That’s it. Any longer and you’ve lost them, and your key messages get lost too.Get technicalEmbed the video into your PowerPoint so you can play it promptly. There’s nothing worse than exiting one file, opening up explorer and waiting idly by, while your audience views the spinning wheel going round and round on screen. You’ve really lost them then!Share and share againEngaging videos are easy to share and post on social. If you hit the sweet spot, when you send your video to your audience you can expect your content to be shared. Who knows how far you, and it, can go when you get it right.