The Startup Videos

Creating an Explainer Video? 9 Questions to Ask Your Production Company

sangeerani — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:59:04 +0000

If your startup company needs to deliver a message in an exciting, engaging way, an explainer video can be one of the most effective ways to target an audience. Explainer videos are short (typically between 1 to 3 minutes in duration, more on why below) and simplified, and are designed to explain your business, products or services to customers with exciting audiovisual content instead of trying to get your message across with boring text.

One of the key benefits of a well-produced explainer video lies in its power to convert. Recent reports claim that anywhere from 64% to 85% of website visitors are more likely to buy a product on a retail site after viewing a video. Without question, explainer videos increase sales and leads, and startup businesses that incorporate video marketing into their marketing strategy see higher click-through rates, higher engagement rates, and higher conversion.

Another benefit of startup videos are that they’re highly shareable across a wide range of platforms. 68% of video viewers share them, so going viral is more likely with explainer videos. When producing your explainer videos, keep in mind that videos that are 15 seconds or shorter are shared almost 40% more often than videos that last 30 seconds or longer.

With all this in consideration, it’s important that you choose the right production company to produce your explainer videos, especially if you’re a startup. Below are some key questions that you should ask prospective production companies which will help you make the right decisions:

Pricing vs. Value

How much of the explainer video production process will the production company actually handle? A complete explainer video project entails project research, script writing, storyboarding, voice-over recording, video production, sound design, and marketing. If you want the production company to spearhead all facets of the process, than they need to be highly skilled in each area. If the production company is expected to handle only some of the above-mentioned areas, then their cost should reflect that. The cost of a startup video can range from several hundred dollars to several thousand, so it’s important to know what’s included in the price.

Experience in Getting Messages Across Effectively And Quickly

How much experience does the production company have in reaching your target audience? According to recent research, 20% of video viewers will click away from a video within the first 10 seconds. One third of those viewers will click away by the 30 second mark, and 45% of them will be gone within a minute. Explainer videos need to be able to grab the attention of viewers quickly, and hold onto their attention spans for as long as possible. Your production company has to have experience in the fine art of delivering the goods quickly.

Script Writing Skills

Many video production companies are very skilled in producing animation, but the real heart and art of a successful startup video lies with the script. How skilled is the production video company with developing engaging, attention-grabbing text?

Specific Experience Producing Startup Videos

How many videos has the production company created, and even more relevantly, how many startup videos has the production company produced? You’ll want to work with a production company that already has hundreds of explainer videos under its belt.

Global Reach

Does the production company have experience with producing explainer videos for large, global brands? Ideally, the production company that you choose should be globally known.

Portfolio

Look over the production company’s portfolio carefully. Does the production company have a track record of producing entertaining startup videos that get to the point and are commercially successful? Ask the production company to show you its most successful video marketing campaigns, and explain why they were successful.

Stats, Please

One of the great things about explainer videos is the wealth of information that detailed video analytics will give you. Those analytics can tell you how many people are loading the video, how many people are actually watching the video, at what point viewers click away, engagement rate information, and more. With this information, you’ll be able to fine-tune your message so that it targets your audience more precisely. So, ask video production companies for hard and fast facts about their explainer videos’ play rate, number of loads, number of visitors, engagement rate, and conversion rate.

Get References

Ask if the production company would be willing to let you contact their previous clients for additional feedback. A solid production company shouldn’t have a problem with full transparency.

Any Questions?

Finally, ask the production company what questions they have for you. This last question is particularly important. If the video production company is simply asking you how fast you need an explainer video, or how much of a budget you have to spend, you may want to move on. A truly engaged video production company will want to find out about your company and its desired message. The production company should be asking you who your customers are, what their misconceptions about your company might be, and what you hope you’ll be able to achieve with your explainer video in terms of marketing share and conversion rate.

By posing the right questions – and getting the right answers – you’re bound to find a production company that will be able to create an exciting and effective explainer video that can get your startup company’s message across to your current customers and attract new ones.

10 Tips on Writing a Explainer Video Script for Your New Startup (video #5)

sangeerani — Sat, 18 May 2013 10:18:10 +0000

A well crafted explainer video can do wonders for a startup. In fact, the results of an effective video can outmatch those of an entire marketing campaign. The basis of a great video is a great script hence you need to make sure the script is as good as possible. Here are 10 tips on writing an explainer video script for your new startup.

1. Keep It Short

The first and most important tip you have to follow is to keep the script short. The ideal length for an internet video is two minutes so don’t exceed it. The shorter it is, the more likely it is to attract viewers.

2. Start with the Message

Put the message you want to deliver in the beginning of the video so the viewer is hooked immediately. Delaying it might cause the viewers to lose interest and click away.

3. Be Conversational

Make the script formal but the tone should be conversational. The viewer shouldn’t think of it as information overload. Rather, the viewers have to be addressed in a friendly manner.

4. Empathize

The key to forming a connection with your audience is by empathizing. Place yourself in the viewer’s shows when you are writing the script and imagine yourself viewing the video.

5. Don’t Fluff It Up!

The length constraint makes it all the more important for you to keep the script fluff-free. Include only the message and other vital information you have to convey, nothing else.

6. Include Some Humor

Internet users have a short attention span. Believe it or not, they can get bored during a two-minute video. Adding some humor to the video helps keep the viewers engaged and more importantly awake!

7. Brand It

The video is for a new business, not an established brand. Hence, it is the perfect medium for you to create a brand presence. Make sure the video speaks for your brand and not just for you.

8. Solve a Problem

People love getting solutions to the everyday problems they face. Be the problem solver by raising a problem in the video and then telling them how to solve it. The best way to go about doing this is explaining how your products can improve their lives and solve their problems.

9. Pace Yourself

Keep the word count of the video limited to what a listener can digest within the given time frame. One of the reasons people lose interest is because the speaker is going too fast. Learn to pace yourself.

10. Add Call to Action

It is very important that your video conclude with a call to action. Get the viewers to visit a website, call a number, join a Facebook page, etc. If you don’t add a call to action, the people are likely to shut the browser down once the video is over.

These are 10 tips on writing an explainer video script for your new startup. There is no doubt that explainer videos are great for lead generation and increasing sales but only if they are made effectively. Getting the script right is your first step towards achieving that!

Autographic Insights – No More Spreadsheets and Charts

sangeerani — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:19:54 +0000

Reporting no longer has to be boring with Autographic Insight. You don’t have to rely on the conventional spreadsheets and charts. Their drab design and plain Jane appearance is enough to put a person to sleep. Businesses today want reports that let them know how their business is performing while being interesting at the same time.

Then there is the small matter of sharing the reports across multiple platforms and devices. All of this can be achieved with a simple online resource, Autographic Insight. You can get the tools you need to make the reports of any business interactive and relevant to the client. No longer do you have to create slides or PowerPoint presentations. Just create and share via smartphone or tablet.

Your clients would be able to view the reports on the go. Plus, you can provide them a comparison of internal business data with the global industry trends to offer better insight. They wouldn’t be complaining about the reports not being interesting any more. Since you can customize your reports according to the specific needs of a business, they are more credible and authentic. Add this to the visual appeal and convenience they provide and you have a surefire formula for getting your clients to love you.

The concept of Autographic Insight is interesting and fresh required a motion graphic cartoon using 2D imagery. The overall effect of the animated explainer video for the startup gives you a solid idea of what the platform is all about and how you can benefit from it. You can easily make your reports interesting with Autographic Insight.

URL:http://www.autographicinsight.com/

Viral Video Script Writing Tips and Tricks (video #4)

sangeerani — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:14:21 +0000

Viral videos are the ‘in’ thing. They go a long way towards helping businesses establish an online presence. Yet, simply making a video is not enough. The video has to be of a certain standard and quality to convince viewers to watch it. The best way to enhance the quality of your videos is by learning viral video script writing tips and tricks. There are actionable steps you can follow to learn how to make viral video script in no time at all and make killer videos.

Figure Your Message Out

An extremely important tip for writing a viral video marketing script is to know exactly what you have to say. Often people have ideas that they want to convey to their audience but it does not have a definite shape. The idea keeps floating around in their mind and they try to put it on paper. With such a disjointed mindset, it is impossible for you to convey your message properly. So, before writing decide on what you want to say and exactly how you want to say it.

Choose the Type

There are several types of videos you can make for your business, including animated, live action and music only. You have to decide the type of video you want to make so that the script is written accordingly. There are different considerations for the various types of viral videos which is why your decision is crucial. Make sure the type you choose works well with your intended audience.

Read Video Scripts

You can gain valuable insight into how viral videos are written by reading scripts. This is extremely important if you have no prior experience of writing scripts for videos, viral or otherwise. You will get to see the kind of writing which is required and the guidelines that have to be followed. In short, this helps you get an idea of how viral videos are written. Also watch the videos for which the scripts have been written to have a better idea of how the writing is portrayed on screen.

Write the Script

Once you are done with reading scripts, it is time to start writing. In the beginning, you can take the luxury of jotting down whatever comes to mind. You don’t have to follow a formal structure or be clear. Simply writing the draft gets you started off with the process. You will develop a flow after a while and the words will come flying out.

Read & Edit It

The ideal length for a viral video is two minutes, which means roughly 300 words. Read the draft you have written to make sure there is no fluff or content that offers no value to the viewer. Edit it and cut down the wordage and verbosity. A catchy and punchy viral video requires a concise script which carries the message for the business and other vital information, nothing else. This is the kind of script that helps you engage the audience.

These are actionable steps you can follow to write a killer viral video script.

10 Twitter Vine Marketing Tips for every startups

sangeerani — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:59:55 +0000

How to Maximize Marketing With Twitter’s Newest Addition.

Inherently, startup companies face certain challenges that branded, well-funded companies simply don’t. Most startups have limited capital, which can negatively impact every facet of a startup company’s business, including marketing. Compounding this issue is the fact that most startup companies have a very small marketing base to begin with.

Startups find themselves in a classic chicken and egg scenario. On one hand, with limited capital, startup companies aren’t able to invest enough money into marketing, and their promotional efforts end up suffering. On the other hand, if a company’s promotional efforts aren’t strong enough, then their revenue streams will dry up. Obviously, the key to success for startup companies hinges on being able to target an audience with effective campaigns that can be created inexpensively.

There’s a new, exciting way that startup companies can find and build an audience without spending a lot of money. Enter Twitter Vine, stage left.

As a quick introduction, Vine is Twitter’s video-sharing application which allows users to create short video clips that can be embedded into their Tweets. Just as Tweets are limited in size, Vine video clips are limited in duration, and cannot exceed 6 seconds. Similar to animated GIFs, Twitter Vines are posted as an endless loop. Due to the brief duration of Vine clips, companies have to find creative and effective ways to relay their messages quickly and with visual flair.

The good news is that Twitter Vine marketing is accessible to all, making it perfect for startup companies. The creative uses of Twitter Vine promotion are limited only by a company’s imagination, not by its lack of financial resources.

Here are 10 tips that startup companies can use to gain popularity with Vine:

Use Twitter Vine marketing to show off your finished product line.
Use Twitter Vine to tease your audience with quick glimpses of your unfinished product line.
Twitter Vine clips can also incorporate audio, so use sound to your advantage. You can create Vines that asks questions, and opens the door for comments. Use sound to interact with your target audience.
Twitter Vine isn’t just a tool for effectively showcasing your products. Use Twitter Vine to showcase your company’s services as well.
Do you already have satisfied customers? Consider creating Twitter Vines that can serve as “live” testimonials from all those happy, shiny people.
Does your company use coupons, or have any seasonal offers to promote? Use Twitter Vine to show them off. Twitter Vine promotion for startups is a perfect way to get your customers to act before that coupon or special offer expires.
One of the most effective ways to reach an audience is to relate to them. Use Twitter Vine to show off the faces of your employees. Watching a 6-second clip of your assistant is a lot more exciting than having to read another boring ‘About Us’ web page.
While Twitter Vine marketing is great for connecting with your target customers, it’s equally adept at connecting with media distribution outlets. Expand your reach by creating Twitter Vine clips that are tailored to members of the press.
Twitter Vine promotion is perfect for social media distribution. Use the viral nature of the internet and distribute your Twitter Vine to bloggers that can subsequently spread it to others.
Create a “create your own” Vine contest. Ask your current customers to create a Vine that promotes your startup company’s products or services. Select the winning Vine clip and showcase it on your Twitter feed.

Twitter Vine promotion for startups is one of the best ways to gain popularity, no matter how limited your resources might be.

How has your startup company used Twitter Vine to find an audience?

Herds – Go Social But Not At the Cost of Privacy!

sangeerani — Sat, 04 May 2013 06:45:47 +0000

Go social without being private with Herds. Sharing content or photos or virtually anything with only the people you want is difficult and Herds helps you do just that. It is a private social group app that enables you to create ‘Herds’ and then share events or picture, practically anything relevant to your group. What you get is complete privacy. This makes Herds a unique merger of privacy and being social.

With Herds, you no longer have to worry about people looking into your updates and content you share whom you don’t want to show it to. After all, the kind of stuff you share with your buddies would be something you don’t want your boss to see. You can make sure your boss has no idea what you are up to when you are out on the town, with Herds.

Truth be told, Herds has picked up on a novel concept. It is something virtually every social media user thinks about but no one has ever really made an effort towards improving it. Even the privacy settings of social networks are so complex that one cannot help but be confused. Herds is innovative and bold, characteristics every startup needs to have.

The message and concept of Herds is so diverse that explaining it in 2 minutes seems impossible. Yet, using a video to demonstrate what Herds is about proved to be a masterstroke. The video shows people from different walks of life telling you who they ‘herd’. From family to golfing buddies to even groupies, it gives us a great idea of how diverse and useful the Herds app really is.

A demo video is a wonderful way to promote a startup and the same goes for Herds. ‘Herds’ is a wonderful app to create groups according to your preferences. No longer do you have to mix your work buddies with your church choir!

URL:http://herds.com/launch/thestartupvideo/

10 google explainer videos for startups to get inspired

sangeerani — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:19:51 +0000

As a startup you always face a big issue, how do I really explain my complex startup idea to new customers to convince them to sign up or do any call to action. But do you know even big brands like google have such issues. Google knows the need of explainer videos in any new product they release, so they comes with excellent videos which really helps people to understand the product in a better way. This article list out the top 10 explainer videos from google which engage those targets. Startups can inspire a lot to from this videos.

Google Keep

Google Adwords

Google Maps explored

Google voice

Google Wave

Google plus

Google Now

Google wallet

Google offer

Google Offer 2

Above videos are developed with minimum effort and plan, but it really made wonders to those products.

6 Ways to Improve Your Written Script (video #3)

sangeerani — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 11:44:32 +0000

So, you are trying to write a script for your business’ explainer video. For someone with any experience of script writing, the job would not be too difficult. On the other hand, beginners are bound to make some mistakes which ruin the impact and quality of the video altogether. Anyone can make errors, for that matter. Hence, it is crucial to have a script writing checklist for you to check your script against. Here are six things a great script must have.

1. The Language

Write your video in the language your audience is familiar with. You cannot use technical or business jargon with laymen. They wouldn’t have any inkling what you are talking about and are likely to turn the video off than watch it till the end. It is a classic example of the message getting lost in translation. This is most important for businesses in professions with their distinctive vocabularies, like medicine and law.

2. The Content

An explainer video is meant to explain something. There is a difference between explaining to the audience what your business and its products do and praising them. People can see through the self-praise immediately and you don’t retain credibility in their eyes. Focus on the content and make it valuable to the viewer. In short, the content should compel people to watch the video.

3. The Length

The length of your script is a double-edged sword. You have to make sure the video is not too long as the audience would lose interest and click away. At the same time, you have to ensure the number of words being spoken by the narrator/actor is easily comprehendible for the audience. Talking too fast or being verbose is not the way to go about improving your written script.

4. The Medium

Animated videos seem to work for all ages but an infographic is unlikely to attract young audiences. There are several types of videos you can choose from and the script has to be written accordingly. You have to decide whether there will be spoken dialogue or the information would be in the form of text and images only.

5. The Message

You have to work out the message you want to convey to the audience. There is a difference between saying you are the best at what you do and that you can solve the problems the viewers have. The viewers are more likely to be impressed by the latter. The message should be the basis of the script and included in the first few lines.

6. The Call to Action

Last, but certainly not the least, you need to put in a call to action. Else, you don’t have anything to gain. You have to ask the audience to do something. They are likely to just close the video and move on to something else if you don’t do so. Ask them to visit your website, join your Facebook page, call you, etc.

This is a script writing checklist you can follow when writing an explainer video for your business. These are the 6 things any great script must have.

Collection of Steve Jobs Videos: Every Startup entrepreneur should watch

sangeerani — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:04:10 +0000

Steve Jobs thoughts, actions, even his style remains inspirational for millions of startup entrepreneurs.

The style he adopted in business, the vision he had in R&D are far more superior to any other entrepreneurs of this century. Think Different, the great slogan every startup should think of before starting anything new. Each videos listed here are collected in different stages of Steve jobs life.

Steve jobs and next

In 1987, after he left Apple, Steve jobs created his next great computer empire NeXT which made him as the most influential mind of the 21st century.

Steve jobs on secret of life

Here is the video of Steve jobs life secret which is like a open book for all entrepreneurs.

Interview talk about early days of apple (1980)

Steve jobs created Apple out of the friendship with Steve Wozniak in 1970, as a young entrepreneur.

iPhone launch interview. Wow

Steve jobs introduced his new iphone in 2007 one of his creative innovation inspired by everyone…”Think different”

Steve jobs interview just before returning to apple

Before returning back to apple, Steve jobs precious words about apple and its innovations.

Steve jobs 1990 interview

Most important interview in his success era ,which initiated many young talents to become an entrepreneurs.

Steve jobs Stanford university speech

This is one of the most wonderful speech of Steve jobs ,which surely inspires everyone.

Steve jobs and bill gates

Billgates commented Steve as the coolest man and was impressed by his speech many times.

part1

Part2

Part3

Part4

For More Videos on Steve and Gates visit : Gates & Jobs (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB99DA646146982B8)

Types of Script Writing: Choosing the Best to Engage Your Clients (Video #2)

sangeerani — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:44:07 +0000

Explainer video production works pretty much like a movie production. You need a strong and engaging script first. Whether or not the audience can be engaged depends on the quality of the screen play and viral script writing with humor. However, depending on your marketing message and the type of video you want, the style and type of script vary greatly from video to video.

Knowledge and understanding of different types of script writing proves extremely helpful in writing a killer script that best engages your clients. You always have the creative freedom to experiment but here are some of the most common types of script writing you can choose from.

Storytelling

Storytelling script is one of the most common types of script writing and it can go along with almost any kind of video. Apart from its versatility, the reason it is very popular is because it engages the audience without sounding too pitchy or pushy. It is extremely beneficial for startups as it can serve as a very compelling introduction that is professional but not too formal or serious.

Story telling script also works great when selling a product or service that provides a solution to a common problem faces by the target audience. With a story depicting a problem they can relate too, the audience will definitely respond to the call to action.

Live Action

Like most of the television ads/commercials we see, Live action videos make use of real people. A script is written and the performers deliver the lines which are recorded on camera. In this regard, the people will start the conversation on behalf of your business. You can restrict the scale of production to keep costs down, something you have to factor in when writing the script.

Getting people to talk to your audience is perhaps the best way to get your message across unadulterated, but without catchy lines and bits of humor, it might become boring or even annoying. It all depends on the quality of the writing. Yet, this is not the kind of script you can use again and again.

Testimonial

A testimonial comes in handy if you want to keep the budget of your video to a minimum. All you need is a person speaking about your business in a positive light, sharing his/her experiences. The key is to get a person who falls into your target audience rather than someone chosen at random. Hearing from someone about your business can convince other people to check out your products as well. Testimonials must sound honest, credible and believable and that is exactly why you should restrict their use to once or twice.

Music Only

The script for your business video can be based on music only. It’s a language universally understood as well as appreciated. The music plays in the background as text and other images related to the business come up on screen. Usually, the music is used as a directing tool to maintain a certain flow throughout the video. However, this kind of script requires a very well-made video whose impact is not hindered by the absence of narration.

Infographic and Statistics

A script for video featuring infographic and statistics is typically the same vain as for music only videos. However, you can opt for a narration or voiceover to guide the viewers through the information being shown to them. This type of video is ideal for a business which wants to show financial data and other facts & figures to their target audience.

These are the types of script writing you can opt for when making a video for your business. If used effectively, all these videos can help engage the audience.