I was involved with a LinkedIn discussion this week about making a successful online video. It all got a bit heated but there was some really useful comments made by contributors from around the world.

Someone had posted a comment about a video they had made to promote their online business. The video had been posted on YouTube and a link sent out to potential and existing customers in e-mails. However the film had not driven any sales and they wanted to know why.

There were some positive responses from people (like us) that had achieved measurable results from using online video, including impressive increases in sales.

The majority of the feedback pointed out that the content of the video was not right. The film in question consisted of a series of stock stills and photos of the product the store was selling. There was also a voice over giving a little info about what the business sells. It wasn’t presented particularly well, was generic and didn’t really give the audience any reason to visit the site or make a purchase. It was also flagged that the YouTube film had no description or tags so no one would find the film.

Then there was quite an interesting post that started…

‘This is for ‘MsBloggs’ alone, the rest of you can read it and weep!’ it also contained the phrase ‘the video is not successful for one simple reason’. Clearly alarm bells should start ringing at this point. Firstly, this chap didn’t seem particularly friendly, secondly anyone who knows anything about online video will tell you there is no single element that will guarantee the success of any online film.

The guy went on to state that the single reason the film had not succeeded was because of the lack of SEO…

This discussion really crystalised the key elements of what is needed to increase the chances of success with your online film. Although you can’t guarantee an online film will achieve your KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) there are several things you need to do to mitigate the risks and give your film the best chance of success. We have created plenty of films that have achieved millions of views and real results for our clients and these played a key part in the success of them all.

Good SEO is not enough. The person who was asking why her film wasn’t working had stated that she had sent it directly to a number of people and had no response. This indicates that there is a problem with the content. It needs to be sorted before the film is distributed. Make sure the content is right for your audience, make sure it actually motivates your audience to take the action you want them to and so gets results rather than just views. If you are looking to create a ‘viral film’ then you also need to consider what is going to get passed on. If you are clever, you can weave your key messages into the films themselves so you don’t have to convince your audience to read taglines etc. and you don’t seem to ‘preachy’.

Optimise the films in the same way you would your website. As with website SEO it can actually be much more difficult to get top ranking than you might think, so spend some time on it or get a pro in to help you out.

You should be looking for a production company or agency that have a lot of experience developing online video that works, this experience along with specific research on your project should give you the best chance of creating an engaging and effective film.

So creating a successful online video is tough. Make sure you decide what you want to achieve from your film and base everything around that. Remember, just because YOU think it looks great, doesn’t mean your audience will.

Beware of those on LinkedIn telling you it’s real easy, it isn’t!