5 (Plus) Tips for Creating Compelling Videos

It comes down to the story. You can have the most expensive gear in the world at your disposal, but if the message is not heartfelt or meaningful, then your video will just be very shiny, pretty nonsense.

FS: What are the biggest mistakes you see when people or organizations produce video?

JG: One of the biggest mistakes is not knowing what to do with a video once it’s done. Many companies create a video and throw it up on YouTube. That’s fine, but then what? Hope someone will wade through an endless sea of cat videos and find your message? Strategy is key. Posting on YouTube or Vimeo is fine. In fact, if you don’t have your own internal video player, that’s what you should do. But embed the video on your Facebook wall, blast it out on Twitter and embed it on the homepage of your site. If you do e-newsletters, create a thumbnail with a play button on the image and hyperlink it to the video.