Why you can’t fake it in your video content

This is a guest post by Neil Davidson.

They say that the eyes are the window to your soul. I have a new theory; that your marketing video content is the window to your business soul. Take for example Microsoft Vistas SP1 corporate video (see below). Now, I don’t know if this was meant to be serious or not. If it was, it is obviously horrendous. Try to imagine it was meant to be a joke. Unfortunately, even in that context, it is still horrendous. I am a Mac person so I have steered clear of this whole Vista thing from day one... if it is anything like this video, I am so glad of my choice.

Microsoft’s Vista SP1 bad corporate video

Twitter, however, have managed to pull off the ‘purposely bad corporate video’ with a low-budget spoof - showing Microsoft how it’s done. Their video says a lot about them. It is funny and screams to the viewer that they know what they are doing (because they obviously know what not to do - bad fonts being one good example of this!).

Twitters bad corporate video

Here is a comparison of Alan Partridge with a real Norfolk Broads corporate video. Alan Partridge is a genius when it comes to poking fun at people who might take themselves a bit too seriously. This example is a hilarious demonstration of what not to do. Below it is an example of a real corporate video for the Norfolk Broads. It is tasteful and well suited to the subject matter.

Alan Partridge

Norfolk Broads

Trying to be someone you are not in a corporate video is a mistake. Assume that your audience is astute. They are very likely to see through an artificial, phony video. Avoid trying to be something you are not. There are a few ways you can do this.

1. Write your own script, or at least have some involvement in the process so that you can guarantee that the wording is true to who you, or your business, are.
2. Know your audience; do your research and monitor the audience response to all of your marketing efforts so that you can build on the successes and avoid repeating mistakes (i.e. those adverts/videos that your audience couldn’t relate to or connect with).
3. Work with the talent in your own organisation. If there are creative people within your organisation who you feel represent your business well and are in tune with your goals, involve them in your videos as much as you can. Whether they are ideas people or the people you use to be in your video, they are likely to have a positive effect on producing an authentic video that is true to your business.
4. Don’t fake your testimonials. If you use any kind of testimonial in your videos, whether they be video interviews or text quotes, don’t fake them. Genuine is always better and real testimonials are far less likely to seem cheesy and contrived.

So, the next time you are making a corporate video you have Alan Partridge and Microsoft Vista to compare yourself to. If there are any similarities, think again and get back to the drawing board!

About the author
Neil Davidson is the Founder of My Web Presenters, who are a leading video production company specialising in video spokesperson videos. They work with businesses of all sizes to create and market compelling and emotive videos. They also write a video marketing blog regularly so please check it out.