At one point or another, each of us have had that gut feeling that defies the facts and numbers. When everything looks right on paper but for some reason it just doesn’t “feel” right.
So where does that feeling come from?
Contrary to what you may be thinking, it actually comes from the BRAIN!
Simon Sinek, a British-American author and motivational speaker, does a great job explaining this in his book called “Start with Why.”
He talks about the two parts of your brain
The Neocortex or “the what” and the Limbic or “the why”
The Neocortex being responsible for our rational and analytical thought and language and the Limbic being responsible for our feelings, behavior and decision making. He also talks about how our Limbic brain has no capacity for language.
What this means is the part of our brain that DRIVES BEHAVIOR, our Limbic Brain, doesn’t even understand the vast amounts of information you are throwing at it. It just hears BLA BLA BLA!
So how does knowing all this, help make better videos?
Studying the human brain helps us understand what motivates our audience leading to lifelong business.
Like Simon mentions, when we first communicate the “why” and get our viewer believing what we believe, we establish an emotional connection. After that connection is formed, it doesn’t really matter what we have to offer them or how we have it because “people don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.”
You can explain to your viewer till your blue in the face what all of the facts, features, benefits and details are of your company but at the end of the day, if they don’t trust you, they aren’t going to click on your website or set up that free consultation or even think about contacting you.
So before smack your viewers in the face with 7 million reasons why your company is exponentially greater than your competitors….
Ask your self WHY you do what you do. Ask yourself if you actually need all that nitty gritty, technical jargon in your video. Ask yourself if you are selling a product or selling an idea.
Understanding the role of the emotional unconscious and how it plays a role in the decision-making process of your audience is critical in making your video successful.
Remember…. “People don’t buy what you do they buy why you do it.”
You ever wonder what it costs to produce an advertisement? At Ydraw we turn down a mountain of clients each and every week because they feel our prices are just too much. But how do our prices stack up against other companies? And just how cost effective is a whiteboard animation compared to other forms of advertising on the market?
Let’s do this thing.
I’m going to start with whiteboard animation, since that’s what Ydraw is primarily known for — though our library is quite diverse in terms of the types of products we offer.
A whiteboard animation running sixty seconds costs $7,500. This includes the customer’s choice of voice over artist, visual artist, a screenplay, and music/SFX.
Here’s an example:
Now, check out these prices for various forms of advertising, per Adage.com:
$400,000
The average outlay for a commercial during the fifth season of AMC‘s “The Walking Dead,” making it the costliest scripted series on TV. The Oct. 12, 2014, season premiere drew 17.3 million viewers; the March 29 season finale, 15.8 million. According to averages from media buyers compiled by Ad Age during the upfronts; ratings according to Nielsen.
$750,000
The amount Snapchat demands per “Brand Story” ad, a branded post (or “snap”) that appears within the app’s “Stories” feed. Snapchat doesn’t disclose user numbers. According to media buyers interviewed by Ad Age, January 2015.
$35
The cost for a thousand impressions on Hulu for standard run-of-site in-stream video ads, with a minimum requirement of two ads per campaign. According to Hulu’s rate card, March 2015.
$1.55 million
The cost of 30 seconds of ad time in the championship game of the 2015 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament on CBS, when Duke will take on Wisconsin. That’s up from $1.49 million in 2014. Last year the championship game averaged 21.2 million viewers, down from 23.4 million in 2013. According to Kantar Media, Nielsen and media buyers interviewed by Ad Age.
$112,000
The average cost for 30 seconds of commercial time in prime time broadcast TV last year. That’s up from $110,00 in 2013. According to Nielsen
$344,827
The average cost of a 30-second commercial during “The Big Bang Theory” on CBS, the most expensive comedy on TV. “Big Bang” averaged 16.7 million viewers this season through March 12. According to Ad Age interviews with media buyers during the 2014 upfronts; audience according to Nielsen
$50,000
The cost of one full-color ad on the front page of The New York Times. To appear on the Times’ front page, though, marketers must commit to a certain frequency, such as front-page ads every Tuesday for six months; the total cost of running frequent page-one ads would likely top $1 million. According to current and former Times executives interviewed by Ad Age, March 2015.
$24.76
The average cost of a thousand impressions for a 30-second commercial in broadcast prime time in 2014, down from $25.06 in 2013. According to Nielsen
$20
The cost of a thousand impressions for a sponsored photo on Instagram, down from $40 in 2013 when Instagram first rolled out ads. Instagram says more than 300 million people around the world check out the photo-sharing app each month. Instagram’s minimum ad spend is $200,000. According to rate cards provided to media buyers by Instagram in spring 2015, before any discounts; minimum spend is according to a media buyer interviewed by Ad Age, March 2015.
$30
The cost of a thousand impressions for a sponsored video on Instagram. According to rate cards provided to media buyers by Instagram in spring 2015, before any discounts.
$2.5 million
The cost of four weeks on Times Square’s biggest billboard, Clear Channel’s eight-story sign on Broadway from West 45th Street to West 46th Street. According to sources familiar with the sign’s cost as of March 2015.
Can you imagine paying over a million dollars for an ad that runs less than one minute?
Obviously, these are extreme examples. Here are some you might be more familiar with, according to this website:
National TV Advertising
Setup Cost — $63,000 to $8 million
Cost of Media — Approx. $342,000 per 30 second ad
National Magazine Advertising
Setup Cost — $500 to $397,800
Cost of Media — Approx. $250,000 per ad
National Newspaper Advertising
Setup Cost — $11 to $1.4 million
Cost of Media — Approx. $113,000 per ad
Direct Mail Marketing
Setup Cost — $50 to $7,200
Cost of Media — Approx. $51.40 per order
Telemarketing
Setup Cost — $1,000 to $5,200
Cost of Media — $7-$70 per hour, or $35 – $60 per lead
National Search Engine Optimization
Setup Cost — $4,000 to $10,000
Cost of Media — Free, though it’s roughly $500 per month for an internet marketer
National Pay Per Click Marketing
Setup Cost — $4,000 to $10,000
Cost of Media — $0.05-$3 per qualified visitor, plus $500 per month to internet marketer
National Email Marketing
Setup Cost — $4,000 to $10,000
Cost of Media — $0.05 – $3 per qualified visitor, plus $500 per month to internet marketer
Web Content Marketing Campaign
Setup Cost — $6,000 to $12,000
Cost of Media — Free
A Whiteboard video falls in line with the final choice: Web Content Marketing Campaign. So, while the upfront cost of $7,500 for a sixty-second ad might throw you off, consider it a lifetime investment in terms of how you can promote your business.
Other campaigns, such as magazine or newspaper ads require constant updates and monthly fees. And while you’re certainly guaranteed to get a lot of impressions, chances are only a small percent of them are catering to your audience.
You have a little more leeway in this regard with a television or radio ad since you can choose which time of day, or programs to run it; therefore, guaranteeing the audience is at least fit for your product.
But, again, the fees. Lots and lots of fees. Plus, such ads quickly become dated. Or, they may not even be seen at all!
According to an article written in The Guardian in 2010 (!), it was reported that nearly 90% of audiences skipped through TV advertising. Such is common practice in today’s high-tech world of streaming services, and DVR satellite systems that let you fast forward through advertisements.
Ask yourself: when was the last time you truly paid attention to the commercials during a TV show, sporting event (outside of the Super Bowl), or movie you were watching?
In my house, we have our smart TV connected with our Google Movies account. Between that and Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Go, our exposure to TV advertising is quite limited.
Same with radio, where most ads go unheard because there are so many more convenient streaming options for music these days.
Now, the thing about a Whiteboard video, specifically, is that it features eye-catching visuals that are designed to attract an audience’s attention. And there are so many inexpensive ways to market them.
Yeah, Facebook charges a fee to advertise on their site, as does YouTube, and Instagram. According to FitSmallBusiness.com:
The short answer is $0.65 per click in the US. In other words, every $65 you put into Facebook gives you around 100 clicks on your ad, according to the Salesforce Advertising Index Q3 2015.
You can put your Whiteboard video on Facebook, and then, using the site’s unique features, ensure it gets seen by your target audience. You can customize the features to allow only specific states or regions to see your content, and you only pay when a potential client clicks your ad. That cuts out a lot of needless excess cost.
No, I’m not here to advertise for Facebook, but merely to demonstrate the myriad of ways you can use a Whiteboard video. You can post them on YouTube, or simply post them on your website. You can share them with clients, potential clients; use them at shows, and even put them on TV if you’ve got the budget.
And you can do all of this for $7,500!
There’s no worrying about OCD directors, stuck up actors, shooting schedules, or the myriad of problems that exist with a live-action commercial production. Check out this quote from JLB Media Productions:
The DGA (Director’s Guild of America), of which I am a member, considers low budget commercial work to be $75,000 per day, up to $225,000 for a three-day production. Most national commercials are several hundred thousand dollars up to a few million dollars. Directors are typically paid anywhere from $10,000 to $50,000 per day of shooting, but many times that means $25,000 for a one-day shoot that also involves two weeks of prep and another week bidding on the job against other directors.
And that doesn’t factor in the aforementioned cost to advertise your product. Smaller production companies will charge less, but the result more often than not looks like this:
Yikes! Does that ad reflect the company it’s promoting well?
Now, check out this Whiteboard video, which cost less to produce:
See the difference? Which business looks more professional? Which one required the least amount of time and headaches to produce?
So, before you dish out a gazillion dollars on a thirty-second TV, radio, or newspaper ad, give Ydraw a call. Our process is simple and guaranteed to produce the results you’re looking for.
“There are times when referrals don’t come easy to me…but in this case, Ydraw proved to be an excellent partner in the development of Parentlink’s video. They were responsive and flexible, they came in on budget and on time, and were very professional throughout the entire process. I did speak to three other firms before landing on Ydraw and none were as agile and customer-focused. Many had drawn out timelines that could not be adjusted to fit our schedule. Others were just way to expensive. Curtis and his team wrote the script with very little input from us and we were pleasantly surprised at how spot they were and willing to adjust as we worked our way through message development. We absolutely loved their work! I highly recommend them.”
It’s a given that not all information is going to have people on the edge of their seats, especially when it comes to business content. Ideas, concepts and new products need and deserve exposure for sure, and video is a great way to make it happen.
But seriously..where is the logic behind investing time and money intosomething with no entertainment value whatsoever–even if it happens to be informative? At best, people are forced to watch and try to digest it, and worst case, it gets completely ignored and/or even criticized. Boring videos can be a waste of your viewers’ and your time.
Put yourself in your audience’s shoes.
Think about your life. Think about your typical routine from how you feel when your alarm clock goes off, to getting up and ready, to starting work whether you work in an office, from home, or on the road. Think about what you do and where your mind and mood are at different times throughout the day.
Now think about how you feel when you take a quick break to check your phone and surf the web, Facebook or YouTube. What kinds of things catch your attention and what will you skip over?
Finally, think of yourself at the end of the day. How does your brain feel? What do you want to think about and what do you want to avoid? Chances are, the last thing you want to do as you unwind is sit and watch some boring video explaining…anything. In fact, if you come across dry information not only are you likely to quickly move past it, you might also be slightly annoyed by it.
Boring Videos = Lost Messages = Lost Money
I think I can fairly speak for the general population and reiterate what has been said on this site before when I say that people just don’t like boring videos!
And yet, they keep getting produced. They’re everywhere! From promoting the latest scientific wonder of a supplement to hit the shelves to teaching employees about harassment policies, to rounding up support for a cause that will save the world; these important, informative and boring videos are being created, not watched…and…messages….are….getting…lost!
We all know that video is by far one of the best ways to market a product or idea. People remember more when visual is combined with audio, so yes, please, make videos and use them to put your point across. Just be sure those videos are attention-grabbing so any time and money you invest into them doesn’t go down the drain.
Entertaining Videos Can Make You Money
I get it; there are some pieces of critical information that just aren’t that interesting but can be if you present them the right way. Entertaining marketing and corporate videos can definitely make you money!
Marketing: It’s obvious how an entertaining video can help sell just about anything. Marketing is all about catching and keeping the attention of clients or potential clients as a message is delivered. With all the competition out there, you’ve got to be creative to get noticed!
Corporate: How can corporate videos be profitable? Good guestion. They’re necessary and people generally get paid to watch them. Step one is getting colleagues and/or staff to watch the video. Step two is keeping them engaged so they actually remember what it’s all about.
If your training videos are interesting enough, your employees will pay attention, remember what they’ve been taught and actually act on it. If they make your employees smile or laugh–even better! Happy employees who know what they’re doing, love their jobs and think their company is cool, work harder by default. When they work harder, production goes up and you make more money.
If your concept catches your colleagues’ attention you’re more likely to get their support. More support means more recognition and in most cases more recognition leads to…you guessed it…more money.
Ydraw Can Take the Boring Out of Boring Videos
Ydraw videos are well known for their high-quality art and quirky storylines that keep audiences engaged. It’s no secret that we pride ourselves on the effectiveness of our entertaining videos.
As our client, we ask that you be open to our suggestions as we work together to make sure your audience isn’t bored. That way we can deliver an entertaining, memorable share-worthy video that will help your company produce amazing results and increased revenue.
Thank you for reading Why Businesses Create Boring Videos!
WOW! It’s been a busy 5 years for Ydraw. We launched interactive videos, ypaint, #ygrams, 2.5D animation, live with animation, cardboard videos, and blackboard animation videos, to name a few. We also improved our 2D and 3D styles. Don’t believe us? Check out the demo reel.
In 2018, we’ve been making the switch from explainer videos, to stories! If you want the full details on why, you can read this blog post.
We focused on generating leads, traffic, and sales with stories. Ydraw spent thousands on creating YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram ads. We wanted to create a simple system that would help our clients generate more traffic, leads, and sales with their videos.
Here are some things you should be doing in 2019 with your videos
Video Advertising Ideas Class 101
1. Instagram Ads
I want to show you some of our Instagram videos. We usually test our creations on our own company first and then push them out to our customers.
Here’s our 30 second Instagram ad we did for Ydraw. We took a video we already had and cut it down to 30 seconds. We can do the same for you.
It worked! Here’s a simple screenshot of the results. (note: we did run this over the holiday season which can get expensive. Costs have since come down.)
This simple ad has generated over 142 direct leads. The power of Instagram comes with the comments and sharing. I will discuss this more later.
Here are a couple more examples of Instagram video ads. Below them is a webinar I recorded that goes into more detail about Instagram ads.
Instagram Sponsored Ad Webinar
2. Facebook Ads
Just like Instagram ads, you ought to be running Facebook video ads. Here’s why.
I have been running Facebook ads for years. So far the numbers have been great! The screenshot above is a simple ad I created.
Spend: $218.17
Leads: 31
Reach: 17,687
3. Youtube Ads
I am still in love with YouTube! If you’re not using YouTube for ranking and video ads, wake up…haha!
Please make it a priority in 2019.
Here is a fun YouTube Video Ad we created for a carpet cleaning company.
There is so much more to come on this subject so stay tuned for more.
Ads are everywhere, from the logo on your coffee cup to your children’s mobile devices we are constantly immersed in a consumer driven society. Of the many different modes of delivery your company can choose to market your product or services there are none that compare to a video.
Video marketing does what print cannot, it engages the consumer with both audio and visual means. Everyone knows the old adage “A picture is worth a thousand words”, but what is a video worth? According to Dr. James McQuivey of Forrester Research the value of a one minute video is worth 1.8 million words. The human brain is constantly absorbing information and “filing” it into our conscious and subconscious mind, guiding our everyday actions. Research by comScore states that 45.4% of internet users view at least one online video in a month’s time and the average user is exposed to a median of 32.2 videos per month.
As our technological advances are ever transforming; so too are our forms of entertainment. Nielsen’s Total Audience Report stated that people are spending more time with media and less time watching live television. This means huge shifts in how companies reach their audience with advertisements.
Aside from the fact that we now have DVR and the power to fast forward through commercials, people aren’t just sitting at home watching the boob tube. They’re streaming their movies and shows on tablets, smart phones, and computers. People are streaming everywhere from parks to public restrooms. Traditional television commercials and print advertisements cannot raise your bottom line alone. The future is here, and that future is online video marketing.
100 million internet users watch videos online each day. Statistically speaking the numbers don’t lie in 2010, the Forrester Marketing Group conducted a survey and found that when an explainer video was included in an email the click-through rate had increased by 200%-300%. A growing number of people would rather watch a video than read text. This is support by Forbes Insight which states that 59% of senior executives prefer to watch than read.
Major retailers have found that 90% of online shoppers have said that an online product video was useful in guiding them to make a purchase. Researching a product via written specs and reviews is now coming in second to product videos and video reviews. Product videos are a growing advertisement resource for retailers and are statistically proven. Not only do these videos allow for the consumer to better understand and “experience” the product, but it also leaves them feeling more confident in their purchase. Consumer confidence is key to achieving brand loyalty and additional word of mouth sales.
In short video marketing is more than just an ad. It is a means of connecting with the consumer beyond the traditional – “hey here’s my product, it is amazing you should buy it” approach that traditional or virtual print ads provide. Connect with your audience and reach your target market where ever they may be.
Already many large content marketing brands like Red Bull, Amazon, Cisco, Netflix, GoPro and many more have already made video their secret weapon to get awareness and loyalty from their customers. Marketing gurus say this is year will be all about video.
Are you wondering if you should invest in video marketing?
Reason #1: 50% of mobile traffic comes from videos
Reason #2: 64% of consumer internet traffic came from video last year and it’s predicted to rise to 69% by next year and 79% the year after that.
Reason #3: Nearly 80% of people watch videos throughout the week.
Reason #4: Over half of people watch videos everyday.
Reason #5: Of all the people viewing the videos, 65% will watch ¾ of it.
Reason #6: Forbes says they have found over 80% of senior executives watch more videos today than last year
Reason #7: ¾ of senior executives will watch videos related to their jobs and 54% of them share the videos with their colleagues.
Reason #8: Most people say they would like to have the text on the same page as the video.
Reason#9: Of marketing, sales and business professionals 69% of them say they have used video marketing and a lot of the people who haven’t used it yet say they’re going to in the upcoming year.
Reason #10: Respondents who are already using video marketing score it fair to extremely successful.
Reason #11: 81% of people post videos to their brand websites.
Reason #12: Of all online marketers, communication and sales professionals 93% are currently using video.
Reason #13: About half of marketers have found that marketing videos are effective for brand awareness.
Reason #14: over the next year 96% of B2B companies say they’ll be using video.
Reason #15: If you use the word “video” in your email subject lines will increase your open rate by 19% and 26% less likely to unsubscribe.
Reason #16: If your page has a video you’ll be getting an extra two-minute dwell time on average.
Reason #17: Half of marketers across the world say video has the highest ROI.
click here to read more about how video marketing can help you this year.
