How To Keep Your Audience Interested Through HUMOR!

What makes things funny? Our own sense of humor isn’t always funny to the guy sitting next to us. So, let’s look at a few simple principles used in Improv to make your video funny to all of your audience!

First and foremost, there is TRUTH in COMEDY! The funny comes from the experiences we have all had in our lives. Think about sitcoms, why do they work? They take something so simple, like everyday life and exploit it. The ups and downs of dating and heartbreak or fighting for that perfect job, only to find out that it isn’t so perfect. But where does the comedy come from?

The funny comes from the unexpected. The moments of truth. It comes from showing not telling. We have all been there…the time in the grocery store when two people are having a conversation in public and you can’t help but listen, even though you know the topic should have probably been left at home…yeah that stuff.

So let’s take a look at this funny scenario….

We see two shadowy figures digging holes in a graveyard. It’s dark, but we can see that there’s a body behind them. It appears that they are covering up a murder! The scene is quite grim and creepy… so how is this funny? The car lights flicker on and we get a better look of the situation… only to reveal…two clowns? Okay, now this is way more terrifying, but their must be more to the story… so as we get closer, we overhear…

Clown 1:“Look Stan, all I’m saying is I’m sorry she left you. You deserve better!”

Clown 2:“You know Joe I just don’t understand, I did everything I could to make her happy.”

Clown 1:“Hey, you know,  it’s okay if you want to cry. It’s just us brother.”

Clown 2: (in tears) “Life is just so unfair! But hey how’s the wife and kids?”

Clown 1: “They’re real good. Sally just started walking…”

The conversation continues as they are digging a shallow grave wearing their clown costumes. So, we know they are clowns, we know they are friends, and we know what happened…but they don’t have to tell us that they murdered this guy. We just know! If we focused on the body, or what happened the scene would drag on, the audience would get board with details and information that they don’t need.

This scenario leads us to the truth of comedy…Relatability!

Think about how you feel when you pop bubble wrap.  Did that put a smile on your face just thinking about it?  How about when you scoop peanut butter from a freshly open jar, yeah there’s that satisfaction face. See how easy it is to relate? All you have to do is capture a moment when someone has used your product in such a way that it brings a clear feeling to your audience.

Just remember that comedy is subjective, but so is being bored out of your seat.  By using these tried and true principles of Improv Comedy, you can help your audience laugh at the unexpected, learn about your great product/service and keep them interested and wanting more.

So, let’s get out there and take a fresh approach to comedy, and whatever you do, if you see two clowns walking your way…RUN!

What can a Whiteboard Animation Video do for you?

What can a Whiteboard Animation Video do for you?

Would any market savvy business owner toss aside a polished, entertaining, informative system that delivers “YOU NEED THIS PRODUCT/SERVICE IN YOUR LIFE!” messages and keeps potential purchasers watching intently with eye pleasing drawings and storylines of audio delight???

BREAKING BUSINESS NEWS!!! Hundreds do every single day!
It’s crazy and it’s a darn shame.

Common reasons why businesses pass on utilizing explainer videos to energize and leverage their marketing budget buck:

1.) They just plain don’t understand the power videos have on the brains of the masses.
2.) There is a misconception that whiteboard animation will cost them an arm and a leg… and possibly an eye… plus their left kidney… along with a sliver of their spleen.
NOT TRUE. WE DO NOT ACCEPT BODY PARTS AS A VIABLE FORM OF CURRENCY.

Never you fear, I am here to help clear up any misunderstandings.
Successful business men/women/people throughout the ages have mastered the art of ROI (Return On Investment.) If anybody were to be cautious about spending thousands of dollars on a video… it would be me. As a matter of fact, it was me.

Ydraw was created because I needed a whiteboard video for my company. I wanted to, in a short amount of time, explain what my product did… as opposed to a flat, static photo of what it was. An explainer video was the perfect solution to accomplish this with movement, emotion and excitement.

As I began my search, (way back in 2011) There were only 2 companies providing these types of videos. RSA and Social 21. I knew this was going to be the next big wave of viral marketing potential. I wanted it… wanted it bad! There was just one hiccup. The price tag!

$20,000-$50,000 for a RSA animation video!?!?
What in the world??? Were these videos shipped to your doorstep in diamond studded 24 karat gold envelopes and hand delivered by The Queen herself? Thus Ydraw was born.

Ways to maximize the return on your whiteboard animation video:

1.) Upload your video to YouTube and other video sites. (This will jumpstart seo, traffic, and leads)

Traffic can be difficult to create, especially since Google is continually making adjustments to their algorithm. Your odds of hitting the front page of Google are substantially increased with a video than with any other type of digital medium.

Farmers plant seeds, fishermen cast hooks, hunters set traps. CEOs should be searching for endless sets of eyes… these eyes lead to brains… those brains lead to leads… the leads lead to sales. Video marketing will transform your fishing hooks into fishing nets, leaving the shorelines of your profits overflowing with clients you’ve caught.

The first step I took after starting Yinc Marketing was ordering a ‘Fast and Easy Whiteboard Video’. I instantly uploaded it to YouTube and made sure I filled out the title, description and keyword tags correctly. 3 weeks later I found myself at the top of Google on a couple of keywords (Check out the screen shot below and you will see that I am still there). I may not be seeing “27 car pileup on the freeway at rush hour” traffic but it still produces leads and we all know leads=sales.

These results were from a ‘Fast and Easy Video’ created by Ydraw. Economically stellar… so obviously my ROI is huge (Yes, I’m bragging). Here’s the video.

[Tweet “What Can a Whiteboard Animation Video Do For You?”]

[Tweet “Where should you place a video on your site?”]

2.) Place the video on your Website homepage, above the fold.

Videos are a MUST on your home page. Websites need to be based around consumer experience. Grabbing and keeping interest is key. Unless your content writer rivals Hemingway… most readers will bore easily of wordy text. Your video should be the center of attention, so the minute a visitor clicks their merry little way onto your site, the first thing they do is hit the play button.

A word of caution from your marketing mentor:

I am aware how much you enjoy your cookie cutter, sappy, environmentally friendly stock images that make zippo sense nor do they have any correlation to pretty much anything. I understand you want to show photos of an Asian woman taking control of a high powered male saturated meeting… not to mention the salt and pepper haired African American gentleman grinning serenely as he stares upon his freshly opened cardboard box of recently shipped product joy. How else can you show your sophistication, exuberance, diversification, political correctness and overall blanketed relativity?

Just imagine the previous paragraph was typed in a sarcasm font… Sarcasm fonts don’t exist… but they should.
Click this link and you will understand.

The quote of the day:

“Using a specific ratio of Asian people, to black people, to women, to white men. We want to make sure we represent a version of your needs and interests or at a version of your skin color.”

Great video isn’t it?
Your homepage is prime real estate. Think “curb appeal.”
Keep it clean, tidy and geared towards your intended audience.
Here are a couple of companies that excel at this.

http://hydrablue.com
http://crazyegg.com
http://www.copyblogger.com/

The simple formula is: headline, subheading, and video.

3.) Run Video ads.

I recently wrote an article on “How to run YouTube ads and profit from your competitor’s YouTube pages.” I suggest reading it! No matter the size of your company, you should be running ads. How can you expect to be discovered by your target audience unless you throw yourself out there on the stage? It won’t break the bank.
Think ‘investment.’

I had a lead contact me this week regarding a whiteboard animation video. She took her search to YouTube. She clicked on a competitor’s video. In rolls the pre-roll add… and what do you think she saw??? Boom… Ydraw… Double Boom! Like an NBA blocked shot, I Dikembe Mutombo’d my competitor. *waves finger* BOOM!

You see what I did there? Did you catch that?
Instant Replay:
1. Client is in need of my services.
2. She decides to browse whiteboard videos on YouTube.
3. My video ad plays before the other video starts (Boom).
4. Customer calls me because I made the first impression.
5. I get a sizzling hot lead.
And the crowd goes wild!
Clever business doesn’t get much more rewarding than that!

[Tweet “How to run YouTube Video Ads”]

I could go on and on and on and on and on…and on about the benefits of whiteboard animation videos for your company, product or service. I could write forever but the sun is shining and I have eager potential clients to catch in my video marketing net of pure awesomeness!

If you enjoyed this article, share it. If you need a video, call us. If you still find yourself on the fence… well, you can always gather up another heaping handful of random stock photos that speak to your soul. (← sarcasm font.)

Enjoy your day!
What can a whiteboard animation video do for you?

What is Video Scribing?

What is Video Scribing?

What is Video Scribing? What does Video Scribing Mean?

 

Video Scribing – Let’s break it down:

So what does Video Scribing even mean? It’s actually pretty simple: it’s the term used to define someone acting as a scribe to the narration while being videoed.  Simple enough, right? Video scribing is the Chef’s Surprise of an artist’s style mixed with videography, sound engineering, animation and stop motion photography – but this time the results are delicious and you want more.

Video scribing is one of the most engaging forms of visual story telling. With the dwindling attention span of the average consumer, it’s important to create something that your viewers will watch all the way through. Video scribing is an exciting, multi-sensory experience, using audio, video and third party interaction all in one package – It’s video based story telling.

Video scribing is like whiteboard animation or illustration. The video starts with a story, captured in a steady stream for easy editing, and the end product is flexible and easy to modify if needs be. The video is edited to speed up the movement with special video production software, leaving a crisp, clean video that is almost always less expensive than any other video type.

Ydraw creates the best video scribing videos around.  We’ve had a lot of practice doing this, and have learned through trial and error the best way to create a video scribing video that holds the audiences attention.  People are fascinated by video scribing videos, it’s like a storybook that has been brought to life.  Who doesn’t wanna watch that?

No matter how you spin it, in the end, video scribing is an experience. There’s no time for becoming bored – just when you’re tempted to fast forward something new happens and you’re hooked again. You’ve been scribitized!

scribitized

Contact Ydraw with any questions or additional information that you may have.

Ydraw creates video scribing videos

Video Scribing: How Visuals Enhance Learning: Ted Talk Series TedxSunriver

Video Scribing: How Visuals Enhance Learning: Ted Talk Series TedxSunriver

Video Scribing: How Visuals Enhance Learning: Ted Talk Series TedxSunriver Summaries

 

Speaker: Kent Barney

Summary by Alecsy Christensen

 

How Visuals Enhance Learning

 
What is so important about having visuals and videos anyway? Why should you be convinced to put visuals and videos in your materials for successful business goings and ventures? Why do people tend to learn and remember better with visuals? How does it all work? All of these answers will soon be discovered.

 

Think of an owl, what does an owl represent? In our society, an owl represents wisdom. We think of an owl and most of us think of smarts, authority, and wisdom. Owls are a lot of times used in logos for schools, learning centers, reading centers, libraries, and other areas. Are there any owl logos you can think of that might be along those same lines? People associate words with pictures, we have certain feelings and thoughts that impact us when seeing a visual, or hearing a word. Humans couple words with pictures, that is how we learn.

 

In a study mentioned by Barney, there was a group of students learning english in a foreign country that were asked in one of their tests to “describe a blender” in 200 words. One group of students was given only that phrase: “describe a blender”. The other group of students were given that phrase and a picture of an actual blender. The study had amazing results:

 

In the group that only had the phrase “describe a blender” to work with, 53% of them accurately described a blender in 200 words. The group that had the phrase and a picture of a blender had a success rate of 93%, what an amazing comparison! Just with a simple picture, a group of students was able to have an increase in 40% success that they accurately completed their assignment.

 

Still not convinced? Lets look at Facebook Statistics:

 

Images and visual content get the most clicks out of anything else on Facebook!!! Unbelievable.

 

But what is it about images that helps us better understand?

 

Kent Barney had a great example of how images make such a big impact on a delivered message. Take the phrase “please do not pet the house cat”. As just a phrase, you are probably thinking this is a silly house cat that doesn’t like to be touched. You even might think the sign is funny, and scheme on how you might manage to pet the cat, just to make fun of the sign.

 

Please do Note Pet the House Cat

 

Now, take the same phrase as a caption or description to this picture:

 

video scribing

Please Do Not Pet the House Cat

 

If you saw this sign, would it change your thoughts about the whole phrase? Did this picture take you to a different understanding about the cat and why you shouldn’t pet it? Hopefully it did. 🙂 Visual content enhances a message and the way we understand it. I am sure you understood the phrase and the phrase coupled with the picture differently in each exercise.

 

Visuals take us to a new way of thinking, a place where we might not otherwise find. This new level of thought can enlighten us, heighten our senses, change the way we think, and ultimately, change the world.

 

Ydraw

Creative Videos that Inspire

+Jace Vernon

+Alecsy Christensen