Video Alchemy – The Art & Science of Driving Sales

“Your purpose is to make your audience see what you saw, hear what you heard, feel what you felt. Relevant detail, couched in concrete, colorful language, is the best way to recreate the incident as it happened and to picture it for the audience.” ~ Dale Carnegie

I like the definition of Alchemy—A science or philosophy that transforms something ordinary into something meaningful, often through mysterious means. Video persuasion is both an art and a science, designed to get the viewer to take the specific action you want.

I have used video persuasion techniques to create television and online ads that have driven millions of dollars in sales and built many brands. Brands you may well use in your home today for products like the Juiceman juicer, Sonicare toothbrush, George Foreman Grill, GoPro camera, and many others, leading to more than $4 billion in direct-to-consumer sales.

A little marketing history

I did not invent the direct response marketing concept that I’ve used for more than 30 years as part of my video persuasion. There is a long history of successful direct marketing concepts, starting with print catalogs and direct mail sales letters that form the foundation of the principles I use today. The techniques that successfully sell products on QVC, for example, are the same techniques that will help you sell products on Amazon’s new live-streaming service. Here’s my recipe to help uncover the mystery.

First: a pinch of psychology

As a video producer for more than 35 years, I’ve spent the vast majority of my career selling products to consumers. Offers are a key component of every video I make, drawing on tested psychological factors that influence the way people behave. Understanding what motivates people to visit your website, leave their email address, or click the buy button is critical to making a successful video. In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini, PhD discusses the six principles of persuasion. They are:

• The Rule of Reciprocity
• The Rule of Scarcity
• The Rule of Commitment and Consistency
• The Rule of Social Proof
• The Rule of Authority
• The Rule of Liking

These rules should act as foundational principles every time you make a product demonstration video. Which rule or rules can you combine to make your videos more effective? (I go into a more in-depth explanation of these rules in my new book, Video Persuasion).

Next: a hint of science

Every expert in video production will say you need to get people’s attention quickly and keep them hooked—or you will lose people as they click away to something more interesting. Something else that’s helpful to know: If you do grab the viewer’s attention, they’ll likely stay with you through the end of your video—up to 30 minutes and more!

Three ways to hook the viewer

1. Start with a question
2. Start with a factoid
3. Start with a story

Tip: If you are not getting the response you need, change the introduction. A great example of this was the very first infomercial for the George Foreman Grill. I thought it would be a good idea to start with boxing footage of George knocking out Michael Moorer to win the heavyweight crown at age 46—the oldest ever. We tested the show and it didn’t’ work—not even close. Because it was a new product, I made the common mistake of misreading our target audience, which at the time was primarily stay-at-home moms, for whom boxing wasn’t hugely appealing. After I took the boxing footage out and instead made the introduction of the show about the benefits of the product, the show took off and became one of the most successful infomercials ever produced.

 Add: authentic consumer testimonials

Building engagement with your message in a way that’s natural, affirming, and powerful is key to the viewership and ultimate success of your videos. A great way to achieve that is by adding some authentic consumer testimonials. Testimonials work well because they act as Social Proof (see Persuasion Rule # 4 above) and are a great way to establish credibility for whatever product or service you are trying to sell.

And, voila! You have the alchemy of success

If you are selling online, there is nothing that can compare with the power of video. Video makes you stand out from your competitors in the marketplace. But if you want your videos to drive sales and deliver bottom-line results, you must do them right.

Take out the mystery so you can add your own level of creativity when scripting your videos and building your product offers.

Originally published on Rick Cesari

Rick Cesari has been in the direct response and video marketing industry since 1994 and consulting since 1999. His passion is continuing that work and speaking to organizations to share that breadth of knowledge. You can follow his updates on RickCesari.com.