How to create an attention-grabbing 30 second video

Video has definitely become the king of the internet. Social media is becoming more-and-more focused on sharing video but that does mean that your content has to work hard to grab your audience’s attention and stop them scrolling past… 

We share some top tips for finessing your short form content and how to make an amazing 30 second video. 

Why keep it short?

Getting the length of your video right is essential. 

In general, it’s always better to keep your videos straightforward with a simple key message or call to action. That rule applies whether your video is 30s, 90s or 3 minutes long! 

However, there are benefits to producing short videos to give new and prospective viewers a snapshot of your brand.

30 second videos are great for a brand video or commercial that are all about introducing your core values to your audience – you don’t want to bombard them with sales jargon and complicated explanations straight off the bat! That content can come later along the customer journey. 

Is 30 seconds long enough?

Yes. Think about commercials on the TV, you can tell a story and evoke emotion in just a matter of seconds. 

A 30 second video is all about connecting with the emotions of your audience and giving a broad overview of how your product offers a solution to their needs. 

Is the thumbnail important?

Having an attention grabbing thumbnail will be one way to stop your audience from scrolling past your video and missing it entirely. 

Thumbnails should be uncluttered, and if you’re including text it must be easy to read. Using the rule of thirds can help to ensure that your thumbnail is clear and well spaced out. 

Think about colour and contrast if you’re using text to make sure that it stands out against your image. If you can read it whilst you’re squinting, then you’re in the clear! 

Having faces in your video thumbnail can also help to hook viewer interest, especially if the facial expressions give an indication of the emotions the video will evoke if they watch it. 

Animated images are always an eye-catching way to draw attention to your video and stand out from the other content it’s competing against. Just make sure you include alt text, as animation can’t be read by accessibility tools like screen readers. 

Does the title matter?

The title matters a lot! You want to make sure that the titles of your video are understandable at a glance – so prospective viewers are well informed before hitting the play button. However you don’t want to give away too much and put viewers off watching. 

It’s also worth noting that on video sharing platforms like Vimeo and YouTube your title has to correspond to the search queries you want to rank for. You can learn more about that in this blog post. 

How long should the script be?

Even if there will be no dialogue in your video, you’ll need a script. The script will ensure that everyone in the production team is on the same page and understands the story you want to tell. 

It can be helpful to break a script up into a table with two columns, one side that contains the “spoken” script and the other that contains a description of what’s happening visually. 

If you’re using voiceover, it’s worth considering that the average English speaker will say about 150 words a minute – so you can use that as a guide for how long your script should be. 

Is a storyboard necessary?

That really depends on what sort of video you’re producing.

Documentary-style videos, interview videos and most promotional videos don’t need to be storyboarded as they will be filmed with an experienced camera operator and director to ensure that all the shots laid out in the script are captured. 

If you’re producing an animation, then you’ll definitely need a storyboard so the animator knows how to build your video. Your animator will most likely produce the storyboards after the team have agreed on the style frames. Once the storyboard has been approved, then the illustrations can be animated and brought to life. As animating is very time-intensive, ensuring you are happy with the storyboards is a good way to reduce costs and streamline the process. 

Do you need different videos for different platforms?

Well, not really, but it is worth remembering that users on social media such as Instagram engage with video content very differently from those on LinkedIn or YouTube. As a result, it might not be sensible to share the same content in the same format across all platforms without making any small changes to suit each site.

What else should be considered?

Want to know how to create an attention-grabbing 30 second video… think about the design!  As your video is very short, you don’t want to introduce complicated set designs. Think about having a simple background that helps to communicate where your video is set. For example if your video is set in a living room, maybe we see a sofa. 

You can also use costume to help signal key facts, like if you need actors to wear uniforms or if you want them to wear brand colours.  You can pull focus with different characters in colours or patterns, so it’s worth considering what message you want to convey visually.

Here’s an example of a 30 second video we created for kid snack brand, Mavericks, where we used costume and props to emphasise the brand colours and animation to add a playfulness to the video, whilst also emphasising key points. 

Want to know how Bold Content Video can help you in just 30 seconds? Contact us today!