There was a time when companies would spend considerable time and dollars to produce long “talking head” videos. In fact, many businesses still think of this style of video when they hear “business video.” That thinking is old school.

Today, a new formula is emerging that is based on conversion numbers, not artistic experimentation. A five-minute video of executives talking, featuring slick transitions and impressive graphics, may look nice, but it often doesn’t convert as well as a 90-second video with a strong call to action.

So, want a simple formula for creating highly converting video? Here it is:

10- to 15-second intro + 30- to 45-second overview/teaser + 10- to 20-second offer/ call-to-action

Sure, many digital marketers will experiment and try a slightly longer teaser or call to action, but the general guidelines are still useful. We’ve seen them work for clients time and time again. Whether you’re using video to promote an event, such as a webinar, a whitepaper or a product/service demo or trial, keep the formula above in mind and see your conversion numbers grow.

To read about other tips for using video to convert online visitors to leads, please download our eBook, Best Practices for Using Video to Convert Visitors to Leads, here.

OR Watch the video below to see an overview of the eBook:

Be sure to come back to our blog for more tips and tricks.

Conversion is Key!

MediaPost’s Jack Loechner reported yesterday that 64% of respondents in the GetResponse “2010 Email Marketing Trends Study” didn’t use video emails last year, but plan to use in 2010. Wow, that’s quite a swing. Many will attribute this to general popularity of video, including the continue explosion of YouTube, but the real reason for such a dramatic shift is that video converts. More than 65% of marketers in the GetResponse study believe that video email marketing can have a moderate to significant impact on conversion. That’s impressive.

So how will marketers use video? What stuck out to us was practical application of video for product demos, customer testimonials and product offers. As we’ve been building what we call “video-enabled marketing apps” alongside our customers, we’ve repeatedly seen specific applications like this – what we call “apps,” emerging as important conversion drivers that are being added on to traditional marketing campaigns. Along these lines, we’re also seeing demand for apps that promote events (such as webinars), new content (such as white papers) and new products.

Interest in using video to improve conversion through traditional digital marketing tactics – as well as exploring new frontiers – is why we’re working to create pre-configured apps that step customers through the process of shooting video, adding interactivity (which the GetResponse study doesn’t mention, but we see as critical) and getting the app ready for email distribution and/or uploading to a landing page.

The GetResponse study comes as no surprise to us, but we love seeing metrics that support the value of video for business.