Promotional videos are a great way to spread the word about your business, your products, or your services. Digital videos can be distributed over multiple pathways, including social media and direct messages, and can be used as many times you want with zero additional cost.

But not all promotional videos are effective. In fact, if they are missing critical elements, they can actually be counter-productive.

Here are five things every promotional video has to have in order to be effective at promoting your business, product, or services.

Quality

One of the first things viewers are going to notice about your promotional video is its quality. If it looks like it was made by an amateur, if the camera work is shaky, if the sound quality or lighting is poor, odds are your intended audience is going to bail before finishing it.

High-quality videos reflect positively on your business. If your video looks professional, people are more like to watch it until the end.

Clear Messaging

Your video should have only one or two key messages that it expresses. If you try to cram your short video with too many elements, it can be confusing and off-putting to viewers. Keep it simple.

Value

For viewers, spending time watching your video needs to provide value to them. If they aren’t getting anything out of it, they won’t stick around.

Use your video to give viewers something: Information, a special offer, or something type of takeaway.

 Call to Action

At some point, you will need to clearly tell your viewer what exactly it is you want them to do: Buy a product, call for a free consultation, click through to learn more or anything specific that gets them to take the next step.

Make It Memorable

A closing tagline or image can make your video more memorable for viewers. Include something that helps people to keep your video in mind after it ends.