30 Day Video Challenge Survey Results Are In!

Very telling results about the BIG need for more actionable content! And of course, I concur. Along those lines, thanks for the summary of key points on THIS video, Jim. Excellent!

Also, really important to see the need for more (good quality) talking head video. There’s another one of those “I’ll never do that” coming back to bite me! Okay, guess my subscribers will have to start preparing themselves to see my full-motion mug every now and then, huh?

Yes, length DOES matter for me too. I always look to see how long the video is before watching…and HATE IT when that info is not visible. I don’t have time to spend watching long videos to *HOPE* there’s something useful in there. Any longer than 20 mins (even with a big promise), and I probably won’t watch it.

Thanks for all the fantastic training you continue to give us, Jim. Really looking forward to the 30-day video challenge!

Content is still KING as you always say. One day, I’m going to beat Gabrielle to the first post!

One of the items that I wish was mentioned in the survey was the use of video that can not be paused.
This is a new trend that I have seen over the last few months and I find it very annoying. In order to watch the video you have to watch it all at once to the very end or start all over again.

I’ve seen this being used for new product launches and the videos are almost always 20 minutes+. There are many times that I want to pause a video – take notes, let the information sink in or answer the door.

Even if a video interests me, if I go to pause it for what ever reason and I can’t, I just close the page and never come back.

I’m glad to see that you never use that feature.
Good survey & enjoyed the results – the 30 day challenge will be interesting

Thanks for doing this Jim!

I had a hard time responding to the survey, because the answer to the questions depends on the type, or purpose of the video. Just like long sales letters, long marketing videos put me to sleep.

Someone mentioned not having pause controls on the video. Shame! Shame! Shame! That’s bad instructional design, if it’s an instructional video. That’s insulting and demeaning if it’s a marketing video.

Finally – I still love your hand puppet!

Oh yeah!!!! That makes me back right out of the thing no matter how “wonderful” it promises to be. When will these self appointed gurus learn that some of us actually have a brain and don’t need to be led by the hand and controlled as they attempt to slip their hand in our pocket?

The importance of the title was my biggest take-away!

Jim I can’t thank you enough for sharing these results. They are a gold mine worthy of the somewhat pricey Marketing Sherpa reports – and way more fun to read.

I’ve been making videos for the gaming market on YouTube – and, while the number of subscribers is growing, I’ve been making so many mistakes!

Thanks for the tip on the talking head. Do you have a green screen behind you? What video editing software do you use?

Love the puppet – LOVE the puppet!

Jim, Great survey and thanks for sharing it. What are your thoughts about adding energetic music to an animation video?

Interesting but mainly predictable.
1. People’s attention spans appear to be getting shorter and shorter in this fast action, instant gratification world and aren’t usually prepared to spend much time to ‘get to the point’. However, they will stay with something longer which is compelling, interesting and/or humerous.
2. Who wants to watch information that is not relevant to their needs, especially if misrepresented by a false headline!
3. As an ex-teacher and lifetime trainer, people need single-step instruction to follow.
However, I do find this conflicts with ‘long sales copy’ and everybody I know hates it and goes right to the bottom of the page first and if the price is within their budget they might read back up the page to look for justification to buy. I don’t believe I’ve ever reas a long sales page fully, no matter who the writer or whatever the product… so why the long sales copy?

Thanks for the video great survey and good indication of what most people want out of videos.
I liked the use of the elements you had in your video.
You are on the right track with this material not a lot of people are talking about this correct way of doing full motion video, this is needed in the IM field.
Yes I believe short 3 to 4min short burst quality content video is the way to go.People will respond to being able to allocate their time to them. This will get people addicted to your short video shots! and wait in anticipation for each one to land in their email box.
Must go download pdf of survey and analyze more.

Great Video Jimbo! I gotta elaborate on a the post above about those stupid videos that are put out where they last 20 minutes and you have no control features to Rewind/Fast Forward. When they were first being promoted, I watched one or two to the end because my curiosity got the better of me. In the end, it burned me so bad that I used 20 minutes of my time watching to the end of the video for a gold nugget or magic bullet.

All in all. I have unsubscribed to a few guru lists because of these tactics. It pissed me off that much. BTW- I was ready to buy the product from one of the gurus and I got about 11 minutes into the video and I wanted to replay something, so I moved the arrow back a small bit and guess what happened…The video started all the way at the beginning again!

I think videos are somewhat like long sales letters. You have to deliver the relevant content your subscribers desire in an easy to digest format. Some people like scrolling all the way to the bottom of a long sales letter because they are already sold and want to find out how much the product is by clicking on the order link. Other people are looking for answers to one or more questions and just like in a sales letter, they want to be able to scan around your video for the parts they feel relevant.

Sorry about the rant, but I guess it pulled on a sore spot for me. lol. Anyways- as always Jimbo, thank you for your valuable insights and offering the community valuable content….Even if it takes more then 4 minutes! LOL

~Gary

I gotta tell you something Jim,

This survey comes at a perfect time for us: it’s obvious that 2010 will be dominated by video. The survey is so educational. I have just read it briefly so far, but plan on spending some quiet quality time with the report tonight. Thanks for all the work you put into this. You have once again affirmed your reputation as being in a class all by yourself. Great job, seriously.

Great stuff Jim, and I agree with Patricia. These videos that can’t be paused. What’s that all about?

The first thing I want to do is .. switch off! I ain’t got time to sit for nearly a half hour waiting for the ‘good stuff’, (which is usually a link to buy or get on the ‘early notification list’). What, do these people think everyone enjoys soap operas..?

Don’t they know about the basics of marketing? K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple (&) Short (I prefer the short as opposed to stupid).

Anyway Jim, some interesting results from the survey. Was wondering how many ladies complained about the length… (Sorry ladies, but sometimes humour looks bad when written. I am in no way being sexist, but nowadays i’ts very difficult to say anything funny without it being classed as sexist, racist, or whatever…).

Enough rambling! If you’d like to see a great example of a SHORT but to the point ‘talking head’ just click my name!

PS Sorry about the length ladies

Great info here, Jim! I use all kinds of video combinations and I think they all are valuable IF they are done well. Agree with the boring PPT videos… get creative like you did here.

Keep it real, keep it entertaining, and keep on point so ppl will want to keep watching… AGREE! If you are known (like you then ppl KNOW you deliver great video with VALUE and gladly watch til the end.

Thanks, Jim!
~Kimberly

A take-away I got from the survey is:
One underlying issue that seemed to come up in the responses the most is that people are tired are being SOLD, especially under false pretenses. I would interpret that as “don’t waste my time if all the presenter is doing is trying to sell me”. Give me good useful content and if you have a product, that’s okay. Don’t just try to sell me and nothing more or if you are just selling, tell me that up front so I can decide if I want to spend my time watching the video.
Thanks for sharing the results Jim.

I think one consistent comment I saw involved “movement” in the video. This could mean anything from visual movement to intellectual movement. Or I guess you could say stimulation.

Thanks for the great survey Jim, it’s obvious that there are lots more like me around. In fact I feel you have hit the mark on so many of the points.

Thanks for posting the results of the survey! Incredible that someone would share something so valuable…but that is what we have learned to expect from you!

You taught me not to be afraid to appear on screen. I put my photo on the header in my web site. People who contact me tell me that they feel like they know me.

Video will unmask the people who use 20 year old photos on their web site. Several people I followed, who appeared young on their web site, showed up in their videos as beyond middle age…without realizing they were revealing themselves to be incongruent and untruthful.

Thanks for always being authentic AND generous.

Hi Jim,
Good for you! Too many marketers don’t do surveys–and when they do, they miss the important opportunity to continue the conversation by reporting the results to their customers. This is awesome!

Best,
Jeanne

Doh! You gave away my secret, Jim!

Thanks so much for sharing this survey. A few minutes into your video I thought to myself, “Most people who had this info would sell it vs. share it.” …and then you said that very thing. Thank you so much for the full disclosure.

I took 4 pages of notes (lots of pause button use there, good job on the snappy pace), so now I have it at my fingertips offline as well as the full report on my pc. Also it seems that when I write stuff down, it sticks better than just reading the same info in a pdf.

I HATE it when video is put up where you have no idea how long it is, can’t pause it, stop it or anything. Nothing like being “held hostage.”

I think that people watch these kinds of videos from the, “I don’t want to miss something important” mindset. And 99% of the time, these kinds of videos are big pitch-a-thons. Sic.

Thanks again! Looking forward to the Video Challenge series. I know you always over-deliver great value.

Thanks!
Cheryl

After watching the video, then reading the survey over, then watching the video again – I gotta say that you’ve put together a fantastic example of a video with all the correct elements.

I especially like how you mix in the call-to-action at the end. Until that point, I was simply appreciating your information – but then I took exactly the action you asked. It wasn’t till my second time watching that I noticed how well you crafted the ending!

6/5 stars

You’re right, Smack is an acquired taste! Still working on that one. Great survey results. I will have to redo some of my videos now, shucks. I especially appreciate the link to Mike Stewart’s site for music. I thought I wanted to put music with my video but didn’t realize it was going to really be such an important component. And, while I don’t really think I’m ready to be a talking head, there is lots of other types of “motion” that can be fit the bill. I really love this site Jim!

Fantabulous that you’re sharing the survey results in full. GREAT info. It’s about time we get this info out in the open so we don’t have to guess anymore.

I also like that I don’t have to trust a ’20 minute life story spouting guru video’ to tell me how to make a video that sells I’m also relieved to know that I am closer than I thought in regards to making my own videos.

My to do list – sexy title, music and a minute or two shorter than I thought. Yay.

And thank you for the music resource. I had been looking for one without finding what I wanted. Yay!

(the other) Karen

Hey Jim-
Good stuff! I wonder what the numbers
would look like if the choices had been:

O Talking-head video
O Webinar-style
O Screen-capture
O Doesn’t matter

Perhaps “full motion” described them all.

Since I think most of us don’t have a “staff”
I’m hoping you will teach us the 1-2-3 of
learning what our market would want a video
to deliver, and those “Jimbo” content creation
templates your’re famous for!

Gary

Your video was the best I’ve seen on any IM site. Why?
No big car.
No exotic location.
Thoughts presented clearly and succinctly, with a little light relief here and there.
Just the right length.

As an about to start newbie myself, but with a sales and marketing background, you made all the right points.

What must be remembered by people who are going to use video is that you MUST be a performer, otherwise it’s a waste of effort.

I recall attending a lecture by an eminent engineer who’s views I really wanted to hear, who sent me to sleep in under five minutes.

Great brain, lousy presentation.

Golden rule. Must have substance + must be well presented.

Great survey Jim. Thanks for sharing the entire result with us. That’s very generous of you and much appreciated. An interesting part of your video here is the question of the full motion verses the screen capture. In my humble opinion, in the screen capture videos. your approach of setting up the content then chopping the information into chapters with titles is my favorite way to get content. This is great for replays and jumping around but it also gives a reader path like the subheads in the long sales letter. What I take away from your survey is, most of us are used to watching your approach to screen capture, which makes us are very open to them. Due to the poor quality of screen capture from others, I think the acceptance level would be much lower outside of your circle Jim.
I also like how you do your full motion video setup with the title or relevant information showing on your monitor to the right. Great Job Jim!
Thanks

Bye the Bye, How did that picture appear on my reply? I didn’t upload it.

I’m not smart enough to understand these data (in the pdf).

Thanks for the great info Jim

I have pet rant. Videos that start playing as soon as I open the page. I live in Austalia and have expensive bandwidth which I don’t want to waste on videos that I have no control over.

Another one is interviews with one voice that is much louder than the other so you have to keep tweaking the volume knob. Ugh!

Thanks again
Wendy

Thanks Jim for ‘getting the points’, sharing the info, and being humourous all the while. The points about length, focus and content are so important. In the crowded ‘web’ space there is so much that one can ‘look at’, ‘listen to’ or, indeed, ‘fall asleep over’.

It is energising to know there are (some) professionals seeking to meet the needs of their audience head on, and in so doing maximise the time and potential of all concerned.

All this is a learning curve, for all of us, and the more that ‘do get it’ the faster the curve will be. Perhaps all those who don’t get it, whatever the reason, whatever the niche, will simply be spun right off into an oblivion of wasted time and frustrated goals, leaving the rest of us to enjoy, and grow in a space of concisely presented clear, focused ‘actionable’, ‘fluffless’ information and learning.

We all have much to learn and, again, I thank you for your support and drive to foster this.

Happy new year

I too have become disillusioned by the “glam” head shots used on blogs and landing pages only to later find how “dumpy” they look outside of the photo studio! My rule is BE AUTHENTIC! And that starts with the photos you use of yourself for promotion. (Jim, thanks for the shower and shave! It SHOWS that you CARE enough about YOUR AUDIENCE to want to SHOW UP in the BEST WAY YOU CAN!)

And don’t get me started on the “Idiots” who make the “I’m talking to you from my car as I’m driving” videos!

And while we’re at it, how about investing 20 minutes to EDIT the video before you post it!?!

In my opinion the whole Social Media movement has set us back 20 years in terms of content delivery. If I’m looking for information I *REALLY* don’t care what you had for breakfast, or your dog’s name (Smacker excepted) or where you were just on vacation! That only tells me you’re willing to waste *my time* in the name of “getting to know you!”

(Climbing down off my soap box)

Thanks for the content Jimbo! I haven’t even read the report yet, and I already know WAY more than when I landed on your page!

Thanks!
Brad

(P.S. The Engineers who CAN present well are often the ones who “moved to the Dark Side” and went into Sales! – Yes, a dirty word for many, but WAY more profitable than working at the bench! I know it $ure wa$ for me!)

Hey Jim,

Right on the money with this one!

I have found people want content, entertainment and direction.

Make the promise, tell them what to expect, deliver on the promise, summarize what they just watched … AND … tell them what to do next.

All Good Wishes,
michael

Hi Jim,
Great video. I am just going into my green screen studio today and over the next few days to create a video series. It is called Ten tips for Higher Functioning Bipolar Living in 2010.

What camera did you use?

Thanks for the interesting survey results which I will review before shooting the videos.

David Mariant
wwww.TheBipolarCoach.com

Hey, Jim,

Thanks for sharing the results. I’ve gone through them once, and will now ‘analyze’ the info more thoroughly. There is alot of information included which needs to be interpreted correctly to gain the maximum value you’re providing by sharing it. You’re someone after my own heart, who believes in sharing content rather than hype and pitch.

We’re starting to offer video editing of short clips to clients through our site, due to demand for these, so your survey was very timely. Video can be time-consuming for those who are not technical, and can be a stumbling block to getting your image out there. We’re making it easy (and inexpensive) for anyone to use video.

As the business world scrambles to create new products for the Boomers, I think you’ll see more & more video being used online for promotion of products and services. Many Boomers don’t want to read pages and pages of text. Instead, give us the information in audio or video, so we can digest the Boomer-way … our way on our time.

I agree with one of the posts above, videos need to give control to the user. Otherwise people click away.

One thing I’ve wondered myself that you touched on, do people want to see the person in the video ‘all dolled up’ (you mentioned you showered, shaved, etc), or do they want to see people ‘being real’ some of the time? When guru’s say they work at home in their pajamas, would it add to their image to show them working in their PJ’s with fresh-out-of-bed hair, or would it take away from the image of the guru? I’d love to hear your opinion, and that of others…

Thanks for the survey results, I’ll be using it for quite some time.

Tracey

I found the survey had a common thread – content with various adjectives. Succinct is what I’ll work for, with information, education and humor, although I’m not an entertainer, per se. When I have to make a video, I’m very self conscious; something I’ll have to get over!! Plus, there’s always ‘stuff’ in the background, as my space is somewhat crowded. Does that matter? Also, I’d like you to share with us what video player you use that guarantees a time bar? And, is it FLV or SWF?

Thanks!

Hi Jim

Thanks for sharing your results with us. It seems to me that
people regard their time as a precious commodity and want videos that get to the point and teach them something they can use.

Which makes sense because that is what I like in a video. I look forward to your version of a 30 day challenge.

Once again thanks for sharing this great and useful information.

Gary McElwain

P.S. (Afterthought)

Jim, what are the best dimensions for a video window? Pixel resolution?

‘Content’ has to have the highest keyword density in the pdf. I wonder what the top six to ten terms are with the highest density. They would make a great set of bullet points.

Thanks Jim for sharing the results of this survey with us…I actually scanned the pdf, read through the comments and then watched the video. That could be because I am at home and we have
horribly slow internet (videos take forever to play) or because I spent 20 years as a Quality manager and love detailed survey results.

One real revelation for me (like Gabrielle) is that I am going to have to get over my fear of making full motion (talking head) videos. That and I am going to have to come up with a way to be entertaining and stay on point (narrow/targeted topic).

I think the survey clearly show the importance of the things you have taught us all along about offering great, actionable, entertaining content that overdelivers on the promise we make in our attention-getting (killer) headline or title.

Thanks for being so relevant, fun and entertaining!

Hi Jim,

No-one else has mentioned it, so it might just be me, but I found that on this & the last video the voice & lip sync was out & at times by a lot.

I find that distracting & my attention focusses on that rather than on the message. With talking head video that is always going to be a potential problem area.

Looking forward to the 30 Day Challenge!

Hello Jim:

Thanks for doing this survey and sharing these results: couldn’t have come at a better time for me, and for many of us, as we begin to tackle how to produce great Content for 2010.

Looking ahead to next week, and the start of the 30-Day Challenge. As well as a focus on content, please talk technology, that is, what is a must-have, what is a must-do, and what is a must-make, would ya?

Again: mucho gracias.

Hey Jim,

I am daily intrigued by your ‘twitter turnaround’!
lol

Thanks for sifting out the main points. I don’t look forward to creating videos for marketing my services but the benefits seem to outweigh my objections. I’m also interested in simple, inexpensive tools to create them..I’ve got a video camera, webcam, windows movie maker on my PC but the videos look terrible..probably the lighting so some tips on that please. Creating a talking heads video was a surprise..another obstacle to overcome..sigh..

Hi Jim,

Absolutely tremendous stuff and it was very eye opening to find I am guilty of two things.

VIDEOS too long (mine are 8 – 10 minutes) so i’ll maybe cut them into two or three shorter videos with one key training point and one key action point.

VIDEOS are wrong format (Mostly Screen Capture) so i’ll start doing some with my Webcam) might even start my own puppet idea as well.

I think giving away these survey results is brilliand and i have added a link to this post from my blog at

I will also send a broadcast to my “small” list of 150 subscribers because i feel strongly about the value you are giving here.

Really well done mate and looking forward to reading the report and taking part in the 30 DAY VC

Cheers

Richard

Tracey, one of the results of the survey that I got was that people want professionalism. I’m not sure PJ’s would reflect that image.

I’ve watched plenty of videos online where people are just ‘being themselves’ and some of them are so stupid and elementary looking that anything they may be selling could also be stupid and elementary; therefore I tend to pass up buying it. (JMHO)

Hi Jim -

Thanks for such insightful and timely information. I’m getting ready to do some video in the next two weeks and had settled on doing screen capture but now will ‘MAKE’ myself get in front of the camera. I spend so much time doing medical writing that I can’t remember what it was like to be entertaining – will have to work hard at that!

A quick point about working in the pajamas concept. It does sound good, doesn’t it? Rolling out of bed and popping on the computer . . . cranking out some content and grabbing breakfast. Unfortunately, there is some good research to show that when we get dressed we are actually more productive. Much of the research was done with people doing phone sales at home, but I have seen a few studies that used individuals who worked at home on their computer. You don’t have to put on dress clothes and full face makeup (for us ladies that is!) but getting out of bed clothes and putting on shoes seemed to make a big difference in how much gets done.

Hoping I can translate all of this into talking head videos that don’t bore my audience in the first 3 minutes

Thanks for sharing the survey results!

I totally agree. I don’t even start them anymore because I just never will get right through them. I hate them also because I feel manipulated. The right to pause and control how I watch the videos is taken out of my hand, as if we were kids.

I think that should be 5P
Plan it
Prepare it
Practice it
Present it
Publish it

I’m fed up with people who don’t seem to have prepared the stuff and obviously haven’t practiced it. Prepare- make sure lighting, environment are good and resources are ready, which would have come to light with practice – Learn your lines and when and how to switch resources. The times people have presented poor talking/audio and then scrambled around to show a screen shot.

I also don’t like waffle especially when it takes a couple of minutes waffle to tell me that this video is not going to contain any waffle. Don’t like the here’s how much I made stuff that lasts for ages. Just tell me I don’t need to see cheques and bank statements for the last five years!

Agree with the pause thing to if I can’t pause then the first time I want to the videos a gonna!

I do like the way you do yours with the contents down the side, I know whats coming up and I can skip if I am not interested in a chapter (Not that I would one of yours:o) LoL! Oh, and the interaction with the pen.

Size is relevant. I’m just 3 days into my month’s allocation of 7gb wireless and I’ve had to buy extra allocation. So now if a video commences downloading without my specific request I just close the page. If it is excessively long or doesn’t say how long it is I don’t watch. I prefer that I am able to pause and continue and replay without the video downloading a second time.
Full animation creates longest files. I prefer some animation combined with screenshots.
Getting fussy in my old age.<|:-)
Thanks for the result pdf
Regards
Reg

igottatellyou I LOVE the new look of igottatellyou.com!! Really clean and appealing.

That’s true, however its also good for spotting and then meeting interestng people. Because you can develop a conversation with them.
Another great use is a twitter account that goes only to a closed group. A friend of mine uses that to keep talking to all his staff at four hotels.

PS Did I say that I love how this site looks now?

The Bad:
——–
Could you please not use a puppet? It makes me feel talked down to, and reduced to belittlement. Some will like that humor, but turns others off. I mention this because if you’re watching video for it to be presented better t han reading, and I have to get an upset stomach just to get the content, this really does no justice and is ineffective. I know this could be effective at possibly a kid’s kind of site, than a marketing to grownups.

Also, the insinuations about video “Length” mattering, was not as appealing to hear. I want to think about video, not other terms that have been used to describe sex, just to get my attention.

Your video was also presented squished (where head is elongated), which is a real turn off to have to watch, all so people (generally) can have their “widescreen” formats. This does no justice unless you can use the video in a player that will accomodate the size of the video itself.

All 3 of these comments are about “the way” something is delivered.

The Good:
———
I do like the comment on “Actionable.” Oh, I took this to mean creating an exercise that gets people off their seat and do something. I can see it could mean keeping it lively or show action video as well. Those are all good.

Many websites have an “Intro” video, which really is a fancy way of telling absolutely NOTHING! No questions were answered, and it always accompanies fancy graphics, or something entertainable, which makes you wonder what good the video was… if people even catch that. So yes, I think the video should answer something, even if a general overview.

The monitor notes was a new twist. Very creative.

Telling people the video length up front, tells them when to come see your vide at an opportune time. Keeping it short is good for those you want to grab right away as well.

This was a uniqely interesting result to share. Thank you.

Ruth

@realjimedwards – You joined Twitter! Ur ’08 prediction for ’09 was wrong. It’s what I like about you. When you are wrong – you admit. Kudos. AS for this webinar about using video? It has ‘Jim Edwards’ written all over it – superb!

Hi Ruth,
Generally I would probably agree with you about puppets..I could never cope with Punch and Judy, however, a big however in this case, I think ol’ smacker is gonna be well worth the attention.
Tell us in thirty days!

Thanks for the interesting survey and info shared, Jim!

I’ve heard this now for sometime, that video, or motion video, will become more important in online marketing. But where to start, if you’ve never done a video before, and don’t have the equipment either?

Can you/someone plse give me a list of basics needed to make a simple motion video?

Thanks!

Hi Jim

be really helpful if you could advise what video camera make and model with an external mic jack would you kindly recommend….I just want to mostly upload brief talks to the web do both outdoors and indoor filming having fairly nice quality
also would you suggest HD capabilities camera even for the web?

And what about mini dv tapes or flash drive what are pros and cons?

I create very long instructional videos using Camtasia and find that the voice and lips do not match if I set the compression too high. I set the audio at MP3, 22kHz, Mono, 96kBits/sec. This also seems to work better for guys using Macs where the audio can get scrambled if compressed further.

The feedback on my videos fits with your survey – show length of video, allow pause, and include a table of contents so the viewer can move thru the content, and never auto-play – basically give them all the control possible.

Aw, this was a really quality post. In theory I’d like to write like this too – taking time and real effort to make a good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and never seem to get something done