Creating video content is one of the best and most effective ways to reach your audience, but how can you keep viewers engaged?

How can you turn your videos into viral content that makes watchers want to take action?

If you want to learn the top secrets to successfully marketing your video content, here is what you need to know-

1.) Offer a Story, Not a Sales Pitch

One mistake that marketers make is that they create videos all about selling and promoting a product rather than sharing a story. When your video’s are designed to “sell”, your audience members quickly lose interest and can even become skeptical of your brand.

When it comes to creating video content, focus on sharing a story instead rather than forcing your products or services down their throats. Make your story entertaining and aligned with your brand, and you will always be on the right track.

2.) Make the First Few Seconds Impactful

The average attention span when watching a video online is a very short 8.5 seconds, and this number is rapidly declining. More and more, people are losing their patience which means that your video has to instantly appeal to viewers.

In the first few seconds of your video, let your audience know what you are going to be talking about and perhaps even find a way to get them intrigued or interested in a topic.

You can do this by asking questions or even touching on common issues or complaints within your target audience.

3.) Upload a Catchy Thumbnail Image

When posting your video online, having a catchy or compelling thumbnail image can help you to draw in more clicks.

The more intriguing your thumbnail image looks, the more likely people are to stop scrolling and start watching.

Think of your thumbnail image like the front cover of a book, even though we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, many people do.

4.) Target the Right Audience

No matter where you are sharing your video, be sure to target relevant audiences. This allows your video to be seen by the people who matter the most.

On Facebook for example, there are many options you can select in order to choose who your video is going to be marketed to. This includes choosing the age, gender and even the location of your viewers.

By setting up such parameters, it ensures that your videos are going to be seen by those who are genuinely interested.

5.) Use Subtitles

More and more people are watching videos on social platforms like Facebook without sound. In fact, new research shows that as many as 85 percent of videos on Facebook are watched without sound.

This means that you need to add subtitles to your video or make your video easy to understand without the sound. A few ways you can do this is through offering clear to understand visuals, text descriptions or animations.

By taking these 5 steps into consideration, you will see a dramatic improvement in all of your video marketing across all of your platforms.