Rules for a How-to Video
If you’re trying to penetrate search engines and find an audience, familiarize yourself with the expression “how to.” It’s one of the most popular search terms for a videographer, or anyone else, and makes for wildly popular online video categories. In a recent post on ReelSEO, we learn the value of how-to as a marketing tool, and why people are so attracted to content that addresses the simple phrase.
A “how-to” piece of content has a great chance of being found in search because people are always looking for step-by-step instructions for completing a variety of tasks. But first, there are some rules to follow when making a How-To:
1. You must have credibility on the subject in which you are providing a how-to.
This is especially true for brands, who should stick to the categories of which they have intimate knowledge. And if you’re Random Person on the Internet, you need to show you’ve got skills immediately. For example, if you’re a cooking show, you might want to show the final dish sooner rather than later.
2. Content matters. Provide content.
Show how your skill is done by clearly providing visual evidence in tandem with the words you speak. If you don’t show clear examples and don’t speak clearly (or come as not confident), you will lose the audience.
3. The topic must be something that is worthwhile, or interesting, or “cool.”
There are hundreds of how-to tie a tie videos on YouTube. Making a new one, unless it is somehow revolutionary, won’t contribute much to the conversation. Instead, consider a unique topic that people might be less familiar with, something unique to your expertise, and something you could quickly demonstrate your expertise with a video production Chicago project.
