(This guy is definitely making it pop.)
Making it Pop: 10 Ideas to Grab Your Viewers' Attention on YouTube
By the time you finish reading this article, more than 4,000 hours of video will have been uploaded on YouTube.
How do you make your videos stand out?
Make it professional. Make it creative. Make it valuable.
Every video needs material, but your content can only get you so far. Having the most useful product information, life hacks, or jokes is a good starting point. But the difference between 20 views and 200,000 views is how you grab (and maintain) your viewers attention right from the first moment.
Your video needs good editing, audio, and visual effects to gain popularity. Here are 10 simple ideas to help add some pop to your media.
#1: Quick Cuts
Your goal is to get viewer attention fast. Quick cuts are a series of shots that last only a few seconds each. This editing move is one of the best ways to generate energy, create surprises, and string images together rapidly. A speedy intro can peak viewer curiosity long enough to get your message across.
#2: Lower Third Graphics
While other images are appearing in the middle of the screen, the bottom third of the screen can be a great place to subtly insert logos, text, images, or motion graphics. This can be an effective way to catch a viewer's eye without taking away from the central content.
#3: Overlays
This technique lets text, motion graphics, logos, or other content appears on top of your video. Shoot off fireworks when you announce something, hold the title of your video in your hand, replace your face with a logo. These types of effects require a lot more effort than just hitting record on a camera, but using visual communication queues can both make your videos more engaging and make it easier to get your point across.
#4: Sound Effects
A Hollywood punch sounds nothing like a real-world punch. Just as movies use foley effects and sound cues to add emotion and impact to action sequences, you can use sound effects to inject more life into your normal cuts, transitions, and even your logo reveal. Adding consistent sound effects to your intro videos will work as a professional branding tool in audio form, helping to communicate the personality of your brand.
#5: Music Choice
The type of music you choose can convey just as much meaning as the text or images you use, if not more. You won't see many beauty channels with a heavy metal soundtrack or competitive gaming channels with ukeleles in the background. The audio you choose reinforces the visuals on screen. Beware of YouTube's ContentID restrictions—consider commissioning an original track just for your channel.
#6: Visual Cues
Video is a visual medium, and that means you can use visual cues to help communicate your message or narrative. Try shaking the screen when something dramatic happens. Match cuts on action to increase continuity. Use pulsing and animation to draw attention to subscribe/follow buttons. Slow down, speed up, or even freeze the frame at key moments.
#7: Transitions
Transitions can be a great tool to make your intro video flow. A fade-in effect can be a subtle visual cue to indicate that the video is beginning. Just jumping in and out of an intro video without transitions like dissolves, wipes, whip pans, or zooms can feel abrupt. If your audience will let you get away with it, try to sneak in a star wipe every now and then.
#8: Title Captions
Unless someone specifically recommended your video, your viewers are watching because something in your title caught their attention. A brief title caption can help remind users why they clicked on a video in the first place and help set the expectation of what will come if they keep watching.
#9: Logos
Most videos are designed to promote a brand, whether it be on a personal or enterprise level. If you don't have a logo yet, get on that. Your logo is what will let fans recognize you instantly. It shows your flair. Are you a serious, professional type or an artsy bohemian living out of a van? Your logo will convey that instantly.
#10: Professional Intro Videos
A professional intro video will let you stand out from the pack. The first impression you leave on viewers means everything for your brand. Instead of opening with a close-up of your face or product image, you can briefly introduce your video with a quick logo, title caption, or jingle. This makes your video seem more sophisticated, intentional, and worth watching. Viewers will know what to expect from your channel. Consistency is always a plus in building your brand.
Professional intro videos are easy to put together and require no previous experience when using a winning template.
Consider using a professional intro video maker that provides you HD images with premade templates that you can make yours. You customize your video to fit your brand’s personality.