Everyone wants to make video content that people cannot stop watching.
In this article, you will learn how you can use some principles of human psychology to lure people into watching your content.
All you need to do to create absolutely irresistible video content is to know about four keys.
The Four Keys to Creating Attractive Videos
If you have been wondering that the secret ingredients that make a video great are a sophisticated DSLR, fancy equipment, and high-end software, then you, my friend, are wrong.
For a long time, I used the front camera of the iPhone 7 2016 model to shoot my videos. And my videos have routinely gotten tens of thousands of views on Instagram.
So what exactly are those 4 keys?
1. Eye Contact
Eye contact produces a powerful, subconscious sense of connection. And this goes beyond just in-person eye contact to even drawn or photographed eyes; a fact demonstrated by Researchers at Cornell University.
“Eye contact is the ultimate reality distortion field.”
Imagine you are attending my talk on Zoom? If I were speaking to you by looking at you on the screen, which most people around the world do, you would become really distracted and subconsciously disconnected.
After a while, you will be like, who is he talking to?
And still, most people when they upload their stories or videos are looking at themselves on the screen.
The key is to look at the camera directly.
Imagine how will you feel if you are attending a Zoom lecture where the instructor is looking directly at the camera on his laptop?
You and every other person attending that lecture will feel that the instructor is looking directly at you.
How to Not be Afraid of the Camera
The problem people run into is that once you start looking at the camera, your mind will go blank because you are unable to focus on the camera and think at the same time.
I solved this problem in a simple way.
I developed my confidence by sending WhatsApp video messages to my friends instead of replying to their messages in text or audio format.
This is the single biggest hack that has helped me develop not just the eye contact, but also the subtle eye movement required in creating an even more influencing aura.
In 2017, I was on a WhatsApp group with 4 of my friends where this practice became a daily ritual which helped me to build this skill over a period.
I still have videos of me blabbering with word whiskers like “aaa” and “uhmm” and just going blank when I became too conscious of myself.
The best thing is that you can take as many retakes as you want.
Make a habit of replying to one message with a video while looking in the camera every single day. And for sure you will develop the confidence to make eye contact with ease.
Building this confidence will go a long way in creating irresistible video content.
2. Energy
There are two forms of energy: one is NO ENERGY and the other is HIGH ENERGY.
There is no middle ground.
It is ok to start from very high energy and come down to an energy that is your natural tone, but it is not ok to be unenthusiastic, dead, and just out of energy.
So just whenever you turn on the camera to upload an Instagram story, just be as energetic as you can.
Why do you think Gary Vee and Tony Robbins, these big guys, are so energetic?
Because high energy clicks with people!
If you’re not passionate and enthusiastic about your content, then how can you expect your audience to be?
If you want to come across as an expert faster, you should have high energy because experts are enthusiastic about their material.
3. Lighting
You do not need to have a sophisticated studio, but you need to have a LOT of lighting.
Bright lighting is the key between amateurs and experts.
If you observe, so many videos are shot in dark and shady rooms or they are underneath a fluorescent light where there is too much light on the face with a dark background.
All of this does not vibe with the audience and they get instantly disconnected.
When I started making videos, my background was just the wall. But I had two lamps pointing at me and one at the wall as well. Very basic setup but still 3 sources of light.
Just put in as much light as you can, and if possible, make use of the sunlight as well.
Remember that people automatically want to watch a video with good lighting and will click away if you have bad lighting.
4. Structure
Every piece of content before being produced should be outlined.
It should not be random blabbering in front of the camera. You can make unscripted videos but that does not mean they are unstructured. There is a stark difference between both.
Even when I was making the OneMinuteShow on Instagram, I had a basic structure for all the 100 episodes. Since the video length was just 60 seconds, the structure had to be even tighter.
So before shooting your videos, always script down the exact structure that your video will follow. It will help you shoot more effectively as well as help your audience follow along smoothly with it.
And that’s it.
It will take some practice but by following these 4 key principles in video making, you will be able to create irresistible video content that gets higher views and engagement.
People will find it impossible to hit the skip button.
Over on my blog, Digital Nomad Academy, you can find several other articles and masterclasses that will teach you different aspects of building your own laptop lifestyle.
Also, for behind-the-scenes mischief, you can follow me on Instagram and join 30K+ others like you who are in different phases of building their location independent lifestyles.
Hope to see you around globe-trotting one day 🙂
