5 Ways to Make Talking Head Videos More Personal
Talking head videos are a popular marketing tool. Many marketers are familiar with this simple video style. All you do is put your subject in front of the camera and make sure your message gets out to the people who need to see it…right?
There’s actually a lot more to it than that if you want your videos to be personal, engaging and effective. A video of a single person talking to the camera typically isn’t dynamic enough to engage an audience. To ensure your talking head videos truly make an impact and have personality, here are five helpful tips to keep top of mind.
1. Know your audience
It’s difficult to speak with empathy to an unknown audience. It’s important to give your video’s speaker a clear picture of who they’re talking to so they can hold this image in their head and have a true-to-feel conversation with viewers, as if they were in the room with them. This leads to everything from better intonation to more purposeful delivery of the narrative. Knowing your audience is often the difference between a video that sounds generic and one that feelsauthentic.
2. Use an extra camera
Two cameras are better than one! Incorporating multiple viewpoints instantly makes any talking head video more dynamic. This, in turn, increases engagement. It’s best to keep cameras on the same side of your subject. A combination of a wide shot and a close-up is currently a popular way to film talking head videos. Alternate the perspectives on your subject to keep your viewers interested for the entire length of the video—as opposed to head-on, front-facing, static shots.
3. Use supplemental footage
Supplemental video, also called B-roll, is extra video that’s secondary to your primary footage. It’s often used to contextualize and support the story or message you’re delivering in a talking head video. B-roll footage makes videos much more interesting to watch, and adding compelling images enhances both your subject and message. This footage is best used in between key points from the narrator to punctuate them and keep viewers engaged.
4. Follow a script
While you might think that “winging it” can give your videos a more personable feel, this usually isn’t the case. Writing a good script for talking head videos ensures that each video follows a uniform structure. Viewers like to predict what’s coming next, so following a general format can lead to loyal viewership. Scripts also ensure there’s clean, clear delivery on key points and important features like statistics.
5. Use specific language
Certain words and phrases pique viewer interest in different ways. Whether they’re brand words, industry jargon or words with implication, it’s vital to be purposeful when selecting verbiage. More importantly, have your narrator deliver these words with clarity while they speak. The right punctuation at the right moment can really drive home a point, emotion or concept.
Dynamic talking head videos can be a key tool in your video marketing efforts, but it takes time, resources and a solid strategy to do them the right way. Say hello to Spin Creative! We’ve produced engaging talking head videos for world-class brands and can help you get your story out by producing videos that get results.
About Us
Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
