Looking for a format for your product or service website video?  Try speaking directly to your audience as if they were right there with you.

Julie Child.  Emeril Lagasse.  Lidia Bastianich.

If you’re familiar with TV cooking shows, you know these names.  They’re among the best known hosts of TV cooking programs.

Try watching one of these shows – or just about any cooking instructional program (Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, Rick Bayless).  You’ll notice a commonality in the format of all of these programs.

The host speaks to you, the TV viewer, as if you were sitting right there in the kitchen with them.

In fact, they often go so far as to jest about having you try or smell the food they’re preparing – as if they’re making such a connection that you could reach through the TV screen with your fork (or use “smellavision”, as Emeril says).

This type of business video is called a presentation video.  As opposed to a product video that’s like a commercial or an interview video where people speak to someone off camera, a presentation video speaks directly to the audience.

Well done presentation videos have the advantage of being more engaging for the audience.  When you speak directly to someone, you hold their attention more.  You personalize the message, almost as if you actually know them.  It’s something that is also done with online copywriting, where the best voice is the second person, that speaks directly to you.

To get a feel for how this can work, check out http://tv.winelibrary.com/.  Host Gary Vaynerchuk has a very engaging way of communicating directly to the audience behind the camera.

Moz also does this effectively with their white board Friday presentations.

How to Make Presentation Videos Work for a Business Website

Of course, a business marketing video is not a cooking show.

One of the main factors you’ll have to deal with is time.  Most small business videos will need to be shorter unless you’re doing blog presentations like TV Wine Library or Moz.

But this doesn’t mean that you can’t do a 1-2 minute video where you speak directly to your audience instead of distancing yourself with a 3rd person narration.

Here are some tips on how to make a presentation video for a SMB website:

1. Have an engaging host.  Perhaps more than anything, you need to have someone who comes alive on camera.  You don’t have to be as effervescent as Emeril, but you do need someone who can project themselves on camera.  If you can’t do it as the business owner, pick someone from your staff or hire a local actor.
2. Write a script.  For a short video, you’ll want to have a crisp idea to communicate.  You still speak to the audience (this is not a speech), but make sure you stay on point with your sales message.
3. Work with a professional video team.  Nothing will make you look more small time than a video shot on a phone.  Work with pros who can set-up lighting and get clear audio.
4. Make a series of videos.  Don’t try to cram everything into one video.  Make a series based on single topics.

Last but not least, have fun with it.  If you’re funny and lighthearted, your video will come-off well.  And other than meeting someone in person, there is no other way to communicate more personally with your prospective clients.