5 Tips for Casting Your Video

The success or failure of your marketing video can hinge on many things: the script, the production value, the strength of your call to action, and your promotional ability. All of these things need to work together in order to create a strong marketing video.

However, even if all of these elements fall into place, there is one thing that can still ruin your videos; if your cast isn’t appealing, people are not going to watch.

Some marketing videos don’t have people on camera. Instead, they feature a voice-over narration. Others feature a large casts of actors. Whatever kind of video you make, you need to have the right performers in it in order to ensure its success. With that in mind, let’s talk about some tips to help you find the right cast for your marketing video.

1. Choose the right narrator. If your video is featuring voice-over
narration, you want to make sure to pick the right kind of voice. For example, if your product is mostly aimed at young women, your narrator should sound like a young woman – even if she never appears on screen. If your product is national, you probably want to choose a narrator without a strong regional accent, unless your product has a regional flavor that you want to maintain.

2. Think about your customers. Typically, the people who buy a certain product want to see themselves in the advertising for it. You should want that too, because it makes it easier for customers to make the leap from watching your video to responding to your call to action.

3. Cast actors who are attractive, but not unapproachable. You don’t need to have supermodels in your videos – in fact, you probably shouldn’t. Instead, choose someone your customers can identify with. However, the people you cast should have something unique about them. After all, you want them to be memorable. Actors who are attractive, but believable as a next door neighbor or friend are a good choice.

4. Choose actors who project a genuine and trustworthy image. If you can’t afford to hire a professional casting director, go with your gut or use a focus group of friends or family. Do on-screen camera tests, even if you just use the camera on your cell phone. It’s important to get a look at your potential cast on camera before you hire them.

5. If you are casting employees in your script (for a behind-the-scenes look at your company, for example) choose people who are comfortable in front of the camera. Don’t try to force someone to be in the video against their will. Their discomfort will come through and make the viewer uncomfortable as well.

The main thing to remember is that you are trying to make a video that is appealing to your customers. If you keep that in mind, you’ll end up with a great cast who will engage viewers and sell your product or service effectively.