Today, we’ll discuss what it takes to make a G.R.E.A.T. Youtube video. This formula is proven and works. Making videos is relatively easy, but a G.R.E.A.T. video is one that gets watched and remembered.
As a business professional, making videos to sell your product or service is not enough. You have to add an entertainment component. You also have to get your viewers to be inspired by you, to like you, and to take the action you desire. This formula combines what we know from infomercials and sitcoms formats. Compelling video content that makes a lasting impression follows a formula. Let’s take look:
G.R.E.A.T. formula
Commit the G.R.E.A.T. Video formula to memory and use it in your Sales conversations, your live streams, and your webinars. Let’s take a quick overview of the formula and then we’ll take a more in depth look at each component.
- G – grab attention
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
- R – relate to viewer
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
- E – Explain Your Solution
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
- A – Ask for Engagement
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
- T – Tell ‘em What to Do!
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
- Entertainment Component for pattern interrupt
Between each section, we’ll add pattern interrupts to increase engagement and entertain your audience, in your unique way. We’ll discuss this more in my next video.
Grab the audience’s attention
In less than 30 seconds you’ll need to hook your viewer. The purpose of the hook or grabbing your audience’s attention is to get them to watch the next few minutes of your video. Here are the three V’s of every successful hook:
- Visual Hook – what the audience sees when they press play
- Verbal Hook – what the audience hears when your video plays
- Value Hook – the perceived value they’ll receive by watching the rest of the video
One of the biggest benefits from mastering this component of the G.R.E.A.T. Video formula is increased watch time of your videos. The hook can be delivered in a variety of fashions. Here’s a basic formula:
You’ll notice the basic hook talks about value, benefit, and emotion. Here’s an example of one of our Advanced Hook formulas we share with our clients in our Advanced Youtube program. After mastering the basics, you’ll probably want to elevate your hooks in the following manner.
The advanced methodology we share covers three essential psychological components your video must include.
After we’ve Grabbed the viewer’s attention, we need to Relate to the viewer. This shows the viewer we know them and it helps them to trust us. We’ve got to do this quickly. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is by introducing yourself and your place in the niche or industry. Here’s an example:
Simple and straightforward, yet powerful. We’ve highlighted the before and after effect below.
The before shows how we relate to our viewer which helps to foster trust in the relationship. The second factor is what happened after we implemented our solution or offering. These elements set up the next step of the formula.
Explain Your Solution
You’ll want to provide specific information about what you’re offering. Your solution MUST be unique. Nothing generic will do. Here’s a G.R.E.A.T. example:
This company positions their product as a unique gift to their clients. Since they can relate to their customers and have established trust, their product offering is a gift to solve the needs of their audience.
Think of your product or service as a gift to your clients.
There’s the gift itself, but it’s covered with wrapping paper. The wrapping paper is your hook. It grabs your attention and makes you want to tear away the paper and get to the gift inside.
We do this in our program with bullet points. These points build on each other over four or five steps, walking us to the climax. The climax should be the best part of your video. Only when we’ve given our audience the best we have to offer can we move to the next step, which is:
Ask for engagement
Asking your viewers for what you want is vital. But there is a caveat, not all the time. You don’t have to ask for a like or subscribe in every video. We share with you when and how to do this so it feels natural.
After you’ve asked for engagement, it’s time to end the video. But we don’t want to tell our viewers the video is ending. The reason why is we want them to watch until the end. That’s why we:
Tell Them What To Do Next
My challenge to you is to create a binge watching mentality with your videos. This strategy is the most important thing for Youtube. Use the Silo method to help plan your content and lay the foundation for this strategy.
Tell your viewers to watch the next video. One ask for every five Youtube videos is our recommendation.
Adopting this formula may be challenging. Tape a copy of the formula to the wall behind your camera.
That’s it for today. Commit the G.R.E.A.T. formula to memory and use it often. In our next session, we’ll discuss those pattern interrupts. Read the next article here:
