We are naturally conditioned to do two things: avoid danger, and preserve calories.
Avoiding danger is usually easy. Walking over the Grand Canyon on a foot bridge or a tight rope; make your choice.
But preserving calories? Watch ‘Cash in the Attic’ or attempt ‘The Times’ Crossword, you know which is better for you but not the easiest. The brain takes up about 20% of the resting calories a body uses a day so it likes the easy option because thinking is hard work.
Take two posters in a restaurant- the licensing conditions or ‘Meal Deal £2,99’. Decision made.
Now look at your website front page and a competitors. Is it easy for a brain to understand the message?
The Google home page. Clear and simple.
Lets apply this logic to video. A website film under two minutes and featuring two people is easy for viewers and listeners to follow. Make a film 5 minutes and interviews with 8 people and the brain may take the easy option and switch off.
The same applies before someone clicks a video– a short duration time, a clear thumbnail, and a brief description, all give the brain an easy option compared to the next one in the YouTube search results.
How do we help with video ideas? Have a read here!
I have explained this ‘preserving calories’ thing several times since hearing from Sean at Form at an excellent Business Growth Hub ‘Greater Connected’ workshop last week. You can find Sean on Twitter at @MuchClearer.
So look at the next message you communicate and think how easy are you are making it for fellow brains.
Author: Jonathan Robinson is the founder and camera operator of ‘bellyflop.tv‘.
