What makes a Direct Response Video successful?

When I was a young boy my mother used to take me to the market every Saturday to help her carry the food and groceries for the week ahead. The market was full of colorful characters hawking their wares and all vying for the attention of the shoppers. And certain characters could hold the audience attention better than others, even if they were essentially selling the same products.

Direct response TV has adopted the sales technique from the market trader to the television set, and from here to sending the DRTV advert directly to target customers in the form of video embedded into direct mail cards and letters.

As its name suggests, a Direct Response Video is designed to encourage the viewer to pay attention, engage – and then respond to a call to action. It’s kind of like being in that market again.

That call to action could be to make a donation, or buy a product, or register for an event. The trick is to make it simple - the fewer steps required for the viewer to complete the transaction, the more likely the seller is to make the sale.

So here are 5 key ways to make your direct response video a success.

1 - Deliver your message in a clear and compelling manner and make sure that it’s a good story with a clear objective and call-to-action. 

2 - Engage the viewer with high-quality visuals and audio to give them a first-hand experience of what you are trying to convey.

3 - Use the right presenter, someone with charm and charisma who’s engaged with what they are selling.

4 – Keep your audience engaged throughout the video

5 – And above all, have a clear, concise, compelling - and simple - call-to-action