Anyone posting videos wants to attract a mad rush of viewers.

That exposure leads to a host of new, prospective customers discovering your products and services. 

The key is understanding what interests your customers, and what intrigues them.
 
Once you understand how to develop content that engages your audience, you'll:

We've discussed customer avatars before, but it bears repeating: the more accurately you can describe your audience, the more success you'll have. 

Customer avatars represent your target viewer – the people you really want to reach most.
 

For more tips on creating customer avatars, see 5 Steps to Create the Perfect Video Marketing Strategy. 

"I love watching videos that bore me to death," said NO ONE.

Getting someone to click to play your video is just the start - the key is keeping them watching.

Most people know if a video will interest them within seconds.  That's why YouTube has a skip button for ads, after a few seconds.

One way to gauge how interesting a topic may be is through social proof.

Type variations of your keywords related to your topic in Google and Bing search to see what people are searching for:

Check what videos are trending using YouTube or Bing (or simply search either for your keywords and see what gets views).

Use Google Trends to search for different keywords to see if searches are increasing or decreasing over time.

Search Reddit and Quora using your keywords to see which topics and questions get the most votes.

If you're having trouble thinking about topics, try using our free Video Topic Generator which provides video ideas.

Having a well-defined avatar allows you to make things more engaging for your audience, giving you an edge.

Maybe you're creating videos educating people on how to start a business.  If you were able to give examples of businesses that related to their hobbies it becomes more interesting to them - even if the business that they want to launch has nothing to do with their pastime.

Or perhaps you find someone who is an influencer in a hobby subject to promote your video, or participate in it.

Feed your avatar with content they can turn away from.

 

Knowing what your audience dislikes is nearly as important as understanding the things they like.

What keeps them up at night?

What makes their blood pressure rise?

What are things they try to avoid like the plague?

People will always listen to you, as long as you can identify what bothers them and offer a potential remedy that's new to them.

You should always imagine talking to your avatar and seeing their reactions when planning videos.

Some people are looking for loud, fast-paced music and excited speakers when they watch videos.

However, others find that unnerving and won't be able to navigate away from your video fast enough.

And sometimes you'll find that the same person may like different styles (even conflicting ones, like the two above), depending on the video topic.

What type of person do you think that they are most likely to trust? That's who you want speaking in your video.

Where does your avatar live, or spend a lot of their free time?  Having scenery that they can identify with makes it easier for them to relate.

What type of experiences has your avatar had?  If you can re-create moments that they've lived, they're more likely to think that what you're talking about applies to them.

Trigger an emotional connection.

Emotional triggers drive actions.

 
Regardless of the avatar, there's one thing that holds true.

People like stories.

Stories pique the interests of viewers and lure them in.

They also help viewers relate to what you're telling them.

What makes a good story?

Check out this Tedx Talk by Josh Campbell to learn more about how to tell compelling stories:  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV0M5l5KhnE
 
Focusing on the things that matter to your avatar will lead to engaging videos.  The details matter.

Evoke emotions on topics that interest your avatar to get the results you're looking for.

If you can imagine how they'll react to your video throughout the process, you'll be well on your way to creating valuable content.