What Is a Sizzle Reel and 6 Ways to Create One That Sells
Does your company need a video with some zest? Today, we’re answering what a sizzle reel is and how to craft one that your viewers will remember.
What is A Sizzle Reel?
All Images via Noble Bison Productions
Sizzle reels have a handful of meanings in the video production world. They are sometimes called demo reels, video pitches, product PR reels, and more, but it’s the punchy pace and narrative that most of our clients are looking for.
Depending on the prime subject, a sizzle reel can look very different from one to the next. The general definition, however, is that they are short, promotional videos that tend to have swift pacing. Their purpose is to give viewers a highlight or overview of a certain subject, show off the goods, and get viewers excited and interested. Below we’ll dive into the key elements we use to create high-quality sizzle reels our clients and their customers love.
6 Ways to create a sizzle reel that sells:
Tell a Story
Keep Up the Pace
Keep it Short
Make Your Point
Know Your Audience
Quality Production
1. Tell a Story
This is at the top of the list because people love nothing more than a good story. Storytelling is a tried-and-true marketing technique. It makes people feel emotion, which could be anything from excitement to compassion to curiosity. When you can make people feel a particular way, then the products or services are more likely to anchor in their memory, and it becomes easier to persuade them to take a certain action.
There are many different ways to “tell a story” in videos. You can literally tell a story with a combination of words and visuals. You could, however, create something entirely visual. It all depends on the creative direction that works best for your brand and products. In any case, you want to keep it punchy when producing a sizzle reel.
Consider these questions to get you started on building your unique story:
In what ways can you tell a story around the products/services you’re sharing?
What is your brand story?
What was the inspiration behind what you do?
Do you have a standard for how you handle business?
Can you identify any common threads across areas of your business?
2. Keep up the pace
One of the main reasons clients say they want a “sizzle” reel is that they imagine a fast-paced promotional video as their final product. Sizzle reels definitely tend to cover a lot of ground quickly, but they do so coherently. That’s why video marketing is so effective in the first place; a smooth flow of imagery and story is interesting to watch.
The inception of good pacing initially starts with the video treatment but also has much to do with the post-production edits. Pacing is one of our strong suits. When it comes to storyboarding and editing, we focus heavily on the appropriate pace to hold the viewers’ interest.
Want a quote on a sizzle reel for your company? Send us a note today:
3. Keep it short
Sizzle reels are short but impactful. Imagine them as little seeds that you plant in the minds of your ideal viewers. A sizzle reel doesn’t spend too much time explaining or lingering around. Remember, they’re essentially just showing the highlights. We’re in, and then we’re out. Videos that explain things in great detail become a different type of video, such as a product tutorial. Generally, sizzle reels run anywhere from 2-5 minutes long. But as with most video content, the shorter the better.
4. Make your point
What is the main point you want to make? Is it that your product has been featured in mass media outlets? Or maybe you want to show off that you’ve worked with big-name clients. Whatever it is, there is a goal at the center of every sizzle reel and your viewer should walk away knowing whatever that is, even if it’s subconscious. The sizzle reel is usually a pitch of some sort to your viewer. By the end, we should know who you are, what you do, and why we’re choosing you over your competitors.
5. Know Your Audience
You need to know who you’re speaking to before you can craft a sizzle reel that sells. Knowing your audience guides the reel’s narrative, imagery, content, and tone. Think about how our own interest is piqued when we feel like we’re being spoken to directly and someone understands something about us and our needs.
Every one of us has been the ideal customer of an advertisement. The people who created those ads were thinking like us, asking themselves what we want, believe, and feel. Consider the ways you can zero in on who you’re speaking to in your sizzle reel. Once you can do this, it will show in the response from your audience.
You can learn more about how to think like your customer in our post 5 Expert Marketing Tips Proven to Increase Customer Leads.
6. Quality Production
Quality video production is of utmost importance when you promote your products and services. The quality of your sizzle reel tells the audience what to think about your brand and the products and services you offer. Poorly crafted sizzle reels will quickly deter viewers. Think of low-budget commercials on television. They’re not exactly the most alluring, go-buy-me-now advertisements. It’s worth it to invest in video production, especially in the early phases of establishing your brand and products in the market. Competition is fierce these days; ensure you’re keeping up by holding a high standard with all your deliverables.
Is a sizzle reel the type of video your company needs to promote itself? If not, there are many other types of marketing videos to share your brand.
Give us a shout if you have questions or want a quote on a video project:
NOBLE BISON PRODUCTIONS
A DENVER VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY
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