That YouTube is the second largest search engine next to Google, and that humans are always interested in a good visual story, makes a strong case for companies to use video.  But it’s the little things like concept, creation and execution that can stand in the way of the reality of engaging viewers.

Jesse Buckley, Video Director of Daily Grommet, an online retailer that uses video to share the stories behind the products for sale and the people who create them, and Pixability CEO Bettina Hein, which offers video production services, offered a webinar today on how to create interesting, inexpensive videos, making them search engine friendly, and using social media to engage a community to spread your message.

Below are some points from the webinar:

-- Be simple, focus on one key message, and emotionalize it. Talking heads don’t do the trick.

-- For product marketing include a wide angle shot, one to humanize and scale it (showing a hand holding the product, etc.), and additional close-ups on special details.

--Keep in mind the dwindling attention spans of viewers.  Although there are always exceptions, 90 seconds to 2 minutes should be max. Anything over 3 minutes and you can expect a huge drop off akin to asking someone to read War & Peace.

When it comes to scripting and storyboarding, use whatever method best helps you outline the video.

-- Always keep in mind “what’s most meaningful, who you’re making it for, and why?”

-- For the production, jot down the 5 things (no more than 10) you want people to see, the pictures, stills, etc.

-- The structure should always have a Beginning (make me care), Middle (tell me more) and the End (the wrap up and call to action).

Don’t worry about creating the perfect story, you can always delete and redo. People are also very forgiving of video quality, as long as they’re interested in the topic.

Jesse said the Daily Grommet uses Brightcove to hosts the videos on their site.  They don’t pursue YouTube as they “want to keep people in their own house,” so they have better control over the environment.  To this point, YouTube exposes viewers to too many distractions.  Bettina mentioned that while YouTube is free, Brightcove is a paid hosting service.

Make sure all the sharing tools are embedded/included on the video.

-- And certainly make sure you include your company’s URL in the text of the video description.

In addition, Pixability offers this short“Online Videos Made Easy Cheat Sheet.”