October 18, 2024

Why High-Quality Videos Don’t Work (And What Does)

Eric Thayne
5 min read

This week, something happened that made me sweat.

We launched our new course 60 Second Authority, where I break down my 4-step viral authority script in depth.

The script that has made me over $1.5M in sales completely from content.

As part of the launch, I thought it would be cool to create a 60 second video where I tried to jam as many principles from the course into one video.

So I listed every principle, wrote a script that included all of them, spent hours shooting the video, and a couple days editing the video.

The final product was awesome—it had multiple scenes, lots of editing, and was super polished.

You can watch it here.

And you know what? It worked.

The video got a bunch of views, tons of comments, and most importantly, we made a solid amount of sales just from that one video.

But then the next day, I posted the next video to promote the course.

This video was the complete opposite.

It took me no more than 30 minute to create—script, shoot, edit, and publish.

When I watched the video back after I was done, I had the thought…

“I think this video is going to outperform my ad.”

And guess what? It did.

Even more views. Even more engagement. Even more sales.

Why?

Well here’s the kicker:

It’s not about the production value of the video.

If you want to go viral, build your audience, and grow your business, high-quality video doesn’t do it.

That’s probably a relief for a lot of you!

So what does make it work?

The script.

The structure of the video.

What I like to call… the content of the content.

Because even though my second video didn’t have all the fancy shots and edits…

It still followed the exact same formula that I teach in the course, to a “T”.

In this letter I’m going to show you how you can do it too.

When does video quality matter?

You might be shocked by the irony of someone like me saying that high-quality video doesn’t matter.

Obviously, I’m a creative type and I love making my videos look high quality.

But there’s a reason for it outside of just enjoying it.

While a high-quality video doesn’t necessarily determine whether a video will get views or sales or leads…

It does have a huge effect on how people perceive you.

AKA your brand.

Want to look like a Gen Z TikToker making selfie-style phone videos with tips and tricks? Then do that.

Want to look like a serious entrepreneur, professional, or expert? Then maybe up your quality a bit.

I’m not saying you have to go out and buy cinema cameras and expensive lights.

But even just a little bit can go a long way.

Having a clean looking video setup will show that you’re taking your brand seriously, you have it together, and will make you more credible in the long run.

Now let’s talk about the formula.

The formula for good content

In both of the videos I posted, I followed the same simple formula that’s at the core of the 60 Second Authority course.

It doesn’t matter if you have a big following or a small account.

This formula does three things really well:

  1. Makes people watch
  2. Makes them keep watching
  3. Makes them take action

Every good video must be able to do those three things, so let’s break them down:

1. Make them watch

At the core of any good content strategy is how you get people to stop and pay attention.

There are thousands of pieces of content competing for a person’s attention any given day.

And you have to stand out.

It doesn’t matter how good your content is, if you can’t get people to stop what they’re doing and pay attention, nobody will watch.

So at the beginning of your video (or other content) make sure you do things like:

→ Say something shocking or polarizing

→ Create curiosity or intrigue

→ Do something visual that grabs attention

Get this right, and you’ll watch your views go through the roof.

2. Make them keep watching

“Watch time” is an extremely important metric for any piece of content.

It’s not just getting someone to watch, it’s getting them to keep watching.

At the end of the day, the longer someone watches your content, the more it will get shown to more people.

If you want to get people to watch to the end of your video, you have to do things like:

→ Build anticipation for something coming later in the video

→ Use movement, scene changes, and editing to keep it visually interesting

→ Deliver actual good content that’s interesting

By doing these things, you’ll make people stick, and get more watch time.

3. Make them take action

If all you cared about was getting views, then you could ignore this step.

But if your goal is to grow your audience or your business with content, then you can’t miss it.

After delivering highly valuable content, tell people what to do:

→ Give people a clear call to action so they know what to do next

→ Give away a free resource or something valuable

→ Make it easy for them to move into your email list or funnel

Every time you do this, you take a portion of your viewers and move them into the next phase of their relationship with you.

The 4-Step Script

The key to getting views, followers, and sales online is not fancy videos, editing, lighting, or whatever.

It’s the formula. That’s it.

And you can do it effectively with a phone and an internet connection.

You can even do it with a small account.

We’ve had many of our members make videos that have gotten tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of views…

And hundreds of leads… from one video.

When they were just starting out.

Because they followed the formula.

And that’s why I created 60 Second Authority—where I’ll teach you the 4-step script that I follow in all my videos to make them work.

I show you exactly how it works, and give you tons of examples so you can see it in action.

This script has literally made me over $1.5M in sales from my content, and you’re going to get it for just $97 bucks.

How’s that for a steal?

Go here to check out 60 Second Authority now.

If you liked this letter, shoot me a reply and let me know your biggest takeaway. I love reading them.

Subscribe to Creative Space to read this letter.

Enter your email below to read this letter, and get one actionable tip sent to your inbox every week on online business, content creation, and personal development.

You are now subscribed! Now on to the letter...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Already a subscriber? Enter your email above for access.

If you liked this letter...

…and you’re ready to take your brand, your content, and your business to the next level, here’s a few ways I can help you:

1. Join my free Skool community - and get free content, trainings, industry updates, and network with other amazing creators.

2. Join my free workshop to learn how to build your content production system and send a flow of leads to your business.

3. Book a free strategy session - I’m opening a few slots on my calendar to meet with serious entrepreneurs who want to grow their audience and their business. I’ll look at what you’ve got going on and help you develop a winning strategy.