Half the country closes its sales inside a conversation. Here are the videos that get forwarded and the ones that die in the thread.
The video has to be forwardable
That is the channel's technical constraint, and it changes production.
A video sent in a conversation is recompressed, reduced, sometimes stripped of its sound quality. It will also be forwarded to somebody else, often with no context.
Four rules follow from that.
Vertical format, light file, under a minute.
The main message written on screen, large, because the sound will be off half the time.
No critical information in the last three seconds, which sometimes get cut.
And an end shot showing the whole product, still, to serve as a preview image.
A library of answers
That is the asset that counts in this channel, not the single video.
Fifteen short pieces are worth more than one beautiful brand video: each answers one question, and the seller sends them on demand.
Five subjects coming back everywhere. The real size, compared with a known object. Care and washing. The exact contents of the box. The delivery time and cost. And what happens if the product does not suit.
One simple method for building the list: for two weeks, record the questions asked in conversation, sort them by frequency, and film the first ten.
No music and no styling
That is what separates a conversation video from an advert.
A music track, a title sequence or graphic styling turn the answer into a pitch, and the person goes on guard.
Three production choices. The real sound, that of the room, with the seller's or the creator's voice. A single shot, no cut, filmed at hand height. And no burnt-in logo: the brand is already known to the person, since they are talking to it.
One local point: the advertising disclosure is still owed as soon as there is consideration, including in a private message, and its exact forms are checked with the competent authorities.
What gets measured
Three indicators, and none of them is the number of views.
Response time: that is the variable deciding the sale, before the content.
The number of conversations concluding after a specific video is sent.
And the forwarding rate: how many times the same piece is sent on to somebody else.
One measuring method with no tool: a different code or link per video, checked once a week. That is enough to know which one is working.
What is prepared to answer within three minutes
| Question received | The video ready | Length |
|---|---|---|
| How does it work | A silent, subtitled demonstration | 20 s |
| What size, what colour | A shot of the full range | 15 s |
| Is it sturdy | A test filmed in one take | 25 s |
What the channel's compression imposes
Large type, little text, strong contrast, sound as a secondary layer. A file that is too heavy will not send, and a vertical video is watched without turning the phone.
What you ask before sending
The person's consent to receive these messages and a simple way to say stop. A list built without consent costs you the account.
What to put in writing
Four points, before the first delivery.
The use: distribution in private messages, on the brand's account, in paid advertising, or all of these at once.
The number of people who will be able to send the files, because a file shared with thirty sellers circulates well beyond what was planned.
The duration of the rights, and what happens at their end, knowing that a forwarded video stays in people's phones.
And the person on screen: their permission, by channel and duration, signed separately.
One last, often forgotten point: ask the brand to send you, once a quarter, the three most frequent questions. That is the next order, and it comes of its own accord.
