And the secrets to his success
Judson Laipply used to be just another inspirational speaker / comedian fighting for recognition.
That is, until he uploaded a video of an amazing live performance to the Viral Video site YouTube.
40 million views later (that’s right – 40 million – and we have the screen shot to prove it) he’s earned his 15 minutes of fame and then some. He’s been on the Today Show, Inside Edition and Good Morning America.And his career is skyrocketing.
The video – titled The Evolution of Dance – is a rollicking 6-minute ride through popular music and movement from the last 50 years. Some you’ll laugh at, some you’ll cringe at. But you can’t argue with the results.
Click below to take a peek:
What did he do to create this smashing success? And what can you learn from him?
- You can’t manufacture this kind of success – so relax.
Yep, its entertaining. But 40 million views? It would be great if there was a formula for this. But there isn’t. If you’re at the right place at the right time, you might catch a huge wave. If this happens, ride it for all its worth. If this doesn’t happen (and it probably won’t), don’t despair.
You can do plenty with a MUCH smaller response. If you hit a few home runs, terrific. But don’t turn your back on smaller successes that can still boost your business significantly. - The power of music
Music is a powerful mood inducer. And emotional response is KEY to the success of your videos and movies. The Evolution of Dance is filled with it. Much of it is humorous. Much of it is filled with emotional triggers (just listen to the continual live audience reaction).
Choose your music consciously and carefully. Have a strong idea of how it will effect your target audience and use it to boost their response. - Built-in Crowd Reaction
Like a laugh track on a sit-com, the live audience reaction to the performance says, “A lot of folks are digging this, and you should too.” Its subtle and subliminal, but effective.
If your movie captures a live performance or presentation, do your best to include some kind of positive, genuine audience response. People like being part of something big. And including audience reaction on your video helps accomplish that. - Do what you do best
As a former aerobics instructor, Judson can move, and he’s not afraid to show it. He may not be Baryshnikov, but his physical comedy and pinpoint timing keep us captivated, waiting to see which trick he’ll pull out of his sleeve next.
Judson exploits what I call his “Unfair Advantage”. Meaning he’s showcasing something he can do better than 99.9% of the folks out there. And in your own videos or animations you should do the same. Are you funny? Show us. Are you a superb mimic? Let us see. Are you gorgeous? (You get the picture).
Put your unfair advantage on full display in a way that tickles or touches emotions, and find a way to link it to your product or service. (I didn’t say this was going to be easy!)
The web is crowded these days, and getting more so. So hit us with your best shot. Lead with your strength, find an ingenious way to link that strength to what you’re offering, and make us want to find out more. - The short attention span factor
Sure its six minutes long. But the genius of this video is you don’t have to wait long for a complete change in mood and visuals. The over 30 different music cuts mean just as you’re ready to click away, something new pops on screen to keep you watching.
Long movies are risky. But you can use quick and plentiful changes to keep viewers hanging on till the end. - It’s the content, stupid
Is the video quality the best? No. Is the audio crystal clear? Hardly. It doesn’t need to be. If you’ve got a great hook, with great content, something that elicits a genuine emotional reaction, you don’t need terrific production values.
If Judson had panicked over the lack of technical perfection (as 9 out of 10 first timers do), we still wouldn’t know who the heck he is. You have the rest of your life to get it perfect. When you’re starting, focus on getting out of the gate, getting your name out there, and getting an audience response by any means necessary.
Pushing the envelope . . .
Are there any problems with the piece?
First . . . while Judson does have a caption that he’s a speaker at the beginning of his video, there’s no superimposed web URL before, during or after.
While the home page on YouTube does have his URL, a lot of folks (like me) are posting his video away from that info on his YouTube page.
You always want to embed a caption or title somewhere in the video where people can reach you. And you don’t want them to wait too long for it, because they may click away before the video is over.
Also . . .
As we said earlier, Judson really tempted fate with the length of his video. 6 minutes is stretching it with today’s attention spans. In fact. Its one of the biggest mistakes first time producers make.
But a few crucial factors make it forgivable:
First, the music and tempo changes help to break things up (we spoke about this earlier). And second – this is really crucial – Judson’s a speaker. He’s bucking for higher profile, higher paying gigs. Meeting planners don’t have to watch the entire thing before they’re on the phone contacting his agent.
If its important for folks to see the entire video –a surprise twist at the end, or a web URL or other plug for your product or service, you’re going to want to do everything possible to make sure viewers don’t bail. And that usually means making it short and sweet.
