We get this question via email a few times a week, so we felt it might be a good topic to cover here.
Our main Shows are either 30 seconds or 60 seconds. This will always be the case. We allow an unlimited number of photos in the secondary slide show that is accessed by the "more photos" link. They do not appear in the main Show.
We’ve done significant research and experimentation concerning the optimum length of Shows. Let me share with you our findings, our experience and our conclusions.
Our objective is to help you be more effective and to help build your business.
Our shows work as 30 or 60 second commercials. We developed our technology and crafted our presentations with that in mind. The feedback we’ve received from real estate agents and from the general public (your client base) overwhelmingly says that when people view our Shows they feel as if they are watching an effective, evocative commercial.
The key in having our commercials be effective is attention span. We all know that television commercials are 30 or 60-second spots. The reason is attention span. It’s not money, or technology limitations. We could create Shows of any length. Our research supports attention span maximums of 60 seconds. In addition, during an earlier stage in our product development, we did some custom Shows (at a much higher price) for a select group of real estate agents selling multi-million dollar homes. The Shows ran 90 and 120 seconds. There was no increase in viewer or client appeal. Some viewers asked the real estate agents why the Shows were so long. Cognitive science prevailed. Presentations have no more than 60 seconds in which to make an emotional first impression on a viewer.
The goal of our commercials is to have viewers say, “I want to see that home and I want to meet that Realtor.” That is best achieved in 60 seconds.
Here’s why our Shows are effective.
In the first 30 or 60 seconds, we capture the emotional interest of the viewer. That is essential if we want the viewer to act (contact the Realtor and go see the home). Once we capture their interest and the viewer wants more information, we provide that information in the form of additional photos – as many as the Realtor chooses to put up. Bear in mind that the viewer always becomes unconsciously hooked in the first 30 to 60 seconds. Everything beyond that is research – wanting more information. Making the shows themselves longer runs the risk of having the viewer lose interest by having to continue to watch a commercial after they’ve decided they like the product. That's talking past the close.
We’ve created our commercials for homes at all price points – from under $100,000 to in excess of $12,000,000. The same format has produced outstanding results across all price points because all of our unconscious minds want the same thing.
The keys to optimizing the impact of your Shows are:
- take good photos
- arrange them in an inviting order
- adjust camera movement for maximum dramatic effect
- write evocative titles for your scenes
- and tell an interesting story about the home in the Property Information section of the show.
Maximum emotional impact is best achieved by paying attention to all those elements.
We truly believe that the combination of all of the above is the key to having the absolute best, most effective Internet presentations in existence.
