Oodoo's great home page video, some newsletter changes
Morning. I'm paring down this newsletter again: now just an example and a thought. Here's what I've got today:
EXAMPLE: Oodoo shows us how to use video on a home page
THOUGHT: Why I'm dropping the "tip" section and shifting this newsletter from weekly to fortnightly.
Enjoy
Example: The right way to use video on a home page
When companies use video on their home page, they often make one of these two mistakes:
They bury critical information in the video, which means most people on the home page never get that information.
They use a slick brand video designed to make you interested in the product - great for a TV commercial or an Instagram reel, but not great for people who already have some idea of who you are (that's why they're on your home page).
The good news is, this example is neither of those things. This is an example of video on a home page done really well.
It's an outfit called Oodoo, which is an open source CRM, ERP, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Basically everything. Check out their hero section:
As you can see, the headline and subhead give us a pretty good idea of what this software is and does - it’s pretty much everything, all integrated into one product.
But the real hero of this hero section (if you will) is the video next to the headline. Go take a look at it - it's a minute long or something. That video essentially reiterates the same promise that the headline and subhead make, but also shows a whole bunch of screenshots of the product in action.
This approach creates a kind of layering effect. The most important information is covered in the headline - but if someone wants to see some supporting detail in a more dynamic way, they can click the video. Crucially, though, if they don’t click the video, they’ll still have a fairly clear idea of what Oodoo does and how it can add value to their life.
That’s how you use video! Pretty straightforward - but so many companies muck it up because they overthink it.
Thought: no more tips, fortnightly cadence
I'm making a couple of changes to this newsletter: dropping the "tip" section, and changing the cadence from weekly to fortnightly.
I'm dropping the "tip" section because I found that I tended to use the "example" section to illustrate whatever it was I was talking about in the tip section. So may as well save some of your time and get straight into the good stuff.
(Plus, I was running out of tips. There really aren't that many!)
As for the cadence switch: I'm taking some time off client work at the moment (I'm looking after my kids full time for the next few months).
I find that since I'm not thinking about and talking about copywriting every day, it's quite a lot harder to re-engage those mental muscles once a week. One a fortnight is much easier.
So, enjoy this newsletter every second week.
That's all for today. Hope you enjoyed. As always, hit reply and tell me your thoughts.
Sam
PS: If you like this newsletter, here's something you can do: reply to me telling me why you like it. I'll use your reply as testimonial on the newsletter sign up page. I'd be very grateful, as social proof is a great way to differentiate from the 43829382 other newsletters out there.