So you’ve decided you need some video to market your brand but first you’ll need a production strategy. Video production is an exciting way to show the world who you are and what you do. It also offers valuable features though website analytics that will show who’s engaging with your brand and what they like. All the best websites have videos so why shouldn’t yours?
Well you’re not wrong, but making a successful video isn’t something you can just go ahead and do without putting some thought into. You need a video production that represents you accurately, that sends the right message and most importantly is actually interesting to watch. A video that works needs a plan. Today we’ll talk about making a good plan, a production strategy.
What’s the goal of my video?
The very first thing you should do is put yourself in the shoes of the people that will be watching your video. What do they like? What do they respond well to? Before answering these questions, do you know exactly who it is you’re targeting your video at! What’s your target market? Once you know who your video is for and what they’ll like then you should think about what you want them to get out of your video. Should they be contacting you after seeing the video? Should they want more videos? Answering all these questions will mean you don’t get lost making something that doesn’t work.
What sort of video will work best?
Now that you have an outline of the kind of video you need to make you will want to narrow down its purpose a little more. What area of the business is it for? Will you be trying to create more clients or customers with the video? Or is it to show of your product? Narrowing down the purpose will allow you to make a decision on what style of video will work best.
If you need to promote a product then a demonstration video might work best. If you need to build on your product support maybe an FAQ video would help. Take a look at our breakdown of 5 videos your website must have to give you some ideas.
Once again put yourself in the shoes of your clients. Think of the questions they would want answered and how they would want these answers delivered. If you can do deliver answers effectively then you’ll find people coming back again and again because you’ve established yourself as the expert.
Who can make this video?
You might be tempted to go it alone with your iPhone camera and do it all yourself but most of the time it’s a great idea to seek help from somebody that knows what they’re doing and has done it before. Remember that a professional looking video makes you come across as professional company whilst an amateur video… you get the idea.
When you’re looking for somebody to do this you want to find a team that can make your video come to life but do so within your budget and stick to your vision. Alarm bells should be ringing if your director
starts mentioning pyrotechnics for your next thought leadership video. See our guide to choosing the right Melbourne production company for you.
What will you do with it once you’ve made it?
Its great to have a video but how will you make sure somebody is going to watch it. Its not as simple as just pasting it onto your website, you’ll need somebody to host it. Luckily that’s not difficult and you can even read more about the best places to host a video here. There isn’t too much to consider here but its worthwhile putting some thought into.
Always remember when using free services like Vimeo and YouTube that their ultimate goal is to attract people to their website, not yours. Be sure to consider how you’ll keep people on your own website through strategies like a ‘call to action’ at the end of your video.
Did anyone see my video?
The great thing about online video is that you can see live statistics that will show you how your video is performing. There’s also many ways that you can make it easier for people to find your video when they’re looking for answers on search engines like Google or Yahoo.
You can see some of our tricks and tips for doing this. These are written for YouTube but apply to other video hosting sites as well. With information that lets you know if people are watching all of your video or just the first 5 seconds you’ll soon see if you need to tweak your answer to the first few questions about engaging with your viewers.
So there it is, some advice to consider before you get started with your next video campaign. Once you get started you’ll thank yourself for making a plan. Your videos will have purpose and you won’t be making content that gathers dust in a far corner of the Internet, you’ll be engaging with potential and existing clients and growing your business.
If you need help planning and executing your next video then contact Dream Engine in Melbourne today.
Ryan Spanger is one of Melbourne’s most respected and sought-after video production professionals. Ryan founded Dream Engine in 2002, and specialises in helping medium to large corporates, government departments, and the non-profit sector to connect with their audience more effectively by using video.
