When it comes to running a small business, one of the most difficult aspects is generating a solid client base. It may come as a shock, but it is near impossible to run a business of any scale without people knowing what you do…or that you exist – surprise!
Why Video Is So Important
This is where social media really comes in handy. Sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter facilitate enormous web-traffic every single day, and it is important to realize that you can use this to your advantage. You essentially have direct and indirect connections with millions of people who may be interested in what your company does. However, knowing what material to put out there is crucial…so what do you show them? Infographics? Product Descriptions? Cat videos? Each of those might work a little, but you want it to work a lot. The answer? Make a professional video!
In today’s fast-paced media-driven world, attention spans are shorter than ever. Not saying that this is a good thing, but it is important to shape your marketing efforts to accommodate it. Online consumers want something engaging, something visual where they can use multiple senses to determine their interest in a product. Reading detailed product descriptions or listing overly technical specs, while informational, aren’t effective anymore. When planning a video shoot, there are 5 tips I believe every business should consider to ensure that the finished product is engaging and effective:
Define your audience.
The clientele you are targeting will determine whether or not you want to do something more clean cut and professional or fun and a little silly. Each can be done in an engaging way.
Keep your video short.
This goes back to the attention span point. If you spend a ton of time elaborating on each and every detail of your business, a viewer might not even get half-way through, thus defeating the point of the video. Anything over 3 minutes starts to feel a little long for most online marketing videos. Keep the details short and sweet, your audience will put the pieces together. And if they want more info maybe they’ll have to visit your website! (Oh yea, make a website)
Find the right story.
This is probably the most important part and deserves a whole article in itself, but here is the short version. Shooting an interview to provide great sound bites for the piece is a great way to go, but finding the RIGHT person to interview isn’t as straightforward. Many times it won’t be the owner or the lead partner or a top executive, rather an employee who has been there since the beginning or maybe a new hire who has a great story of how he got there and how working there has changed his life so quickly.
Keep an open mind.
When working with a video production company, it is in our nature to throw a lot of ideas at you. We will always respect your vision and your company as a whole, and any creative criticism is only to make sure you end up with the best possible product. Collaboration is key.
Videos are an investment.
Video production is complex process that can require a lot of effort and resources, both with time and money. The thing to note here is that your resources are going towards a marketing product you can use for a long time. When the shoot day comes around, it should be your main focus. Prep the employees going on camera, clear the shoot locations in your office, round up items that may be relevant; any pre-production is good pre-production. Like any investment, you don’t want to give it 50% effort, you want to go “all-in.”
At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how to best put your business out there in the world. In my opinion, an engaging video is the way to go.
