How to Use Drone Video In Your Business Video

phantom drone image

Aerial photography has become almost a must have for modern marketing videos. The easiest and least expensive way to get these types of shots today is by using a drone. Recently it has become less and less expensive to achieve drone shots for videos. However, drones can still be quite intimidating for first time users.

The toughest part is usually figuring out what kind of shots you might want to include in your next marketing video. If you are lost on where to start, here are four ideas to get you started.

The first is a group shot. A group shot using a regular camera is a good way to get everyone in the company in one shot. But a group shot using a drone is a good way to get everyone in one shot, plus the office, plus the neighborhood surrounding the office. It can also be a good way for your employees to let out some energy. Have them jump around, wave, or make silly faces as the drone races higher into the sky.

The second way a drone can be useful is for super steady moving shots. One of the best things drone manufacturers included was the stabilizer. The stabilizer is what makes drone footage look so smooth, even if the operator is jerky with the controls. Because of this stabilizer, the drone can be used as a handheld steadicam! We’ve used a steadicam in this video. See if you can spot it!

Steadicam rigs can be expensive, but if you already have the drone, why not use it for more than just aerial shots? It is especially good for quick shots that have to be mobile and where there is little time to set up a steadicam rig.

The third kind of shot is the “reveal.” What is a reveal you may ask? A reveal shot is when you start close to a subject and then zoom out to expose the surroundings. You can also perform this shot the opposite way…but with a drone, this shot can be taken to the next level. Because a drone can be flown so high, and so far away, you can reveal much more than you could with a simple zoom out from a traditional camera. You can zoom out to reveal an entire city, or zoom in to reveal a tiny flower hidden in the middle of an industrial park.

The fourth and final shot is the neighborhood view. This shot is great for showing off the location of your office. It is a great way to show customers where you are located within a bigger city or town. Just be careful about those FAA regulations that prohibit flight in certain areas. Just a few years ago these types of shots would have been impossible for smaller companies to achieve, but thanks to modern technology anything is possible! Using a drone can give you unique shots that cannot be achieved with any other equipment…well, maybe a helicopter, but who has a budget for that? This video starts right out and ends with a beautiful sweeping visual:

Use a drone for your next marketing video, and take it to the next level!
If you’re not certified to fly a drone, or want someone to take care of it for you, give us a call. We’re Part 107 Certified with many hours of flight time. Drone shots are a cool addition to stellar video; don’t be fooled by those who use drone shots as the primary visual in the video…drone video should be used to accentuate and add value.

What Type of Video Should My Business Have in 2018?

What video should you have on your business website? That is a great question. One that depends on what you want to do with it. Many of our clients tell us they want to create a video to tell their story. But, telling the story isn’t what they really want. What they really want is to increase the number of incoming calls or increase sales. That’s what they really want. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients and have found the best way to get what they really want is to ask a lot of questions.

One of the questions we like to ask is, “Why are you making this video?” It helps us understand the purpose and end goal of the video. If you are looking for more phone calls or purchases on a website, a direct call to action must be present. If you are looking for a feel good piece that shows the world some of the good you do, a call to action does not fit.
Another question we ask is, “How will you measure success once this video is complete?” This helps us understand some of why we are doing this and what will qualify as a success or failure. We want to work toward success and know what a failure looks like before we start.

So, what types of video should you have for your business in 2018? There are several types we’d recommend, but each business needs to identify which video needs to be created first and why. This list doesn’t mean you have to do all of them, rather, pick the ones that make the most sense for your business. That said, these are the business videos we are being asked to create for most businesses and the trends that match.

  1. Corporate About Us. Every business should have an About Us video. Here’s why. The first thing people do when searching for a business is research. That’s why Google will return information about a business or topic the first time you search. After that, Google assumes you want some more details and may return other sites that are more granular. During the research phase, your customers want to know who you are, can they trust you, and feel compelled to pick up the phone to call you. The About Us video answers the following questions:  (a) Who is this company, (b) Can I feel comfortable working with them, (c) Can I trust them, and, (d) What experience do they have? Here’s an example.
  2. Testimonials. No one can tell your potential customers that you do a great job better than your existing customers. If you tell them, the potential customer will most likely think, “Yes, that’s what you want me to believe” or “Yes, that’s nice, but you’re trying to sell me on your services.” But, if your existing customer is on your website telling a potential customer how good of a job your business did for them, they’re more likely to believe it. Whether you create one video with several different people giving testimonials or several videos with one testimonial in each, your existing customer should be telling this story. Here’s a different way to share your client testimonials. 
  3. Video Blogs. Also known as a vlog, a video blog is a way to show potential clients that you are professional, understand your business and how it helps your clients, and positions you as an expert. Pick topics that you know and title each video with a question or include terms that potential clients would search related to your business. For example, if one was looking to find a sales trainer, the potential client might search, “How do I improve my sales process?” If they search this and the title of your video is the same, you have a greater chance of showing up in the results than someone who posted the video titled, “Sales Information.”  Here’s an example.
  4. Promotional Pieces. Promotional pieces are just that…a video to promote your business. More than that, a promotional video will provide a visual as to what you do. For example, if you are a kitchen cabinet manufacturer, you might consider a video that highlights the showroom (see video below). The promotional piece is the standard video you see on television, websites, and ads that run on YouTube, etc. These are expected by consumers, but don’t always make the difference in making the sale.

This would be our recommendation for the top 4 videos you should have for your business in 2018. If you were to ask us what other videos you could create, we would have a much longer list. Event videos, tour videos, product videos, animations, …and the list goes on. These are the minimum 3 or 4 every business should have.

Product Videos: How Much Can They Really Impact Marketing?

Product Video micro pop popcorn image

Using Product Videos In Your Marketing

Product videos have become an essential aspect to any marketing strategy. Videos appear in 70% of the top 100 search results, and viewers are at least 50% more likely to buy a product after watching a video for it. The business community is learning the importance of this for their marketing…and they are getting smarter and more creative to boot.  The best part, this leads to more interesting ads for consumers to watch. Not a bad thing!

Online video is so popular because people would much rather watch a video about a product than read about it…and video manages to span every demographic. Even if someone can’t read, they can still get the information a company wants to give them from a video.

Companies that normally only sell parts are posting how-to videos to their websites to attract customers, and to show them how to use the parts that they have bought. Here’s the cool part, people who start watching these types of video tend to stay on the site a little longer (maybe to the end of the video). Google likes that. This tell Google that people are interested in the stuff on this website and therefore gives that site a bit more ‘search engine juice.’  Add to that, the ability to share the video to multiple social media sites further increases the reach, and the affect of a marketing video.

You should know, however, simply uploading a video to a company’s website or YouTube channel doesn’t always work. Increasingly, creative companies are making their videos interactive, so that customers can click on something in the video that takes them to a corresponding web page. This is usually done on YouTube to bring the viewer to their site.  Some companies are even using Facebook Live to capture potential client’s attention.  It’s critical that any of the services you use work on mobile devices as well, since many customers do most of their ad viewing on their cell phones or tablets.

Clarify Your Message

One of the important things we do when making video is to incorporate the needs and wants of the client in the video. Novel idea, right? So many production companies try to bulldoze their way to create the video they want, but why can’t we just create what the clients wants? That’s our philosophy. When the client gets to add their needs into the video, they’re more likely to share it and show it off! That’s good for us…and good for them. Does it convert to product sales? Many times it does. When the video does a great job of highlighting why someone needs the product and clearly explains the result of using the product, more units will sell.

With product videos, placement is the key. Our clients currently place their videos on endcaps in retailers nationwide in order to catch prospective buyers in the moment of buying. When using video online, the best part is that one can now customize who sees the video based on their location, demographic, and recent purchases or items they’ve viewed online. This increases sales because the type of individual who might need the product will see the video, making it a relevant item to them. To simplify, doing this makes their videos more relevant to the people who live in an area, fit a demographic and have already researched similar items. That’s effective!

Key Takeaway: Remember when considering making a marketing video for a product: Hire a professional! They are there for a reason. Local video production companies are the best for this. They know the area well and how to maximize locations, spaces, and how to show off your product in just the right manner. They should show the product from several angles while highlighting the product’s best features! You might even try to include people who know a lot about the product, such as current customers.

Video marketing is fast becoming an essential tool to a good marketing campaign. Take advantage of it now, before any competition does!

 

 

Related Posts:

Hotel Video Production Marketing Strategy

Best Practices in Creating Product Videos

Do We Have to be on Camera? Why People are the MOST Important Part!

womans face

Human brains are hardwired to recognize faces. When a video has a person talking in it, customers are more likely to connect with the video. When the audience can see the human behind the voice, they are more likely to trust what you are telling them. Speech is perceived by more than just auditory cues, we take in visual ones as well.

As a species, we are hardwired to be judgmental. Many people do not trust the information they read online. A study done in 2009 found that rather than trusting the people with the most expertise in a subject, people are more likely to trust those they believe have their best interests at heart. Psychologists at Princeton discovered that in only a tenth of a second, we form impressions of strangers from their faces alone, and our brain then responds based on how trustworthy we find their face to be.

In video, it is important to note that just having a trust worthy looking person is not going to make your audience listen to the message presented in your video. Remember, speech perception relies on both visual and auditory cues. The combination of both a great speech and a trustworthy face, among other things, is what will make your video the most compelling.

So, how can you get people to want to listen to your video? There are a few items that are critical to building the trust you deserve. First, you must be authentic. Be you. Don’t try to be someone you are not. If you look, sound, or feel uncomfortable, it will show, and many viewers will see, hear, and feel it. Second, demonstrate your integrity by showing us how much you believe in what you are saying. Again, if you come across as fake or phony, it will show. A good analogy is a dog’s behavior when certain people walk into the room. Some people are deathly afraid of dogs and the dog can sense it immediately. We humans have learned to do something similar…to sniff out false and bogus people. Some are better at it than others are, but we all have this ability. Third, people don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care. If you are genuine in caring about your viewer, they will sense it and feel a higher level of comfort in listening to you speak. Finally, speak the truth. Don’t sugarcoat or exaggerate…these all come across counter to the previous three and will completely destroy your credibility.

This can be applied to all parts of speaking, but with video, you need to be aware of more than just your speech. Your background shouldn’t distract from your message. You are what they should be paying attention to, not the bookshelf of what’s happening outside the window behind you. Add text to the screen to help reinforce what you are saying. It also focuses the viewer on what you are saying and subtly tells them, “This is important!” Have confidence and be positive while on camera and use transitions when speaking. It helps the viewer follow along when you say things like, “Now that I’ve covered XYZ, let’s move on to ABC.” This transition tells the viewer where you are and what to expect next. Sound like English class all over again? Good! It should.

Having just a trustworthy face is not enough to make people want to listen to your video; however, neither is just having a good speech. If you take the time to focus on all aspects of your video, including what’s in the background, what you’re wearing, and even the music that is playing, your video will have a much better chance of being listened to and acted upon. You want to connect to your audience, so give them what they need. Comfort, trust, integrity.

As always, we coach clients how to perform better on camera during our shoots. When we have someone who is struggling on camera, we do our best to help him or her relax and speak clearly. After all, you know the subject matter, just talk as if you’re talking to a friend. We’ll do the rest! Let us know when you’re ready to get started.

 

Source: Wistia Blog. (2017). Why Videos Featuring Humans are Easier to Trust. Retrieved from: https://wistia.com/blog/make-trustworthy-videos-with-humans on September 28, 2017. 

Video Length: It Depends on What You Measure

4 Video Production Services for any video shoot (with lights and camera)

Video Length – What’s Right?

Some research has shown that there is a direct and consistent relationship between the length an ad is and an increase in brand consideration and awareness. So the question is; how long should an ad be? Is the attention span of the potential customer shrinking down to nothing, or is it still possible to get them to willingly watch a longer ad?

For brands who are mainly focused on awareness, the shorter ad format may prove more effective and efficient than a longer video. With a shorter video, the brand stays top of mind. They are good for raising awareness and for creating signals that influence more frequent searches.

However, with the use of more complex stories it is possible to create a more meaningful connection to the brand that is being advertised. For a brand that wishes to move beyond simple awareness or to make a deeper connection with their consumer base, a longer story may be necessary.

The most important thing a brand can do is measure and compare their results to their critical overall business goal. Is ad recall or brand favorability more important? With shorter videos, customers typically show greater ad recall, whereas with longer videos there is less ad recall but more brand favorability. Whichever is more important to your brand should dictate elements of length.

If using a longer video format, it is important to state the brand early enough in the video that the customer will see it before, and if, they decide to skip the video. Generally, only a quarter of customers who view longer ads make it all the way through to the end, even for the most compelling ads. It is important to create a story that weaves the brand throughout the ad, instead of just popping up a logo in the beginning of the video. Oddly enough, just showing the logo generally reduces the view through rate of the ad.

With all of these things to consider, it is important to remember that a great story can still grab today’s audience, even with that pesky skip button beckoning to be pressed. The pressure that the skip button presents may push companies into believing that everything has to be faster, faster, faster, but that may not be true. Shorter ads may actually lessen the attention given to the company, while longer ads take the time to connect with the viewer, and possibly even change their minds.

Deciding on video length is important based on many factors, and not only those listed above. If you want to get into a more length discussion, give us a call.

Related Articles:

How To Create Videos That Work For Your Business

How Long a Video Should Be (from Vidyard)

Don’t Think You Need to Invest In Video? Time and Again We Help Businesses Avoid These Mistakes!

kid frustrated by mistake

How is it that in 2017 video is absolutely crushing the other forms of media…and some still refuse to use it? I know, I know…Crazy right? I’m sure you’re not doing thinking these things…but just in case, let’s go through a few reasons why it’s time to invest in that website video.

  • Missing Out on Loyalty. First off, your customers love you, right? Right. We know this because of studies like this that tell us the probability of selling to an existing customer is somewhere between 60% to 70% (HelpScout)…which is so much higher than the 5% to 10% chance of selling to a brand new customer. Since your existing customers love you, why wouldn’t you give them a reason to tell others? Some clients like to create videos that are educational and entertaining…making them shareable. By posting a video, you allow your existing customers the ability to share your greatness… just remember, you don’t want to sell in this video, you’re showing your greatness a different way: giving information that’s useful.
  • Forgetting to Remove Confusion! What if you sell a product or service that is a bit more complicated? What if your product or service could easily be explained with a short video versus text? Most people are too lazy to read any more. So much so, I’m a bit surprised you’re reading this! Most people would prefer to click the video than read text. Give them something to watch! Here are couple of examples:

MicroPop

Tone-Y-Bands

 

  • Losing the SEO Game. If people are searching for you online, will they find you on Google? Google OWNS YouTube and loves video. You’ve probably already started to notice the video search results that sometimes pop up when you search for how to do something. For example, if you were to search “How do I unclog a dishwasher?” You’ll notice that the top non paid search result is a video. Hmmm. Makes you think a little, doesn’t it? What questions need answers that your potential (or existing) customers might be searching for? While video isn’t the only answer to SEO, it’s certainly a powerful one!
  • Conversion is Too Low. What’s your conversion rate? If you sell products, a video helps the viewer decide whether to buy the product. In fact, StacksandStacks.com, “an e-retailer of home storage and organizational products said that when a consumer views a product video, that consumer is 144% more likely to add that product to her cart than a consumer who watches no video”  That’s astounding!  Even our own clients have told us that their products sell out faster and need to be replenished more often when the product is displayed with a video running next to it in stores. And, if we go back to our previous point, if consumers are on a website viewing a video, they’re on the site longer…leading to better SEO. Google seems to love it when people stay on a website longer. We think it’s because Google algorithms say, “Hey, people arrive here and stay here….this site must be good!”
  • Inconsistent Training. Have you hired a new employee? When you do, do you spend hours teaching them all that boring stuff you have to go through? Here’s an opportunity to have your new employee watch something that is more engaging and useful. An on-boarding or training video will help a new employee learn about the culture of the business and review all important points in a consistent way…and you can be sure that every new employee hears and sees the same information presented in the same way. Consistency! One of the keys to Human Resources!

If any of these items helped you make the next step toward creating a video for your business, great! If you’re not sure what your next step is, that’s ok…just fill out the form to the right. We can answer any questions you have and point you in the right direction. Even if you don’t use us, we hope this helped.

 

 

Source:
Photo Source: Pixabay.com
2017, April 19. Convince and Convert website.  http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/you-need-to-invest-in-video/

Six More Questions You Should Ask a Video Production Company BEFORE Hiring Them

keyboard with advice key

When creating video, the production can feel like a huge undertaking. It shouldn’t be and it won’t be if you hire the right video production company. There are literally 100s of video companies around you, but finding a video production company that works best with you can feel a little daunting. When hiring a video production company, you should know the answers to some basic questions before you hire them. Each question will garner an answer that will help you determine if they are a good fit or if you need to keep searching. Each question should have a purpose to support your video marketing agenda and the overall video strategy. Here are the six questions to ask before deciding on whom to hire to make your potential video:

1. Can you show me some of your work? When shooting a corporate video, for a website or for TV, seeing samples is the first thing you should ask to see. Sometimes referred to as a demo reel. During this process, the video production company should show samples from their portfolio. They should have some on their website, their YouTube and/or Vimeo page and even on their social media pages. While you view their work, you should be thinking about their quality of work, their style, and their level of skill. You might want to follow up with, “What was the marketing strategy behind this video?”

2. Do you shoot and edit something nice or do you shoot to a specific script? While most video professionals will plan the shoot out ahead of time, many do not. This question is to determine whether they are good producers, shooters, or editors. You want is all three on your video production team…whether in one person or in a couple of people. Some video pros are very good at shooting the video, but struggle to get the edit completed on time and to your liking. Other video pros are very good at editing, but miss big opportunities during the shoot to tell your story. The key is the plan before the shoot. This is what will usually make or break a project…and when we usually get calls to fix. Crafting the right script for your video content is something you want in your video partner.

3. What can derail this project? This is a great question to find out what problems may arise during the course of your project. The answer you get might be a bit vague, but may lead to follow up questions. One of the biggest items that derail projects for us is change in scope…or scope creep. Any change in script after a shoot can severely change the scope. Remember, the script is the plan. Change the plan and you change a lot! There are several things that can derail a project: script changes, change of actors (or person on camera), change of shoot locations, adding of shoot locations, change of messaging…and the list goes on.

4. When has a production gone over budget? This question is meant to trick the video production company. The answer is: it shouldn’t go over budget. Keep in mind, if you have a very small budget, the video pro may not be able to do everything you want; however, the video pro should offer some insightful suggestions to get it closer to your budget. Budget should be a factor, but not the deciding factor. If the shoot is not planned and executed poorly, the final video will most likely not meet your expectations…wasting your money. A larger budget doesn’t always mean better video…but smaller budgets might. Here are some factors that can increase a budget: length of the shoot, including professional talent, professional narration, special music (non royalty free).

5. Can you do what you say you can do? Because creative work is subjective, their answer is something you need to consider. What you think is creative may be mundane to another. Be very clear about your expectations. If you have a vision for your video, your video producer should be able to clearly see your vision and describe some details about how they’ll pull it off. Sometimes it comes down to having the right equipment for what you want in your video. Sometimes it is how the story is told. If you feel the video producer understands what you’re after, you should be fine…now it comes down to whether the quality matches your expectations. This is where you should be evaluating their work. Quality means having the proper sound equipment, the proper lighting, the proper framing, and an attention to detail (such as the background) can all make an impact on the final product. Look at the samples to determine if they have what it takes.

6. Have you ever missed a deadline? What happened and why? If your project is on a time constraint, ask this question. If it isn’t and time isn’t an issue, you may consider skipping this question. We get calls (a lot) where we’ve heard, “They (their video production company) have been working on this project and edit for 6 months, and I’m fed up waiting for them to finish. Can you help us?” There are several different types of video, and six months may the right amount of time for some projects, but for some of the calls we get, six months is completely inappropriate. Several problems can come up during a video project and effect the project timeline. Believe it or not, one of which may be the producer, the client, the shoot, too much work to complete in a short amount of time. A good producer can to tell you how long the project should last and when you can expect completion. Keep in mind, even the best producer can miss a deadline in his or her life, but this should be very rare. If they say they have missed a deadline, find out how often it happens. This should be a good start to picking a good video production company. Listening to the answers to these questions should lead to closer to a decision about the level of work they can do and identify some problems that may come up. If you need help or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. We can answer any questions you have, even if we are not your video production company. We are here to help.

Want a few more questions? Check out Top 5 Questions to Ask a Video Production Company Before Hiring Them.

3 Reasons to Hire a Video Production Company Instead of Doing It Yourself

lights set up for video shoot

Hello everyone. My name is Tim Stoddart. I am thrilled to be able to put forth some content for Plum Productions Media. I am the CEO of Stodzy, Inc. Over the years, I have witnessed the rise of video content. Creating quality video for your company or brand is more important then ever. I know what you’re thinking. “Can I do this on my own without hiring a production company?” The answer is yes you can. But whenever possible, I would recommend hiring a video production company. We live in an amazing new world. Every other day it seems that there are new inventions, new technologies and new innovations designed to streamline our lives. We have more options then ever. The smart phone is at the top of the list of “most important inventions of our lifetimes.” One area that the smart phone has really impacted has been video production. iPhones now shoot and record at 4k which is an extremely clear video quality considering how small the camera is. It’s no wonder so many small brands are taking it upon themselves to start creating their own video content.

“But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

I would agree that there are advantages to shooting video on your own. Speed is a factor. If you shoot a video on your phone you can have it posted on Facebook or YouTube in a manner of minutes. Also, spontaneity plays a role. It is very important to be able to hit record on a moments notice just in case you are a first hand witness of something amazing. Aside from those reasons, I still recommend using a video production company whenever possible. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why.

Production Companies are Masters at Editing

I would argue that editing is more important then shooting the actual footage. Raw footage is the foundation to any good video. Without the footage you have nothing to work with. However, it is the editing that will truly make a video come alive. Video production companies understand the importance of incorporating B roll, transitions, music and other sound effects. This is where the magic happens. For a video to be an effective marketing tool, it needs to hit an emotional chord. Videos have the power to truly leave an impact on someone. They can make you think, they can inspire you, they can make you angry and even make you sad. Music and sound effects play a HUGE roll in how a video will effect a viewer from an emotion standpoint. There is no doubt about that. One of the best examples of this is from Gary Vaynerchuk. Vaynerchuk is a famous social media personality. He hosts two successful YouTube shows. One of which is called #AskGaryVee, the other is called The Daily Vee. #AskGaryVee uses very little editing. The show is a simple round table discussion in which Gary answers questions sent to him from fans. It is very good and valuable content but the informative nature of it isn’t meant to leave an emotional impact. The Daily Vee however is a daily video blog in which Gary and his team record their adventures and turn it into some kind of lesson for the viewer. These videos capture footage from drones and handheld cameras. They capture candid footage, great B roll and use background music and sound effects as a great add on to the content. The Daily Vee truly hits you in the feels. That’s why these videos have such an impact on his brand.

Audio Quality in Smart Phones is Still Lacking

You don’t realize how important audio quality is until you start recording your own footage. I’ve seen this happen many times. Some brand or company gets very excited about an idea for a video. They pull out their phones, they hit record and they feel good about what they have done. Unfortunately, when they upload the video they quickly realize that the sound is hard to hear and in some moments of the video there are loud bursts of “fuzz” when someone may have rubbed their hand over the microphone. If your sound quality is poor, your video will not get nearly enough views as it potentially could. Not putting the effort into good sound quality is a huge mistake. A video production company will be able to nullify this. Ideally, you want to record your video and your sound in two separate tracks. Once you have all the raw footage, you can pair it all together so that you have high quality sound that matches the high quality footage.

iPhones Lead to Shaky Footage

Have you ever tried to hold your hand completely still? It’s almost impossible. You can try it out yourself. Pick up your phone and start recording some still footage in your home or in your back yard. In the moment it may feel as though you are holding the camera still, in reality there are tiny little shakes and bends in the footage that will most definitely impact the finished product. Video production companies have ways to remedy this. Their cameras are equipped with shoulder harnesses, tripods, stands and shoulder straps to ensure that every video is shot with still unwavering footage. All the little details really add up. If you are shooting a commercial, a product shot, an informative piece or even a collection of still frames you want to make sure your video content is as professional as possible. Poor video quality will make you come off as very amateur.

If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Right.

When I was growing up, I spent years doing carpentry for a small business. My boss was a big man named Mike. Mike had been a carpenter his entire life, he didn’t have much patience for mediocrity. Any time I find myself wanting to cut corners I think of Mike and his view on hard work. Mikes philosophy was simple. If you do things right the first time, you never have to do them twice. Simple enough, yet very profound. Having the patience and the discipline to do work with 100% effort and quality is very difficult. We all have moments when we look to cut corners or to find an easier, softer way. In the end, if you pay attention to detail and you take the time to create excellent work, you will be further along then you would have been otherwise. Every little bit counts. The quality of your work is reflective upon the quality of your life. You may be reading this thinking “I think I can still do this on my own.” That may be true, but the question you should ask yourself is “do you want to do it twice?”

Top 5 Questions To Ask a Video Production Company Before You Hire

meeting with ipad and coffee

Before you hire a video production company, you should know a little bit of information about them. It’s not as obvious as you might think. When it comes to deciding which video production company is the best choice for your idea or project, there are several key questions to keep in mind.

Most likely, there are a thousand questions you might have about video and the company you’re about to hire. We find that these are some of the good questions we’ve received over the past several years…and thought you’d like to know. Even if you don’t hire us, these would be good questions to have in your back pocket. Here they are (hint, number 5 is the most important):

  1. How long has the company been in the industry?  This question has a few meanings. Are you asking about longevity of the company or the people creating the video? How much experience? A good production company should be able to distinguish the two by also asking you a few questions. Sometimes hiring a company with 20 years of experience is important and sometimes this give you outdated ideas and concepts. It’s important you know what you’re looking for in this question. If you were to ask us about experience, you’d know that Jenn has many years of experience working in the video field. She’s worked at television stations and video production companies and started Plum in 2009 when she realized it was the time to do so.
  2. Are they creative?  Tough question because that’s a subjective question. What is creative to you may not be creative at all to us or to someone else. Here’s how you get past that. Find out if they are they able to provide examples of videos that took a dry subject and made it interesting? This is the sign of a strong creative. Ask them to tell you the story about how they created the idea and improved the story.
  3. What types of videos does the company produce?  Start with what you’re looking for. What type of video do you want? Interviews? Testimonials? Tours? Property? The list goes on. Once you know, ask them to show you some examples.  When you ask, keep in mind if you’re looking for a custom made video or a similar video to one they’ve already created. There are subtle differences and they should be able to distinguish between the two.
  4. What are some of the companies they have previously worked with?  Again, this begs a few questions. Are you looking to learn about what sectors they can operate in or are you looking for a fresh outside approach to marketing in your sector? If you’re looking for a company that specializes in your sector and wish to have a video that looks like everyone else in your sector, make sure you communicate that up front. If you’re looking for a fresh look that only someone on the outside would be able to create, communicate that up front…and for the same reason. You don’t have time to waste if the video production company doesn’t fit the requirements.
  5. What are some of the companies they have worked with previously? Same question, different reason for the question. You might be looking at this question and thinking, “No, I want to know what companies they’ve worked with…can they work with us?”  Also a good question. If you’re a larger company, concerns come up  like, can they be flexible, can they meet our deadlines, can they convert our message to an effective video, do they have the capability to meet our branding guidelines…and a bunch of other concerns. Have those questions ready when you start your interview.
  6. Bonus Question? How quickly can my video be completed?  Often there are specific deadlines that need to be met. Communicating that early is important because if they can’t meet your timeline, you’re wasting your time. Can a video be completed in a week or two months? That depends. It depends on the complexity of the project and a good video production company will be able to communicate with you a realistic and an aggressive timeline that you can work with. They should be able to tell you pretty quickly a general timeline and what is required to hit it. We’ve scripted, shot, and edited videos in a variety of timelines, including 6 days to 5 months, but each had requirements of the client and Plum to hit those deadlines. We find this to be the most important question one can ask when interviewing a video production company.

Need help picking a video production company? Call us. We can help. You might think we’ll just tell you to use us, but we won’t. If we’re not a good fit, that’s good to know…you’ll have just ruled out another company…we can certainly point you in the right direction.

 

Related Articles:

3 Reasons to Hire a Video Production Company Instead of Doing It Yourself

Who is South Florida’s Best Video Production Company?

Questions To Ask Before Hiring a Video Production Company

How Should I Measure Video Success

ipad with analytics on screen

Contrary to popular belief, when it comes to determining the success of a video, views aren’t everything. Crazy right? It’s true, there are other contributing factors to consider such as: getting and setting the right key performance indicators, what are your overall marketing goals, and what is the best way to track progress on a brand’s unique goal. Here are a few examples of how others are measuring success when it comes to video posts. The first step is to determine what the primary marketing goal is for the campaign. Typically, companies want their video advertising campaigns to increase awareness, consideration, and ultimately influence their online or offline sales. When trying to market to a target audience, consumers typically fall into one of three categories:

  1. “I’m ready to make a purchase,” or “I’m ready to give you a call to discuss;” or
  2. “I’m not very familiar with your product, but I’d like to learn more;” or
  3. “I’m undecided as to what to do…should I call you (or purchase online) or should I move on?”

The trick is to know where your target audience is when they connect with you. Viewing their actions can solve this. Set up a digital funnel and use video to help them. Could you walk them through a series of steps via the initial video? Or should you set up a series of videos that tells them what to do at each step? Only you can make that decision.

Next, what are the indicators for each marketing goal? For example, if your goal is to raise Awareness, the number of views, impressions, and unique users are important. You might also consider how well your marketing increased awareness and how well people can remember the ad they viewed afterward. Each indicator, if measured properly, will help you determine if the video/ad was effective. This is an important initial step because it demonstrates the impression your business is portraying or is begin perceived via it’s marketing efforts.

If Consideration is the measurement, then the indicators to measure are: view-through rates, watch times, favorability lifts, consideration lifts, and brand interest lifts. All these measurements illustrate how the brand is being perceived when viewing (positively or negatively).

Finally, the third measurement is Action. What happens after or during the view? Here are some measurements to consider: clicks, calls, signups, sales, and purchase intent lifts. When looking at these measurements through the lens of video, you must consider all brand marketing activities because video is typically not a standalone item that drives a sale. For example, many people will receive a mailer, see an ad in a flyer, visit the website, and view the video. The individual may or may not recognize that the video helped them make the sale or if it was something else they saw along the way.

Measuring the success of video is a little tricky…but we like to think that the number of views, frequency of views (same person seeing the same video), watch time, favorability lift and clicks/action taken to contact are typically sufficient items to measure to begin. If we can help you with this in any way, please don’t hesitate to ask!

 

Source: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/articles/how-identify-right-kpis-online-video.html