7 Video Production tips for Brands, Business and Corporations.

Video marketing requires a similar level of planning and strategy as broadcast media.  (TV, Web, Online). You can’t just create a random video, throw it in there and expect results like increased awareness, client interest, desire, action and above all, new sales!

Businesses Brands, startups and organizations are uploading and jamming video into the digital media marketing mix like crazy these days, but are you putting enough energy behind your video marketing and online strategy? Do you even have a strategy?  Or are you just creating video to “Create video” because a blog told you that it was a good idea and some statistics say it works.  

Everyone has a different perception of what constitutes a “good online video,” but here’s  a quick list of the 10 most important things to get you thinking in the right direction:

 

1. SET REALISTIC GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS

What do you expect from the video production? Put everything through the filter of selling more product at some point. Pick one or two specific things you want to happen from each video. If you need more things to happen, make more videos that fit into your wider campaign strategy, or make different versions and promote them in different ways.

 

2. INCLUDE A CALL TO ACTION AT THE END

Clean clear and crisp.  Make sure this stands out, and is clean and precise. Decide what you want people to do after they watch the videos. Do you want them to share, click, sign up, buy now, tell a friend, buy later, make a response video, enter a contest, download a game, a new app, subscribe to something, get free tickets, pre order?

Include a strong video CTA. Guide them towards what you want them to do. Pick one or two specific things you’d like them to do, with eventual product sales in mind. Views will mean nothing against a crappy sales report.

 

3. CREATE YOUR VIDEO FOR A FULL CAMPAIGN

Schedule production for videos, TV ads and PR promos together at the same time. Let the TV ads serve as a call to action to watch more videos across your social media channels, leading to engagement, sharing and sales.

 

4. CREATIVE CREATIVE CREATIVE!

What kinds of video ideas does your brief call for? Branded entertainment? Viral? Product? In all cases, have fun be authentic and be different. As long as you’re not threatening or overtly offending anyone, take the gloves off and go for it. 

Give viewers something of value. Whenever possible, make them laugh.  Go the unsafe route, stir up some controversy, and get all that free extra media attention. People love drama, and it draws attention overtime especially in a positive light. Focus on what you want viewers to do after they watch the videos and worry about that more than selling to them at this point. Be entertaining or informative and build in reasons for them to share.

 

5. PAY FOR HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTION

Pricing depends on what your creative concept calls for, but find a good video production company.

Pay for good video production quality and direction. Match the production quality to the concept requirements. Production costs have come down, but you still need really good casting, talent, direction and editing.  Note: locations talent and pre production are key.  It cost money, but just like any marketing plan, you get what you pay for.

 

6. PLAN YOUR VIDEO  DISTRIBUTION

Brand videos can’t make themselves viewable any more easily than TV ads, radio ads print or billboards… initially. You pay to play. The difference is that once they’re out there, they can be shared easily and it’s all free.

Seed the videos via blog and publication outreach, influencers and build social media support.

 

7. PLAN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA SUPPORT

Is your social media strategy optimized for video? Will your videos live on YouTube and be embedded on Facebook? Are they searchable? How will you handle comments? Where else will the videos live and be shared? Are you concerned with lots of views on one video or an aggregate of views on the same video across several video sharing platforms? How will social media play into your “call to action?”

Work with a digital marketing agency that will optimize your video sharing strategy across Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr. Seed the same video out to other video sharing sites as well and optimize for search. Reinforce your “call to action” frequently to remind viewers what you’re selling and what you want them to do about it. Prepare for handling live comments!

 

 

BONUS:

SET UP AND REVIEW ANALYTICS, REAL TIME FEEDBACK AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS

How will you video marketing measure succeed Will it be by views, social shares, mentions online or contribution to the overall campaign? Have you allowed for adjustments based on viewer and online feedback, or is this a “one and done?”

Use analytics and feedback to learn what’s working and what’s not. You’re marketing to a moving target so you also have to keep moving too. Experiment. Take chances, Have fun.