Many of the businesses who contact us have an idea of the type of video they would like to create, but initially are fearful that it will be a huge task. Where should they start?
We guide them through this (exciting!) journey and here we share a few of these tips to help you develop an impactful and stress free video, to reach your target market.
You may have the time/resources to produce the quality video material in-house or perhaps you are planning to hire an external video production company to work with you. In any case here are a few important steps and aspects to consider before you start the camera record button!
Planning
Planning can seem a very tedious and boring aspect, it is so tempting to just jump in straight away. However, before you start, asking a few important questions will provide details to establish the correct message. The content can be refined so that the audience will quickly understand the purpose of the video. These include:
- What is the purpose of the video? e.g. To build brand awareness
- What type of video is planned? e.g. How-To showcase of product or service
- Who are the target audience?
- Where are they in the Sales Funnel? e.g. Are you attracting visitors or converting visitors to leads?
- What budget are you planning for the video?
When making the decision to develop video material it is useful to consider many of the interesting video statistics:
Product videos can increase purchases by 144%. (Neil Patel, 2017)
43% want to see more video content from marketers. (HubSpot, 2016)
93% of video views on their platform take place on mobile devices. (Twitter)
Script Development & Storyboards
If the planned video is designed to capture events highlights or a more on-the-fly production, a formal script is usually not relevant. However, for training material or a promotional video, a detailed script will be essential.
Scripts
So what are some of the aspects you should consider when preparing the script?
- What message(s) do you want to share?
- Will these be done with voice-over or with a person to camera?
- Will it be a step-by step instructional/how-to demonstration?
Keep in mind that on video – the more concise the message, the more effective it will be!
Storyboards
A storyboard is a series of sketches that provide a rough idea of what the video is going to look like. These sketches and plans don’t have to be perfect animations – they are used to identify any potential gaps in the video before the video shoot and production process starts.
As previously mentioned these storyboards would not be relevant for informal or on-the-fly video clips – but for developing training material they would be ideal for outlining directions on camera angle, lighting, dialogue and transitions, etc.
Video Shoot & Location
During the planning stages, the specifics on where to conduct the video shoot should be covered. For example, a few of the important aspects to think about include:
- Will it be on-site at your premises or at an alternative location? ( e.g. if you are recording the highlights of a conference)
- Are you planning on using one or multiple camera angles?
- The video production team will generally look after the lighting and sound aspects, but there may be specific questions that need answers
- Depending on the location, you may need to get special permission or keep background activities in mind (e.g. if capturing external footage background noise or interruptions may be an issue)
Editing Cycle & Final Outputs
If the time and effort has been put into the planning stages – the editing process should be straight-forward. The video editing team should have a clear vision of the message, the required content to include, the video length and the particular style that you would like to achieve.
Any voice-over recordings or music soundtracks will be added as appropriate.
What is your specific Call to Action (CTA)? What do you want the viewer to do at the end of the video – e.g. visit your website, sign up for a newsletter?
The video material should be provided in suitable outputs, so that you can reach your target market.
e.g. Are you sharing the material on your website, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook?
Video as a more personal way to communicate
Video has many advantages for businesses to connect and communicate with their target market in a more human and personal way.
92% of mobile video users share video material with others
If you would like information about our dedicated client service and how we work with our customers to provide them with a stress free video that is tailored to their budget please contact us using our Contact Us form or at: info@greenopalmedia.ie
In the meantime, our testimonial video clip showcases the feedback of a few of our recent clients:
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/watch?v=thHs6tSu3l4
Related post: Video Content Ideas for your business
