Today’s BIG Idea is basically a list of the first 5 things that I often recommend to all my clients do before they produce their first or their next video.
Now you may have done videos in the past that were great, or maybe they only got lackluster results that you weren’t satisfied with. Either way, if you consider what I’m about to share with you, I promise it will make your next video profoundly powerful and have a higher probability of getting results – plus a bonus tip on how to save big bucks if you outsource your video production.
Now the first tip is simply this – BE DIRECT.
What I mean by that is if you start your video by showing your logo and playing music, try to limit it to 5 seconds or less. Nobody clicked your video to watch a 15 second animated logo. So if you do it, do it quickly and get to the point.
My second tip is to ANSWER QUESTIONS.
Find out what questions your potential customers have before they decide to purchase and then answer them in your video as quickly and as simply as possible.
Tip number three is SHOW, DON’T TELL.
It’s far more effective to demonstrate something than to try and explain it. If you’re marketing a revolutionary new product, what do you think’s gonna be more convincing? Someone saying to the camera “this is really fantastic” or someone using the product with unbelievable ease? Show your product in action, don’t just tell us about it.
Fourth on the list is BE CONCISE.
It’s tempting to try to say everything in your video, but don’t. Your objective is to make customers want to take the next step, which is to contact you to learn more. Concentrate on the essentials and aim for a length of 1 to 2 minutes.
And my fifth tips is SET A SUFFICIENT BUDGET.
This goes for time and / or money. You don’t need to spend a fortune, but be sure the quality of your content matches your brand. What I mean by this is that if you’re a local bar targeting college students you might can get away with something a bit amateurish, but that’s far less likely to work for a 5 star hotel, and of course I recognize there are exceptions to this rule. But, I think your best approach is to match your brand’s image.
And that’s my top 5 tips before you produce your next video. I haven’t forgotten, I have one BIG bonus tip on the blog that will save you BIG bucks when you produce your next video –
My bonus tip is MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME.
When you decide you’re going so start making videos, it’s tempting to just narrow your focus on just one.
If you’re not outsourcing the production work, it takes a bit of effort and planning to do it yourself. Setting up lights, mic, camera, and setting aside a space to do interviews is time consuming. So, if you’re going to the trouble of getting all the equipment prepped and set-up, why not get some company culture testimonials from satisfied employees or other additional footage on the same day while you’re shooting? Maybe set-up several product or service demos on the same day.
Or maybe you’ve booked a production company for a half-day or a full day shoot at your business, but you only plan to interview one or two people.
Instead of limiting yourself, try to think of how many interviews you could knock out in a full day. It’s cheaper to have a production crew only come once, than make several trips. Don’t rush into making that first video when you could potentially save hundreds or even
thousands of dollars getting interviews on video on the same day, even if the footage won’t be used in the same video. Also, have the crew get lots of b-roll as well, because you can potentially have that footage for later video content.
Discuss all of these ideas with your video provider in a pre-production meeting and reputable, professional video companies will make a reasonable effort to make sure you get the most bang for your buck.
The bottom line is, maximize your productivity by making the most of your decision to have some video shot. Try to get two, three, or more additional items on video that you can use later if it makes sense. That’s for you to decide.
I hope you can make the most of one or more of these tips to consider before you make your next video.