Well, well, well. When I flipped open my February copy of Entrepreneur magazine, the first page I landed on was an article about using video to market your business. See? I told you so!
Entrepreneur offers great advice for companies looking to add video to their marketing plan. Below, I've shared their advice, as well as some extra insight I can offer.
Ask for a Reel: Companies should run away screaming from any production company that doesn't have an example of a reel of videos.
My Take: Yes! But also beware of companies who do have examples, yet all of the samples seem to be 'just for fun' or documentary style. They should be able to show you examples they were *paid* to do- that means there was a set objective at the beginning of the project and they accomplished it. Anything less, and you're dealing with an amateur or hobbyist.
Make Sure Video is Right for You: Remember that video is only one component of a broad communications strategy.
My Take: Absolutely. Components of your entire marketing plan should work in concert, and you should never put all your eggs in one basket.
Look for a Company Seeking to Understand Your Business: Video is meant to serve your communications strategy, not the other way around.
My Take: This is why you should interview several companies before choosing one. You should be doing at least half of the talking during the meeting, and they should be asking questions. Also, their demo reel should be diversified in terms of clientele AND style.
Know Your Audience and Objective: Lay out your these guidelines before you start working on your project to ensure you meet your goals and save money.
My Take: Knowing your target from the get-go is crucial. I'm currently working on a video that will have an older audience. We're keeping the video simple, tasteful and highlighting key points with words on the screen to make sure they don't miss a thing.
Do it Right the First Time: Countless companies waste money and time doing video production in house, only to end up going to the pros for a second round of production.
My Take: How many times have I said it? An unprofessional production makes you look unprofessional. This is your business! Approach you video with the same care you would any other project.
Work Through a Liaison: Your video may need internal approval by several people in the food chain, so simplify the process by naming a single liaison between your business and the production company.
My Take: In addition, the liaison should work to settle conflicting opinions within their organization, not leave it up to the production company. More than once, I've received an email where my liaison has cut and pasted direct comments from different higher ups, and the comments have been in *direct conflict* with each other! Did the liaison even read the comments before sending them to me? Apparently not. I could guess what the right revisions would be, or you could tell me what you want and we can do it right the first time. I'll let you figure out what's the cheaper option.
Don't Forget the Entertainment: If YouTube or Funny or Die have taught us anything, it's that only the most entertaining videos go viral.
My Take: I have to disagree with Entrepreneur here. Can you name a single YouTube or Funny or Die video that made money for a business? Me neither. "Double Rainbow" and "Leave Britney Alone!" gave average people 15 minutes of fame, and only for their ridiculousness. Not exactly the reputation you want. And what about those hilarious Superbowl ads? They're effective, right? What you probably don't have in common with Budweiser or Frito-Lay is that they're already household names-- they can afford to spend money to make people laugh. Your money is better spent on actually selling your product.
Even if I disagree with one of Entrepreneur's tips, I'm thrilled that they're educating business owners about the process of creating a video. After all, an educated consumer is MY best customer!
