Opinions matter. They help us to make decisions about where to eat, what products to buy, and whose services to use. They help us to see certain issues from various perspectives so we can get a better understanding of cultural, societal, political, and world events. They can also help us to refine and improve our marketing and advertising messages, so that the products and services we offer can gain the most traction among our target audience. But after we gather and sort all of these various opinions, there comes a moment when we must formulate our own ideas and opinions about what direction to take.
When producing a marketing, sales, or promotional video, there are many different approaches one can take in terms of concept, script, tone, and visual style. Some might know instinctively how they want their video to look, while others may need to conduct extensive research and talk to others to uncover what they like. Some don’t need to show their video to anyone during the post-production process. Others may feel the need to pass the rough cuts around to various contacts to get initial feedback and suggestions for revisions.
If you are working with a video production company on a video project, don’t feel bad if you would like to show the rough cut to people you trust in order to get their opinions. After all, video production is a collaborative effort. Talk to your friends/colleagues about the video. Find out what they respond to. What worked for them? What didn’t? How can the video be improved? Also, talk to the video’s producer and director. Find out why he/she made certain aesthetic, or editing choices. Understanding the motivation(s) behind such decisions will help you gain a better understanding of the editing process.*
Take time to listen to the opinions received from friends and colleagues. Weigh those against the insights and professional experiences of the video producer/director. From that information, you can formulate your own opinion about how you want to revise the edit. Remember, when you start showing the video to different people, you will get a wide range of opinions. It won’t be possible to please everyone. You might make one revision to the edit that’s based on one friend’s opinion, only to disappoint another friend who wanted it done a different way. Changing the edit in an attempt to please everyone will only leave you (and the video’s editor) frustrated. Throughout the video production process, remember that this is your video. You hired a video production company because you value their experience and trust their capabilities to create a professional presentation for you. Ultimately, the purpose of the video is to market/advertise/promote you, your company, your people, your services and your products. Opinions do matter, but in the end, it’s your opinion that carries the most weight.
*Remember, I’m talking specifically about post-production; the point at which the final structure of the video is formed. Any changes to the concept, the script, or the way certain scenes were shot will almost certainly require re-writes and re-shoots.
SEO firms and marketers agree that placing videos on your website will not only encourage visitors to stay longer and interact more with your website, but it will help boost your site’s SEO. And if you also upload those same videos to various video hosting sites (and optimize those videos by naming and tagging them appropriately), you can drastically increase your content’s search rankings. Consider this quote from SEO guru Bruce Clay, of Bruce Clay, Inc.
…In the case of video, we believe that as one of the more important engagement objects, google has actually started to build it into the algorithm. To us, that means if your website has engagement objects on it, video or mp3… it is going to be received by the algorithm better and your site will actually have an opportunity to rank better.
*Source: Engagement Objects – Without Video, Your Website will NOT Rank in Google http://www.reelseo.com/engagement-objects-seo/#ixzz1WcQ54nuo
And this quote was taken from an article written in 2009, so consider the advancements Google made in their search algorithms over the past two years. Each day, those algorithms are more capable of crawling and indexing video content. Videos are now showing up more and more prominently in search results. In fact, videos may rank higher than your actual website. And you can take advantage of that by linking back to your website on every video you upload.
So, if you are interested in distilling information about yourself, your company, your team, your products, or your services, and you want to rank higher in Google search results, consider using video to increase your online visibility. You may want to start off with something simple, like a testimonial video from your clients/customers, or a stand-up, elevator-pitch-style video that introduces yourself to viewers. From there you can continue to build your video collection.
Brands are really starting to embrace interactive video content, which gives viewers options of what they would like to see while the video plays. It’s an excellent way to boost consumer engagement, while increasing the amount of time a potential customer spends with one particular brand. Video producers and marketers are not only interested in video views, but also on completed video views. Recently, Coca-Cola Germany released this interactive video for Sprite Zero. It features a skateboarder launching himself off of a ramp and doing tricks while in mid-air. However, viewers have control over which tricks they want to see. By using keyboard keys 4 through 9, viewers can skip certain tricks, replay others, and create a customized sequence. It’s interesting to note that the producers chose to minimize branding, because, “[We] wanted the focus to be on the content and interactivity.” So, how can you incorporate this kind of video content into your marketing efforts to draw your potential customers into learning more about your products and services?
One of the podcasts I regularly listen to is the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast from John Jantsch. Each episode offers insights from John and various guests on how small businesses can better market themselves to get potential customers to know, like, and trust them.
The episode from June 22, entitled “One Thing About Marketing Strategy” goes over some marketing essentials and discusses the reasons why businesses need them and the ways they can develop them. To create an effective marketing strategy, businesses (according to Jantsch) must…
1. Understand WHY they do what they do. What is the business’s higher purpose? Why does the business exist?
2. Convey an INSPIRING story. This is the point that I found most interesting. Jantsch really supports the idea that businesses must create a story that captivates the potential customer; a story that points to something bigger than a specific product or service. Even the smallest of businesses have a story to tell, and these stories will reflect the overall purpose of that business.
And telling stories is exactly what we at Red Fox Media strive to do. With every video we produce, we are communicating (for our clients) an inspiring, practical, engaging message, that takes a viewer on a journey toward a better understanding of who our clients are and the philosophy that serves as the core of their existence.
3. Strive for INNOVATION. Businesses must find a clear differentiation between what they offer and what their competitors offer.
4. Create a FUN environment. Successful businesses will be the ones whose employees enjoy working there, because of the culture that has been developed.
5. Make things CONVENIENT for the customer/client.
6. EXCEED expectations. Give more than what has been promised.
“The Duct Tape Marketing Podcast” is certainly one that I find very insightful and extremely helpful. The tips within each episode are designed so that anyone involved in a small business can put them into practice.
And when it comes to creating a story for your business that communicates your mission and objectives, spend some time looking at the work here on our site. We would welcome the opportunity to develop a video campaign for your business that will certainly inspire.
In my years as a video director, I have worked with clients who want to be on set to monitor and supervise the shoot. I have also worked with clients who prefer not to be on location. They take a more hands-off approach. I certainly appreciate the level of trust I earn with my clients, because that trust gives them a good measure of comfort. They can feel confident when they turn the video production over to me. However, there are definite benefits to having the client on set throughout the production process.
Familiarity – If the client has been the only person to interact with the on-camera talent up to the point of production, having the client on set will give the talent a familiar person with whom he/she has already made a connection. And when the talent sees someone familiar, this will make him/her more comfortable. And when the talent is comfortable, he/she will be more natural on camera. This is especially true when working with non-professional talent.
Plan B – Let’s be honest. Sometimes things don’t go quite as planned during a video shoot, and the director needs to be prepared. When the on-camera interview just isn’t going well, or when certain set-ups are cut from the shot list due to last-minute changes to the location, it’s good to have the client on location. The client can stay up to speed on everything that’s happening and offer up suggestions to the director as to what needs to happen next. After all, the video director is working for the client. The two parties can put their heads together to come up with a viable Plan B when the shoot starts to fall short of pre-production expectations.
Instant Feedback – When the director yells “cut,” he/she can immediately check with the client to ensure that everything being captured meets with the client’s approval. If the individual being interviewed needs to answer in a slightly different way to clarify the context of the subject, then the client can say so. If there’s another question or two that the director didn’t think about, the client can step in and ask it. If there’s a tiny detail that shouldn’t be in the script, the client can omit it before the on-camera spokesperson continues. The video production company may take the lead in developing a concept for the project, but it’s the client that has a more in-depth knowledge of the company, the brand, the product/service, and all the little things that can make a big difference.
Video directors never need to shy away from the thought of having the client on set. The two parties compliment each other and work in tandem toward one common goal.
Opinions matter. They help us to make decisions about where to eat, what products to buy, and whose services to use. They help us to see certain issues from various perspectives so we can get a better understanding of cultural, societal, political, and world events. They can also help us to refine and improve our marketing and advertising messages, so that the products and services we offer can gain the most traction among our target audience. But after we gather and sort all of these various opinions, there comes a moment when we must formulate our own ideas and opinions about what direction to take.
