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April 7, 2020April 8, 2020

Business and Video Marketing for 2020

Wow! That escalated quickly! If you’re run or own a business, the entire landscape changed drastically sometime around the beginning of March. By now you’ve been locked down for some time and are trying to figure out who might still be potential customers and who won’t be around much longer. A little scary, yes. Impossible? No. We can do this.

First, let’s start with the obvious trends. Business is down. People are not out and about. Most people are home and working. Some are more productive than others, but they are working. This is the time that most people have started to go through a set of emotions and thoughts that will either bring them out quickly or suppress them into depression. Many people are angry and in denial about the direction things are headed. “What do you mean we need to lock ourselves down in our homes for a month? How am I supposed to make a living?” We’ve all thought it.

With all these changes, who really knows what is going to happen. One thing is for sure, at some point, businesses will be open and people will be happy to get out of their homes. This might be an excellent time to create a strategy. What opportunities lie ahead as we approach the end of this quarantine? What should I be doing now that will bring me out and open for business faster than my competitors?

Before you get too far ahead, we want to share something else with you. Here’s what we’re noticing.

Right now, we have observed something incredible. The number of people online every day is incredibly high. There has been a HUGE spike in online video viewing. We’ve seen it with Jenn Jager’s YouTube page. We’ve heard on the news that Netflix and YouTube have decreased streaming video quality to keep the bandwidth open.

Here’s the secret opportunity that’s happening right now

Everyone is at home. They’re watching more videos on YouTube than ever before. What typically plays before a video? Advertisements. That’s where the magic is happening right now. Now is the time to seize the opportunity. It’s time to create a small business video that can talk about your who you are. This is particularly true if it relates to a product or service that serves the community well.

Not only are the number of viewers up, the number of companies paying for advertising is way down. Simple supply and demand says prices are falling for ad placement. Are you taking advantage of that? Here’s one trend you should not miss!

If you don’t have a landing page, now might be the time to create one. It takes a little bit of work, but if you do it right, you can place an explainer video that brings a potential customer to a sale. Almost any landing page product works. Make it easy to buy and easy to understand what the offer is.

We still need to stay connected…just do it separately.

How do you build trust but not sit across a table to sell? Think digital marketing and video. With YouTube Ads (and even television ads) you have the opportunity to speak directly to your target audience to possibly garner trust. Depending on the type of content you’re creating, your video content should promote connection and relationships. If you’re going to create online video, you’ll also want to think about how to keep it branded.

Brand videos speak to the overall brand of the business, the people who work there, and the mission of the business. Do you need to have a big video production company come in to your videos? Maybe. But for now, doing it yourself is not all bad. Need some tips on how to do it yourself? Check out Jenn’s YouTube Channel (Video Marketing Your Business) where she educates viewers about apps, lighting, and equipment that she recommends if you’ll be doing it yourself.

When it’s time to really increase sales, you might consider hiring a crew to create a more brand sensitive video that sells you and your business. You might consider starting that process now so you can be one of the first on the crew’s schedule once they can come out of their homes.

How Do I Create a Video While Under Quarantine?

If you want to create videos while under quarantine, you’ll need to think about how to do it without other people being involved. There are a couple of ways…

Footage. First, there is the use of footage you had shot professionally before the lock down. You can use those clips of B-Roll (secondary shots) by adding professional narration, some licensed music, and 2D graphics. This can be all you need to keep your brand out in front of your target audience.

Graphics. Another option is the use of only 2D graphics as the entire video. We’ve all seen the CDC’s graphics video that shares who is at risk and what we should be doing now to protect ourselves. This video contains just graphics and music. It’s effective because the viewer can follow along while getting the point of the video. In that video, its more of a public safety message, but the same can be done with any business. They’re rather straight forward to create and reasonably effective. Here’s that video:

Whiteboard. Another option is whiteboard video. This isn’t something we do a lot of, but we do have a course that we share how to use some of the features of Doodly. Jenn created it and a lot of people have bought it so they can be better at using the software. Here’s a link to Jenn Jager‘s new page where the lessons are and where you can get a copy of Doodly.

Stock Video. Finally, there’s stock video. We sometimes use stock video to add some depth to a video. This might be a good time to use it since you can’t shoot more video. Consider using some footage you’ve already captured and adding some stock video to make a point you hadn’t in a previous project. Or, simply use stock video to create an entirely new video. We’d simply add narration and some graphics to give a fully finished feel. Here’s one we created using only stock video, professional narration and animation.

All of these are valid options to shooting a video with a crew. It can certainly get you by for the next several months. If you plan correctly, you’ll be positioned to be the first company to call when the restrictions loosen up.

If you have questions, reach out to us. We’re happy to help.

March 26, 2020

How to Generate Sales Leads with Video

Investing in video may or may not be a difficult decision. Some think of video as a tool in a larger process to help prospects work their way to a purchase. Others think of video as a line item expense that must have a return on the investment. Both are technically correct, but which one you are can determine if you view video as a good thing or simply an expense (therefore a waste of time and money). In this post, we’ll consider both and how to use video to generate sales leads.

Video as a Tool

If you view video as a tool, you’re probably one step ahead of your competition already. You know that it is necessary to make a solid connection with your prospect and may even know how to use video to guide them through the process. While you might still consider video production a line item on the P&L, you also recognize there isn’t always a direct correlation between watching a video and making a purchase, except in certain circumstances. For example, product videos on product pages have been tested and found to have a strong correlation to purchase intent and making a purchase (source: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EJM-11-2016-0619/full/html). Those who believe video is a tool in a greater process of marketing also understand that it is more difficult to measure the impact of a video advertisement when use as a YouTube ad or on broadcast television. It’s difficult because the viewer can’t be directly tracked when they call (except by some savvy video marketers who do it right by using specific phone numbers in their videos, etc.). What video does is reinforces the several other tools being used to get a potential buyer to heed a call to action and make the call.

Video as an Expense

On the other hand, if you believe that video is simply an expense and must have an ROI, you feel like every dollar spent must retrieve a multiple in return. This is a great way to ensure success, but it can also be a difficult way to grow a business. When we grew as a company, we knew we had to invest in some high-quality equipment. We borrowed a little money and invested it into a high-quality 4K camera and other equipment. While this was difficult to do at the time and it showed no direct return on investment; however, it has provided us with high-quality footage that helps us stand apart from our competitor…thus nudging the prospect one step closer to giving us a call. Is there a direct correlation? No, but that camera has made Plum successful and allowed us to grow. This is something that is difficult to measure. The same goes with video content.

How to Use Video to Generate Sales Leads

The ultimate goal of generating sales leads is obtaining contact information (such as an email address), bringing a buyer to a landing page, and bringing the prospect to the sales team. While you can achieve this via text-based pages, the conversion rate may not be as high as a highly interactive or engaging lead generation process. By creating video, you will begin the prospect on a journey to discovering their needs and ultimately giving you (or someone else) a call. The next question might be, “What video do I need to create?” Whether it’s a YouTube video, a video for your website, or a video series, it must be interactive. Let’s explore the types of video you should consider for your business. Below are the types of issues you might be trying to resolve along with the type of video that will help you illustrate that you can solve it.

Trust and Confidence. Typically, people or businesses trying to build trust and confidence are the professional services field. These individuals are trying to illustrate how they can achieve goals for their clients and want to do so with a high level of authenticity. Videos that can capture the individual’s genuine personality are videos like Testimonial, About Us, and Meet Me videos. These videos usually include the person or people involved in the process achieving the client’s goals. They introduce the viewer to the people involved, explain what they bring to the job that’s special, highlight experience and credentials, and include personal details to help the viewer feel comfortable and connected.
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Establishing Credibility. If you’re trying to accomplish this, you’ll want to explain why you’re covering the topic, talk to the viewer, and leave them wanting more. This type of video is typically a case study video, explainer video, product demo video, or advice video blog.

Product Explanation. A product or service that is a little more complex and requires some more detail typically needs a product demonstration video. These videos typically explain why the product exists, highlight specific components of the product, and show the end result or effectiveness of the product. These videos can be highly effective the more complex the product or service.
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Recruitment. If you’re trying to recruit more and better talent to the organization, you might try a Culture video or a Position Profile video. A culture video will provide the viewer with a strong sense of what it’s like to work at the company. The position profile video is like combining a job description and job posting while showing some of the important elements of the job. Be very explicit that you are hiring and be sure to include specific details about benefits. Most of all, make it fun! Lastly, these get the best results when shared via social networks and social media. You might even be able to create this using some existing video you already have!
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If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us! We’d be happy to answer any questions!

September 24, 2019April 8, 2020

Best Video Production Trends That Will Carry Into 2020

Video has made a huge impact in the marketing world. In fact, video is oftentimes mentioned as one of the fastest growing categories in marketing. Many say that video is growing at an incredible rate and the number of hours being watch is astounding. We take issue with some of this. We take issue that video is growing so fast. We concede that video is growing rapidly, but we also believe companies like Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon are driving the viewership and hours watched. When it comes to productive business video and video marketing, the number of hours has increased, but we don’t believe it’s as quickly as the overall video world. There are several components that drive video interactivity, and that’s what business owners want. Getting people to watch the video is one thing, getting people to act is another. In this post, we’ll share with you the top 4 Video Trends that any business should be keenly aware of before 2020.

If you asked what some of the video trends would be two years ago, you would have heard stuff like 3D video or 360-degree video or Virtual Reality video. All those types of videos have a place, but they certainly weren’t the trend for the year 2018, 2019, and probably won’t be for 2020. If you want to be on the cutting edge of trends related to video, you can get very experimental, but it’ll be tough to get a high (or mediocre) return on that investment. That starts by understanding what is important when measuring ROI. Is it search results on any one of the search engines? Or is it calls or orders? Whether the business is a product or service business, it doesn’t matter…video content can help. By varying the marketing campaign slightly, one can get slightly different results. The key is to have some online video because there is online activity happening 24 hours a day.

Marketing agencies will push you to build the brand according to the marketing strategy…and this is critical and why stuff like 3D video or 360-degree video is just hype and cool stuff…but not necessarily for you. That type of video typically needs a lot of planning, a larger budget and more time to get the perfect video. The issue at hand is on the consumption side of the equation. How do people view a 3D video if they don’t have a 3D television? Or how does one view a Virtual Reality video if they don’t have the headset? That’s why we don’t think it’s the right tool for most businesses.

The reality is people are using all kinds of methods to access answers to their questions, including voice search and artificial intelligence. Most digital marketing agencies will tell you that you must have all the bases covered by having digital pieces that support stuff like voice search and the like. For a small business, a medium sized business or a large business, it’s tough to know how to exactly create brand awareness or to have a budget for stuff you don’t know will be worth the investment until much later. More so, even the largest of companies that invest in these types of videos are finding that it’s tough to measure whether it’s worth the work and the investment. Typically, they’ll use one of those videos to get some chatter or shares online. Does that convert to new sales? Probably not.

What are the best video trends to follow for success?

With the above in mind, what are the marketing trends and the video trends that will provide the best results to the most amount of businesses? Here’s our list:

Explainer Videos. This may seem to be elementary and unexpected when talking about trends, the explainer video does several things for the business. It provides transparency for the viewer that helps them feel a level of comfort to take action. Businesses that provide a level of frankness in their messaging can provide a disarming feeling and a sense of integrity. For example, in this video below, the viewer gets a sense that the company can deliver what it promises with it’s Primula cold brew coffee carafe. Want one after you’ve watched this video? Click the link!

Bite-Sized Videos. Our potential clients typically ask us how long their video should be and then blurt out that they think it should be short. While that may be the case, it’s not always the case. Sometimes longer videos are better. For example, a long video might be helpful when its answering a question, explaining something complex, or providing better insights into who or what something is. Think of these types of videos as a silent level of customer service. But, shorter video can be highly effective when used appropriately. We find shorter videos are more productive when used in marketing materials and social media. No one wants to watch a long video that sells to the viewer; therefore, keep a sales message video a little shorter than you think. Below, this video is shorter (relatively speaking) but allows the viewer enough time to understand how and what the product is and does.

Product Videos. Product videos will most likely never go out of style. These videos help the viewer understand what the product does and how it solves a problem without having to purchase it. Once the viewer understands, they can make a will informed decision to purchase it. We’ve heard from many sources (such as from Impact Learning Center & HubSpot’s Importance of Product Videos for E-Commerce, and there’s more) that video increases product conversion to sales by an incredible amount. This happens because of the educational and informational way that product videos will present the product.

Story Videos/TV Style Videos. This type of video is one that feels like a television show and not a sales tool. For business, the three videos above are important, but they also are very promotional in nature. That can be good and can create results, but sometimes at the cost of irritating the viewer because they must sit through the promotional nature of the video. A trend we’re noticing with our clients is the acceptance of slightly longer videos that tell a story. For example, the video below shows the viewer what is about to happen and the challenges they may face. It provides a little conflict to the story. Then, we do a mid-point check in. This allows the viewer to see the project complexity and the challenges first hand. Ever wonder what your contractor would be doing during your project? This gives a glimpse into the construction world and what a high-quality construction contractor would be doing. Finally, the reveal. Here’s what the contractor did to complete project and how the project turned out. Obviously, the concept showed how the complexity was overcome by the competent team. This company was able to boast and show how they completed a difficult task. Who would you call after viewing this if you were a restaurant?

Another example of this type of video is the ChairSpeaker video. This video shows (in a slightly comical and relatable way) how those who have lost their hearing often times feel left out of conversations when they try to watch television with a headset that helps them hear. The ChairSpeaker solves this problem by providing a product that helps the hearing impaired stay engaged in conversation while still being able to watch and listen to television (just like everyone else).

SEO Videos. SEO videos are used to help improve search engine optimization while answering questions the viewer wants to know. These videos are typically topical in nature and typically answer a question that someone has typed into Google or Bing. For example, this attorney answers why Uninsured Motorist insurance is important to anyone who owns a car and drives on the roadway. The purpose of the video is to answer the question and to serve as an indicator to Google what their website is all about. We also might recommend doing some additional live videos with a mobile phone and answering questions with viewers on Facebook or YouTube. This serves the same purpose, only on those social media sites. Google and the like love content. Anytime a business website can provide more content it gets rewarded.

While this may sound like a boring list and one that doesn’t include the coolest, latest and greatest technology, it does include video options that will create a return on your investment (if used properly). One of the biggest changes we are seeing in the industry is the use of videos that feel like a television show and not a sales tool. This is nothing new, but we’re seeing it used more and more… and we think that’s a good thing. It requires a little more flexibility and planning, but if done correctly, it can provide the viewer with an experience that is much different than the typical sales piece. We will always go back to the point of how it is used. One of the ways we recommend using that type of video is prior to the call. Let the prospect find the video and understand who you are in a different light; thus connecting with your purpose and style before the call. This goes a long way to create an emotional bond prior to making the phone call.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss some possible video ideas for you and your business, give us a call or drop us a line via our contact us form. We’d love to find a creative way to make your business stand out from your competitors and get more business!

September 20, 2019April 8, 2020

How To Create Videos That Work For Your Business

When creating your marketing strategy it is critical to incorporate measurable benchmarks. In the past few years, video has become the “latest craze,” but does it work? Is video effective in making your business more money? Can you really sell more by incorporating a marketing video into a marketing mix? This article will help you identify components and activities that will improve your video effectiveness.

Let’s start with what your video should do. If you’re going to create video content, there should be a purpose behind it. The goal shouldn’t be to just have a video…the goal should be to create a compelling video that will improve conversion rates by incorporating a call to action. This doesn’t always mean a blatant, “Buy this now,” rather, it can be a subtle illustration of next steps. It depends on the marketing campaign and the type of video. Regardless, your video should tell a story. Sometimes a story means a simple equation:

Current Situation + Problem Results = Problem Solved

Or, it could be:

Personal Challenge + Pain Caused = Organization Solved My Problem

These equations are not as literal as that, but essentially we’re sharing a current problem or situation and showing what the results of that problem are along with how a product or organization has solved it with it’s product or service.

When creating marketing videos effectively using that equation, one must understand the target market and the pains they are experiencing. By placing the product or service into the “problem solved” category, the viewer is more likely to understand how it works and why they should purchase or call.

Once the strategy is worked out, the next step is to understand the structure of an effective video. First, you’ll want to structure the most important part of the video toward the beginning of the video. We don’t mean blurt out the most important sentences regardless of their message; we mean structure the content to incorporate the most important components as early as possible. The reason for this is watch time. By measuring both whether someone watched the video and for how long they watched, marketers can use various tools to improve conversion. Knowing that viewers typically leave the video at the 36 second mark is important because any message after that point is usually not heard (and the 36-second number is just an example…usually every video has a different drop off point).

If the video is incorporated as a blog post (as in the video below), the goal is to learn how a search engine ranks the video or blog post. If the blog post and video answer a commonly asked question and can be incorporated as a landing page that is found via search, the length of the video can be longer. These videos tend to have longer watch times because the viewer arrived there searching for more information. This tactic is smart video marketing for any small business.

Make the video compelling and fun to watch. Who would ever want to sit through a boring video? If the goal is to get the viewer to take action, then boring it cannot be. Crafting the right video idea takes creativity… and that’s where the magic happens! When you hire a professional video production company, they should be able to create a concept that matches your branding guidelines yet still captures the viewer’s attention to result in the viewer taking action. This video was fun:

Another question to ask: Can you watch it on your phone? Google has pushed the transition to be mobile friendly for the past couple of years and we don’t think it’s going to stop. You’ll often be quoted some astronomical number of hours of video being watched online every year. Recently we saw an article say that YouTube mobile video consumption has been increasing by 100% every year in the last couple of years. We think that’s probably true…but the videos being watched aren’t marketing videos. They’re including all video, which means the live streams, the content that is long-form video, even Monte Python movies are available for viewing if you like. So, don’t think you’re missing out on all of it, but you should have some video for other reasons. SEO.

SEO, also known as Search Engine Optimization is content that increases the brand, the keywords, the data that says this is what this website is all about. In other words, if you have a business that sells yard products (mowers, parts related to mowers, rakes, trimmers, etc.) and you consistency posted blogs about car repair rather than mowing equipment, Google might confuse your site with a auto repair shop. It’s critical to be consistent in your keywords and content. Same goes with your video…and since Google owns YouTube, you should do the same with your videos.

When you finish your video, you’ll want to incorporate a link or a reference about where to find more information. If your video ends up getting shared several times, you’ll want to make sure the video guides the viewer back to the page they belong…where the content resides.

If you’re creating a business video, you’ll want to inform and educate the viewer. Information and education is king with YouTube and Google because more people search for and watch those types of videos. If you can, you should be offering advice and tips instead of being 100% promotional or marketing in nature.

Music is critical to how we feel during and after we watch a video. Think about the last great movie you watched (or next time pay attention to the music more than anything else). You’ll find that music is almost a character by itself. Without the atmosphere the music creates, you don’t have much of a scene…unless silence is important to the message.

What should I do next? If the viewer has to ask this question after watching your video, you’re missing the call to action. It should be blatant, straight forward, and clear. It should tell the viewer what you expect them to do once they’re done watching. Sometimes it makes sense to put the call to action earlier in the video so if they understand enough and wish to take the next steps earlier than the end, they’ll know what to do. Like this…

What Types Of Video Get the Best Results?

Video Tutorials – By sharing with the viewer how to do something they want to learn how to do, you give them the feeling you’re professional and worth their investment. If they see you as someone they can trust because you’re talking about something they’re trying to do or fix, the likelihood of them calling you increases the longer they watch.

Behind the Scenes – If you do stuff that’s interesting or different than most people understand, you might consider a behind the scenes video. They get people interested in what you do to make the magic happen. If what you do is truly magical…you probably don’t want to share your trade secrets, but sometimes showing a little of the magic and make a huge difference in getting them to take action to call you.

Frequently Asked Questions – The best type of video for SEO is the Frequently Asked Question (or FAQ). This type of video answers a question the viewer is searching for and wants to know the answer. If you can give them the answer and still leave them wanting more, you’ve hit the sweet spot.

Animation – Sometimes, with some products, it makes sense to create an animated video. The reason animated video makes sense for something is when you can’t see inside a product to understand what it does. Here’s an example.

Social Media Videos are highly productive for funneling people to a landing page. Our recommendation is to use a short version of the video to bring them to a landing page with a longer form version of the video. But don’t forget that call to action!

How to Convert Shoppers to Buyers Using Video

In this article, we’ll discuss how you might change, “I’m just looking” to “I’ll buy it!” We’ll talk about whether video does convert to higher sales or not, types of videos you might consider creating for products, and some of the strategies you might want to consider before starting. (An approximately 6 minute read)

Imagine you’re selling your product or service on your website. The visitor wants to buy, but instead decides to abandon the cart, leaving you without a sale. Why did they abandon the sale and what could have converted them to buy? These are questions every marketer will ponder at one time or another. There are several factors that can affect whether a potential buyer becomes a buyer, and one of which may be video.

Several of our clients have told us that the conversion rate of products they are selling on their website or on other retailing sites (like Amazon.com, etc.) have a significant increase in sales if the product listing includes a video. They have also shared with us that when an online video is watched at the point of potential purchase, the odds of a sale increase dramatically. They tell us that visitors who watch product videos are more educated and better informed about the product so they can be a more informed buyer.

If you sell products, you might wonder what type of video will help increase your odds of a buy at the point of purchase. Let’s discuss a few video options that may be useful in increasing conversion rates. These types of video can work if used by a small business or big business, and anything in between.

How It’s Made. People want to know how something is made, and more importantly, they love to watch it happen. How many times have you been intrigued by a video illustrating the manufacturing process?
Durability Test Video. This type of video shows the consumer how well a product will stand up to abuse over time. This might be a good one to place on your product page to increase purchases, particularly with those buyers who are concerned about whether the product is sturdy enough for them.
Location Tour. This type of video will incorporate the product in a space that it would be expected to be found. For example, a door manufacturing company like Dayoris Doors might want to create a video that shows design elements that fit into a specific type of room. By showing the fashionable side of the product, buyers are more likely to make a high-end purchase.
How to. Some products simply need some instruction. Whether it’s a how to assemble, how to use, or how to wash/maintain/store…the list goes on. These types of videos can apply to single products, multiple products, or entire product lines.
Competing Products. If you ever want to show how one product compares to another, this might be a good way to do it. Just make sure you’re following the legal protocol before you make too many claims.
The Reveal. Some products warrant a reveal video…like technology products or fashion products. Imagine your business fans wanting to know more about an upcoming product line that you’re about to release. Now might be a good time to create and post a Reveal Video.

Whichever video you choose, make sure people are watching a video that you have created and tells the viewer what you want them to learn and know. Video Marketing is a powerful tool to use when moving product, and many business owners have told us that they’ve been happy with the effects of video on product sales.

Once you’ve identified what type of video you’d like to create, you might want to consider the video strategy you want to use to convert visitors into buyers with your video. Video can potential buyers to paying buyers by using a few strategies.

You have seconds to get the viewer engaged and interested. Once they’ve passed that point, they will either finish the video or make a decision to leave it.

You want to make sure you’re in the crowd that keeps the viewer engaged. There are few things to consider when creating engaging video. First, how ‘salesy’ do you want your video to be? That was a trick question. If you’re looking to have engaging content, ‘salesy’ is not the way to go. People do not want to be sold to, they want to be educated and guided to the right decision (whether that’s to buy or decide not to buy). You might also be surprised that sales videos typically need to be short to get the point across and move on. BUT, an educational video might end up being longer and more engaging… these videos are typically longer than the traditional 30 seconds. They tend to last 2, 3, even 5 minutes (depending on how engaging it is). Longer videos also get shared more, leading to a reinforced brand and improved word-of-mouth marketing.

Here’s an example of a longer video that has a little more story to it.

Creating longer videos can be tricky, but we love to come up with some awesome content ideas that you’ll be able to share and have shared. Contact us if you’d like some ideas!

July 29, 2019April 8, 2020

What To Do To Maximize Your Investment In Video Production

Regardless of your financial goals, there are several steps you’ll want to take to maximize your investment in time, money, and resources before and after you start. We know its now common to hear that your company should be using video to leverage your business growth. If you aren’t using it by now, you might be leaving some money on the table. The key is knowing where you want to use your video and how you do it. In this post, we’ll share some common issues and problems that people face when maximizing ROI.

Common Issues that Affect Video ROI

Too Many Options

Too Many Production Companies. If you’ve never created video before, you’ll find you have hundreds of options to choose from in terms of video production companies.

Content Ideas. The next issue will be what you want to create. Do you want to create a marketing video? Social media video? Product video? There are several ways to slice up marketing content that it can quickly become overwhelming.

Where to Place It. The next issue will be where to place the video (or videos). Very quickly, you’ll learn there are thousands of places to publish your video…and each one will have their own reason for doing so. All of this shouldn’t stop you from deciding to move forward. It’ll be worth it.

Getting More From Your Professional Video

Who is Your Audience?

Think about something you’ve watched in the past that really resonated with you. Why did it? It might have been because it was about something you wanted to learn or know more about, the person speaking was personable and they may have described the world you see in a similar way. Maybe they spoke in terms or jargon you’re comfortable with. Or maybe they had the same or similar personality as you. When creating your video, you’ll want to know who your audience is, what they like or dislike, what they need to know, why they need to know it and how they like to be spoken to. Use that information to compile the viewer’s demographics, location, where they consume information, and what social media outlets they view most. The more you know about them, the better you can speak to them.

Your Viewers

There are several types of personas that you might be speaking to, for example, you might be dealing with a “Give me the information, get out of my way, and let me decide” type of person. This might be someone who is at the top of the corporate structure, like a CEO or similar level.
You might also be speaking to someone who is more interested in learning about how your customers feel about you. They might want to read or see more reviews about the business. These are the ones who need to obtain verification that they are making the right decision. They like to include others in their decision making and reviews are a good way to get this information.
Another common viewer might be a detailed, technical type. They want facts, figures, and as much data as possible to make the decision to pick up the phone to call. This type of person needs to have support data incorporated into the video so they can make an appropriate decision.

Regardless of the type of viewer you’re reaching out to, you’ll want to craft a message that taps every type of personality possible. Perhaps there is a way to show and describe important information to a couple of personality types at the same time. Use all of this information to craft a solid script. We typically take care of script writing for you, but, we work with all types of clients; some who like to do it themselves and some who want to have someone take care of it for them. The next step will be to craft a solid shot list that must be captured to illustrate what is being said and targets each persona.

The Video Production Process

The video production process contains several components: pre production, the shoot, post production, and delivery. During the pre production stage, you’ll deal with the persona, the long term goals of the video, and what video content that should be created. Investment goals are important before we start so we know what needs to be set aside for the production and what needs to be set aside for the placement of the video(s). During the shoot, we’ll deal with the shot list, the camera operator, the equipment, the location, and any talent that is important (whether it be from the team or hired talent). Finally, during the editing process, we’ll deal with the video editor and any post production items required to complete the project.

So what is the key to maximizing your ROI? We find that clients who work with us to understand why they’re creating the video, where they plan to use, and how they plan to place, we can help streamline that process to improve their ROI. When clients can’t answer these questions or don’t want to share this information, there can be a little hiccups and changes along the way that can increase costs…not because we want to, but because we didn’t know something and had to backtrack or make significant changes. We write this to share with you so we can prevent this from happening to you.

July 10, 2019July 10, 2019

Manufacturer Product Marketing Videos & Increased Sales

image of manufacturing (milling cutters)

At Plum, we’ve shot and edited several manufacturers product videos to help them market their products to retailers and end users. While most manufacturers use a wide range of techniques to market and sell their products, only a few use video as a driver for business. We believe in creating high quality video that tells a story about the manufacturing process and the benefits of the finished product. For the purpose of this blog, we’re sharing a few ways a manufacturer should be using video to show what their product is, how it’s produced, and how it’s used.

Process Video. This type of video is created to illustrate the full production and manufacturing process is completed. Usually this means showing manufacturing from start to finish and how the product is put together. This is also where you’d highlight that your products are made in the USA or illustrate how the production line works together to create a high quality product. We recommend this video be approximately 90-seconds in length to ensure you show all the important qualities of your process and product. Keep in mind, the best marketing campaign videos tend to be shorter in nature, yet adequately inform the viewer.

Social Media. Manufacturing companies also need to feed their social media funnel. Plum will work with the marketing team, sales team, and management to ensure the messaging matches the appropriate branding components for consistency. Most manufacturers don’t think of social media as a way to sell, but by selling to the end user about their unique selling proposition and the benefits of their product, manufacturers can pull sales through the distribution channel without relying on retailers or distributors. By using social media, manufacturers can create a strong first impression and increase engagement.

Hiring? Whether the company is just starting out or has been around for awhile, capturing and retaining the best employees is critical to its success. Whether the company finds new employees through email marketing or various hiring websites, it’s critical to craft the perfect message to the target audience. We recommend featuring a career video on the company’s career page that can differentiate you from other manufacturers.

Demos. If you’ve already shown the production process, the next step is to show how the product works. That’s where manufacturing marketing works best. We recommend creating a video marketing campaign that illustrates how the product works and the benefits it solves. We also recommend that it highlights the pain points that relate to the end user, even at a high level. By digging into the pain and costs of not purchasing the product, a video can help the buyer know whether the product is right for them. If possible, when seeking any type of video production services, we recommend you ask to see how they’ve helped other manufacturers describe the most important pain points the buyer might face and show how each one is solved after purchase. This can be shown on a website, direct marketing, emailing, or trade shows. Here’s an interesting example of a demo video.

Video Reviews. Our clients have shared with us that there seems to be a point of differentiation when someone buys. When a product has a supporting video, they tell us that sales are greater than those products without video. On the other hand, when a product has a testimonial video, sales increase even more. What they tell us is that video helps a buyer understand what a product is and how it works, but a testimonial will help a buyer know that someone was happy after their purchase and was comfortable sharing their experience with others via video. While we’d love to shoot that testimonial professionally, it can be just as powerful when shot by the customer him- or her-self on their phone or webcam. The results are positive either way… it’s just a matter of how professional the manufacturer wishes to appear. Below is a nice video review for a legal office…but same rules apply for any manufacturer.

Referral Requests. Many times it’s helpful to ask an existing client for a referral. Why not ask via video? As a manufacturer, you could shoot a short video asking an existing client for a referral. It might sound something like, “Hi there! You recently shared with us that you felt your purchase was a positive experience. Why not share that experience with others? We love referrals! In fact, great referrals are someone like…(describe who). If you can think of anyone who fits this description, would you mind emailing me their contact information? I can mention your name, or go without mentioning it, just let me know.” This is a simple, consistent message that can be sent out after every positive customer experience.

June 3, 2019July 2, 2019

4 Video Production Services Businesses Should Use

By now most everyone realizes that video is a major tool for businesses to use in their marketing, sales, training, and operations. We’ve been told that video is more valuable than ever because it can be used on several platforms, in several locations, simultaneously. It can also be accessed on several types of devices, like phones, computers, iPads, etc. So, what are the most important video production services you could maximize to improve your video marketing strategy? Here are the top 4 services you might want to consider hiring out for your video projects.

1. Production Strategy

First, it’s important to understand why you’re creating video. If you’re creating video because everyone else is, but don’t have a strategy for using it, we think you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. At this point, you’ll want to think about where you’ll be placing your video. Will it be social media? Will it be a stand alone web video on your site? Having video is only half the battle, using video to its maximum potential can help you win the battle. Imagine placing a video somewhere that your potential clients will see. What would happen? Now imagine if you placed the finished product where your ideal clients will never see. Big difference! You may want to say, “No kidding!” but we’ve seen it too many times where a potential client wants to make a video without a strategic plan on how they’ll use it effectively and return on their investment of time and money.

2. Planning

While some call this producing, we refer to it as planning or pre production. Whether you’re creating a real estate video, an explainer video, or a high-quality commercial production, this is probably the most important task to achieving a successful video campaign. Through proper planning, you and the production team will be more effective with time, finances, and any manpower involved in the process. Planning and pre production includes tasks like: crafting a strategic script, identifying a location, creating a plan for the day of the shoot, lining up talent (appropriate for your potential viewers and overall branding guidelines), finalizing scripts, and all the other little pieces that line up to make a successful shoot. With a shot list based on the script in hand, you can ensure a solid shoot day.

3. The Shoot

People often tell us that shooting this should only take 15 minutes…after all, the script is only 60-seconds long. While some of it may take 15 minutes, there are several other things that go into capturing the shot perfectly. Lighting, audio, angles, … the list goes on and on. Most people don’t realize that video production deals in the science of millimeters. Move the camera left, right, up or down on any given shot and you might capture a reflection in a mirror or a coffee cup left behind by the person on camera. It always takes a longer than expected to get the right shot. If you’re not after quality, then it usually doesn’t take too long to capture, but most clients want it done right the first time. That can be the difference between a professional video and an amateur video.

When working with any video production company, during the shoot, you’ll also see a variety of people involved: camera operator, producers, directors, production assistants, lighting and/or audio assistants, hair and/or makeup artists, wardrobe stylists, etc. For every shoot, the script dictates who is needed and for how long. If you’re working with a professional team, you’ll see them working together seamlessly to ensure the right shot is captured perfectly.

4. Editing

Sometimes called production and post production, this is where most people and most videographers don’t like to spend time. It’s the least fun. Not for us! We feel like a solid, well-executed plan and well-executed shoot make the editing process go smooth. This part is one of the final steps to the video production process, and one of the most common need by businesses. When video is captured, it can be edited in several different ways. While we always work to the plan we agreed to, we know that sometimes soundbites can lead to additional videos that will enhance the branding message. Our recommendation is to think about all the potential uses and potential videos you’d like to edit prior to the shoot so you can get all the footage you need in the shoot time allotted. Once you have that footage, it can be sliced and diced into several different types of videos…all with the same look and feel to fit into the brand, including any motion graphics elements.

These are four types of video production services every business can use. Many companies call us to do all of it, but there are times when we’re called in to do just one of these pieces. That’s OK with us…as long as the business is getting what it needs to ensure a successful campaign.

Plum Productions offers a wide range of video production services including scripting, planning, storyboarding, acquiring talent, drone video capture, shooting, and editing. Give us a call for any of your corporate video production needs.

May 30, 2019June 16, 2019

Planning A Successful Corporate Video

When a company wants to create video content, there’s more to it than, “Hey, let’s create a video about our business!” A lot of planning and strategy should go into the process. What are the goals for the video? Who will be in it? What is the purpose of creating this video? Are you trying to increase sales? Trying to improve the corporate image? Trying to attract new employees or executive? …and so much more.

Many marketers are using high quality video to improve rankings on Google, provide site visitors information that differentiates them from their competitors, or answer questions to increase authority. Some are shrewdly thinking about how they can turn what the company does into content or how to place the video in the right places to get views and conversions into sales.

Planning a corporate video has many components and depends on what you’re shooting, where you’re shooting, and variables that impact the finished video. Most of the plan should be completed in the pre production portion of the project. During the pre production, you’ll work on the creative portions: the script, the visuals, the shot list, the talent, the location, and a few other minor elements.

Here are a couple of simple things you can do to plan for your corporate video production:

1. Clarify the Goals of the Video

Before you ever create a call sheet, why are you creating this video? Are you using it to become an influencer? Educate others on a topic? Improve the brand image? While you create this list of reasons, think about who wants this information and how it will reach them. What will you do to measure the success of this video? Calls? Requests? Views? This is also where you consider if the video aligns with your marketing strategies and is what your target audience is looking for.

2. Time Content Delivery with Key Dates

When you deliver (post or show) this video, how will it relate to any key or pertinent dates related to the business? For example, do sales usually dip during a certain time of the year? Are certain products or services on sale on a specific date? Plan to post the video with appropriate key dates in mind. Layer on top the timeline to complete the video project (make sure you have sufficient time to complete the shoot and edit prior to beginning the project). Key events could be an annual event, marketing campaigns, product launches, etc.

3. Where and How Will You Share the Video?

You’ve set your goals, now where will you post or use the video? Where does it make sense? Some of our clients will use it on a product end cap in a retail store or on the Amazon product page to increase conversion. Where it is placed is just as important is the overall objective of the video. Several options of where you could place it is: website, landing page, email campaign, Vimeo/YouTube, Social Media pages like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn, television (broadcast, cable), and several others. The nice part is you can place video at all, some, or one of these platforms. When considering where to place the video, you’ll want to identify what conversion rates look like and how many and who is actually watching your video. You want to create content that your customers want, including the types of content needed to convert.

4. Create a Budget (or a range)

You should determine what is the appropriate amount you’d like to invest in creating a video. Sometimes what you want to do or what the script says will determine the budget, but you should have an idea. Some people come to us with very high or very low numbers, and while you can always find someone to do what you need at any number, we recommend finding someone who can do what you need near the budget you’d like to spend without sacrificing quality and know-how to craft your message successfully. One time we saw a potential client hire a freelancer, single-person production company only to find out that half of what they wanted in the video could not be done because they didn’t have the equipment or know-how to get the job done. We were grateful they called us back to take care of their project.

5. Use Brand Guidelines

Whether you own a small business or are part of a large national or international organization, keep your identity on brand. It’s critical to keep the look, feel, and sound of your business in check with your all areas of marketing. When a potential client or customer thinks of your brand, what image is sparked in his or her mind? What do you stand for? What differentiates you from competitors? How would one describe your brand? By creating a list of qualities related to your brand, you can use this to steer your creative approach and final messaging. Because your video script should be evergreen, you must clearly identify qualities and traits that describe your brand and use them in your messaging.

While there is more to it than that, these are five critical components for crafting and creating a successful corporate video to incorporate into your video marketing campaign. When everything ties together a magical result can, and usually does, occur. Plan your message to match your brand and while creating the types of video your audience wants and you’ll find a much more successful outcome to your video project.

Tag: marketing video