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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.

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Components of a Successful Corporate/Business Video Production Project

image of video camera

To make a successful corporate or business video you need to understand all the moving parts. Before starting a video marketing project, it is critical to understand what parts are necessary and which pieces are optional. Since asking a video production company can take a little time, we’ve decided to answer that question here.

Must Have Elements

Concept. Why do you want to create a video in the first place? We’ve seen it too many times where people get fooled by the razzle-dazzle of cool visual effects, fast music, and lots of special effects and graphics. More important than all of that is, WHAT is this video supposed to do for you? WHY are you creating it? What TYPE of video are you trying to create? That said, the most important part of a business video is clearly stating what you offer your clients/customers. What solutions do you provide and what problems are you solving for your customer? That’s what they (your intended viewer wants to know). Once you clarify that objective, you can add all the flashy graphics you want!

Script/Storyboard. That may sound like something that doesn’t need to be said, but we’re always surprised when someone wants to shoot first and figure out what to edit later. That never works as well as planned, so we pride ourselves on having a solid storyboard or script in hand (along with the day’s schedule and shot list) prior to the shoot. You’ll discover that this is the most critical component of a successful video when you realize after the shoot that you should have captured “X” or you should have had your employee say “Y” instead of what you captured. Think about the amount of time it takes to plan for the shoot versus the time you’ll spend later regretting the error. Planning is the key and that’s how we like to run our video production business!

Less Critical Elements

Animation (3D or 2D) Graphics. Think of this as the text on the screen or the symbols on the screen during your video. This might be your logo, phone numbers, or other items that move around or appear on screen to further explain what is being said on camera. 2D and 3D animations can raise the production value of a video without adding a lot of cost. When animations become complex and 3D, more time will be needed in producing the video. Here’s an example of how text and moving images can enhance a video.

Narration. Sometimes referred to as voice-over, narration can add a lot to your video. For example, if you’ve shot a few interviews of employees/executives from within the organization, it might be helpful to have some additional narration at the end to state some of the necessary call to action that you can’t say outright as an employee/executive. For example, it might feel weird to hear the executive say, “Call us today for more information!” But a professional narrator can and it sounds normal. It can depend on the type of video content you’re creating and we can help you when it’s time. Again, is this necessary? No. Is it helpful? Sometimes. One tip when dealing with narrators, use a voice over artist who matches your target audience.

Music. Tone, pace, and feeling of music can greatly enhance your video. So can silence. The best part is you can vary your music within a video based on what is being said and what is being shown. You’ll also want to think about what kind of video you’re producing…for example, are you creating a promotional video or a training video for your small business? Whichever you’re creating, music can make the difference. Music feelings can be described as aggressive, inspiring, happy, upbeat, playful, silly, relaxing, sad, sentimental, or suspenseful. Have you ever noticed how music can be an impactful component of movies? It’s much the same with your business video.

These are just some of the basics of creating marketing videos, but we hope they will help you understand what you must have and what you can consider optional when producing a video. We’d recommend spending some time chatting with your producer to communicate your desires prior to starting any video project.

If you want to learn more about Plum’s corporate video production services, feel free to reach out to us. We can answer your questions and determine if we should talk further.

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6 Qualities To Look For In A Great Video Production Company

Five Start Rating Symbols

Whether you’re looking for a short informational video or a longer About Us/Corporate Story video, there are several factors that can impact success. One factor is the agency or production company you hire. There are several ways to determine whether a video production company is worth engaging with. If you’re genuinely interested in learning more, we’re sharing the top 6 qualities a great video production company should have before you decide to hire them.

Traits to Look For When Deciding on a Video Production Agency

Professional Portfolio

Before you do anything, look at their work. Does it match your style? Do they have a variety of styles or just one look? Just because there’s one look, it doesn’t mean they can’t do more…and if they have several styles, it doesn’t mean they can’t create the visuals you want. Dig deep into their portfolio (and don’t forget about looking at their social media pages). For example, you’ll need to look at our Vimeo Page to see more work (updating a website can be a little time consuming). Don’t let that sizzle reel excite you too much. What you need to see is how did it help the client? Did they get what they needed or did they just get a wow video that didn’t perform. Sometimes, its the straight-forward video that produces the most results. Other times, its the short, flashy video, and other times its the longer drawn-out video that performs. Ask the agency why it worked for the client.

Deadlines

Deadlines drive everything. There are a few ways you can tell if they can hit a deadline or not. First, do they return your calls in a reasonable amount of time? We’ve been told countless times that we’re the first to call back after they’ve called several agencies. When you call, does someone pick up? If not, how quickly do they call you back? How long does it take to get a response from an online form? These are all simple ways you can tell if an agency is time conscious or not. Obviously accidents happen and schedules get crammed, but communication becomes the key when scheduling conflicts arise…how well do they communicate when there’s an issue related to time?

The Creative

You can find several videos out there that follow the same format. That’s fine if you want to use a tried and true format to get the job done, but if you want something different, can you find a video that does the same thing, only in a different way? For example, a construction company wanted a simple, “Here’s a sample of our work” video, only we worked to make it more than that. We wanted it to have an HGTV vibe so that people will want to watch the video to the end. Here’s what resulted:

Testimonials

When you do your research on a Video Production Company, do they have Google Reviews? More importantly, do you know any of the people who did a review? If so, call them! Ask about the production company’s communication skills. If you don’t know any of them, do you feel comfortable reaching out to them cold? Just giving them a call and saying, “Hey, I was interested in working with XYZ Company…how was your experience?” Then listen! If you’re not comfortable doing that, do you feel comfortable with what the written word says? Next step, use that information to ask the production company about that project: What did the client want? What did they do to help them? How did you arrive at the finished video? Can I see the finished video?

Expectations

Knowing next steps is critical to a successful process. When you first speak to the production company, do they clearly identify your next steps before beginning to work together? Do you know how the process will work? They should describe the overall process with you so you understand everything involved in the process. This should include timelines as to when things can be finished and what the client can do to speed it up or slow it down. Remember, it may be tempting to ask about their editing software or what cameras they use, but in the end, did they get the work done and did they meet or beat expectations?

BONUS: Passion about the Work!

One of the things you’ll notice right away at Plum is that we have a passion for creating something fun for your business. Fun and different should be a part of every video production process. We look for ways to make it fun and different. If you want to pull it back a little, no worries! We don’t mind…  but we think you’re looking for a creative edge, so we’ll look to provide that to you first.

If you think we should talk because you’ve done your research and have decided to let Plum be a part of your search to complete your video production project, Give Us A Call! or Drop us a line!

 

 

 

Source: https://www.digitalbrew.com/7-qualities-to-look-for-in-a-video-production-agency/
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Types of Video for Business

searcy law interview image from video

There are tons of ways one can use video to promote or explain a video. We’ve taken a little time to share with you the most common types of video for any business. Yes, any business. Each type has a purpose, so before you just randomly decided to create a video, you should have a bit of a plan: How are you going to use it? Where will you place it? Why are you creating it? When will you need it? Who should be viewing it? …and why as a follow up to each of the previous questions. This will help you determine which video will be best for your brand. Let’s get started…

Expert Interview Video

If you have a thought leader or a brand expert in your midst, this type of video is the best type to pursue as quickly as possible. Having a thought leader is one thing. Promoting and showing how much he or she (or the team) knows about a particular topic does nothing but improve and build the brand. If your potential customers want experts, who will they call if they have listened to an interview with a thought leader in the field? Here’s an example of one of those types of videos:

Product Videos

Product videos are just that, videos about a product… but when creating a product video you want to do more than advertise or promote. Your goal should be to educate. Teach the viewer how the product works, why they might find it useful and finish it off with a call to action. The call to action can be more or less aggressive, depending on the product and your style, but there should always be some sort of call to action. Product videos are highly effective when they are educational and informative. They’ll also perform well when placed in the right location (think an end cap in a retail store or on a website landing page). Placement is a large part of how successful a video will be, so have a plan on where you’ll place your video before you shoot it. Remember, perfection is the enemy of success, so a plan is good to have but don’t let planning get in the way of knowing a adjustment will need to be made once it’s placed. Here’s a fun example of a product video that was placed on their website to trigger a sale.

Service Video

If you don’t sell a tangible product, the video you should consider is a service video. This type of video provides the viewer with a strong sense of what they’ll get for their dollar. More importantly, this type of video should instill a sense of trust and open the conversation to building a relationship. When prospects land on a website, they want to know who they’re dealing with and/or if they can trust them. We’ve all learned that its difficult to trust an organization/business, but we do trust people. One thing we’ve noticed is that with Jenn’s My Video 101 educational videos on her YouTube Channel, people feel like they know her and can trust her with their video knowledge. Here’s an example of one of her videos:

Social Media Videos

Most times when we get called to shoot and edit videos for a client, we are often asked if we can edit shorter social media videos. Absolutely…and we recommend it! If we’re creating a video for any client, we try to incorporate a social media version of any video we create because you’ll need it at some point. The purpose of a social media video is to increase the viewer’s curiosity and bring them to a website or landing page to do more. For example, we’ve seen product and service companies run social media video ads to bring the viewer to a landing page. The landing page may request the visitor to provide information (name, email, etc.) or make a purchase or a call. Whichever way they decide, the social media video will help fill the funnel. Here’s an example. (Notice this one is square and will be used on Instagram).

Corporate Branding Video

The branding video uses several features from other types of video. The branding video should capture the essence of what the company stands for, what the company does, who is in the company, and the story behind it. Overall, it should stand alone. A viewer will know exactly why the company exists and why they might want to contact them. This of this type of video as an About Us with some extras. A good example of a corporate branding video is this one from Amicon Construction. We think this is a solid branding video because it shows what they do and their attention to detail while incorporating their client testimonial. You might think that 4 minutes is a long video, but the feedback we hear is that people want to watch this to find out how the project ended.

Location Tour

What if your space look different than your competitors or you’re proud of the way your space looks? What if your space is tranquil or energetic? There is no better way to show that off than a video. A video will capture the essence of the space and invite the viewer in. We’ve seen several occasions that an office space (both indoor and outdoor) looked so nice that it made for a beautiful backdrop for an interview. Here is one example of such a space. In this one, we feature a dentist office that was constructed to make the parents and children comfortable when visiting the one doctor most people fear: The Dentist!

Testimonials

Imagine you’re looking for a great attorney. One who cares about how you feel after an incident. One that goes above and beyond to get you the care you need to get better. How do you tell a potential client/customer that you’re the best? You don’t. You don’t because the viewer will not believe you when YOU say it, but if an actual client says it for your (because that was their experience), the viewer will understand how a previous client was taken care of and feel that they will be taken care of too. Powerful. We believe this is the most underused video for the power it has. Awesome testimonials are more powerful than any other form of advertising. This is one every business should have.

There are so many other types of videos a company can have, but these tend to be the most popular. Stay tuned! We’ll share some other creative types of video that you might not have thought of in an upcoming post!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us. We’d be happy to answer any questions…no pressure, no expectations. We’d love to see your comment below on which video you think is the most important one!

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Top 5 Ways a Marketing Video Can Boost Your Business’s Promotions

Video Camera used at production

Video marketing is here to stay. With video content accounting for┬ámore than 79% of consumer internet traffic (MWP, 2018), itÔÇÖs safe to say that videos truly are a game changer in online marketing. Text and photos┬áare taking a backseat to videos, and thereÔÇÖs no sign that this trend will slow down.

Still need convincing? Below, 5 reasons every company should incorporate videos into their marketing strategy.

SEO Optimization

No matter what business one is in, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is critical to online marketing success. Products that rank well in search engines are bound to get more attention from potential customers, leading to better sales.

According to Martech Zone (2018), an explainer video can increase the likelihood of your product being on GoogleÔÇÖs front page by a whopping 53 times!

To further sweeten the pot, retail product videos increase site visit lengths by an average of 2 minutes, a key parameter in search engine ranking algorithms.

Brand Awareness

With┬ámore than 750,000 e-commerce platforms┬á(Pipecandy, 2018) competing for brand awareness, you really need to stand out. Marketing videos help embed your brand identity in peopleÔÇÖs minds. Watching a video is stimulating, which means people tend to remember more from a video than text. However, as a result, people expect more from a promo video, which means they tend to lose interest quickly too, challenging the creative abilities of the producers.

Highlight USPs

There is a reason that 68% of top online retailers are now employing the use of video marketing, even though they sell a similar range of products (Magstore, 2018). Successful companies deliver a little something extraÔÇöand videos are the perfect way to highlight those differences.

Some are well-known for their loyalty programs, others for excellent customer service, and some for their breadth of product. The most effective way to convey these unique selling propositions to consumers is explainer videos to help a business in distinguishing itself from its competitors.

Increased Click Rate & Customer Conversion

The sole purpose of your website is to get maximum views and high conversion, right? Video content is increases conversion by up to 30% (Magstore, 2018)!

The video/audio combination is one of┬ámarketersÔÇÖ┬ánot-so-secret weapons, allowing them to influence a viewer enough to initiate action, whether that be pick up the phone and call your or add an item to their cart. In fact, product videos increase the likelihood of sales by 85% (Magstore, 2018).

Another benefit of videos is that they keep a person on the webpage for longer periods of time. This gives them time to observe more of what else the page has to offer, which obviously includes other products, leading to better click rates.

Versatility

The best thing about video production: versatility! They are more of an art form than a simple marketing tool. It gives its producers complete freedom over how they want to approach their customers. They may go simple and just highlight the merits of their product. Or, if they are creative enough, they may incorporate a social angle that links to their product. Similarly, there are innumerable other options they could opt for.

Whether you’re in South Florida, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, or West Palm Beach, the bottom line is:

The future of marketing lies in video.

 

 

Sources:
https://mwpdigitalmedia.com/blog/10-statistics-that-show-video-is-the-future-of-marketing/
https://martech.zone/digital-marketing-video/
https://blog.magestore.com/advantages-of-brand-awareness/
http://blog.pipecandy.com/e-commerce-companies-market-size/

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How to Prepare Your Office for a Video Shoot

question mark on table representing questions people ask

You’ve decided to create a short video (or a series of videos) to help your business improve it’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or to help your potential customers understand who you are, what you do, and why you do it better. Great! Now what? You should get lots of tips from your video production company (if you’ve hired one) on how to set up or prepare your office for the video shoot. If not, you may want to ask more questions of your video production company or find a new one. After all, it should be easy, not stressful to create your video.

So, what do you need to do? Here are some of the top steps to preparing your office for a video shoot:

  1. Get the Shoot Scheduled. Obvious, yes. But if it’s not scheduled, people can’t plan. Once it’s scheduled, communicate the shoot date to your team and make sure they’re ready. Make sure they know what’s happening and when it’s happening that day. You may not have this information, but it should be shared before the day of so everyone is ready and knowledgeable about what is happening.
  2. Prior to the Shoot Date. A day or two (or more, if needed) walk through the office with a different set of eyes. Look for opportunities to tidy up, clean up, and put away all the extra stuff you and your team have collected over the years that is unnecessary to the video. For example, take a look at this photo of an office prior to the shoot. If we had to take a few shots of someone working at their desk, what would look better? The before photo or the after photo? Remember, you want it to look like someone is there working regularly, but not like they’re a “pack rat” or “file piler.” You want to look organized and effective. Here’s a messy and a clean version of an office space: image of messy working deskimage of a clean working desk
  3. Do You Need Props? You might need some props or areas where you can show some client interaction or work shots. The video below shows B-Roll (secondary video) shots of employee interactions…notice it’s clean and visually appealing. Each area was selected prior to the shoot to ensure the best possible shots were incorporated into the video. One other thing to think about: if your office decorates for any holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) all the decorations need to be removed from the office or else you’ll look like you celebrate that holiday every day of the year in your video! Probably something you want to avoid.
  4. Looking Good? The other question we get a lot is what to wear on camera. That is a great question and we’ve answered it here in this blog post about What to Wear On Camera. The key is to look your best on camera and what you choose can make a difference. Solid, warm colors are best. Refrain from wearing black, white, or red; and refrain from wearing certain patterns that buzz on camera. If you’re going to wear jewelry, don’t wear dangling jewelry because it can make noise when you speak. Finally, bring options. Again, refer to our previous post if you want to learn more.
  5. Script Ready? Whether we create your script or you’re creating the script, it must be ready to go before the day of the shoot. We’ve pushed back shoots because clients weren’t prepared and the script didn’t align with the objective of the video. It’s critical to get a video production company who can get that script to you well enough in advance so you’re ready to perform it. We shoot to the script, so having this prepared will make your shoot go very smooth!

You may not have any questions after reading this, but if you do, feel free to pick up the phone and call us if you have any questions. We don’t mind if you’re not a client, we just want to make sure your shoot goes smoothly.

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Where Should Video Be Placed On My Website?

image of laptop

You’ve decided to hire a crew to make your professional video. Your web development company has insisted you have it. They have some ideas of where and what they want, but you want to know, “Where should my video live on my website to get the greatest impact?”

When you create a professional video for your website, you want to think about where you are going to place it. Whether it will be hosted on YouTube, Vimeo, or your own site, knowing what to do with it is key. To answer the question of where to place it, we have a few questions we’d ask in return. First, what type of video are you creating? (If you’re not sure what type of video you should have, see the blog post titled What Type of Video Should My Business Have in 2018?) Next, why did you decide this is the video you wanted to create? You might have a little motivation as to why you’ve create this video, so help us understand that. Once we understand what video and why, we can help you better decide where to place it on your site. Here are a few options in terms of where to place your video(s) on your website:

  • Home Page (Above the Fold). This might be a good place for video that doesn’t have music or speaking parts. Here’s an example of a website that uses video in the background above the fold.  The Yacht Company does a great job showing off yachts before you travel through the rest of the site. This is a simple video you should ask for when shooting video. You never know when your site might lend itself to a snippet like this.
  • Home Page (Below the Fold). The types of videos that you use here are usually the About Us style videos. A recent client, HyDroneClean, created a short informational video about what they do and placed it on their home page (scroll down a little). When a potential client lands on a website, they tend to scroll a little bit anyway to see if they can learn more. Once they see a video, the play button beckons them to push it!
  • About Us Page. Again, this is where you might find the About Us video. It features a story about the business and allows the viewer to better understand how they might benefit from working with the business.
  • Testimonials Page. So many times businesses have written testimonials listed on their site, and that’s awesome. If you’re looking to kick up the value of the testimonials, a video testimonial is even better. Check out Credit Brain’s testimonials that we shot for them a while back. They have a dedicated web page on their site to feature these videos, telling us, a video is even more valuable than just the written words.
  • Blog. Does your site have a blog? Has it been helpful to create content for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results? That’s the number one way you can create great SEO results is to constantly create content. If you want to “level up” your blogging game, add video. There are several ways to do it. One option is to create videos based on what you wrote or write the blog based on what you say in the video. Another option is to feature a written blog about one topic linked to a video blog you created on YouTube. A great example of this is our video blogging site MyVideo101.com. This site is based on the YouTube Channel created by our very own Jennifer Jager. She blogs about all aspects of video and the blog is created based on what she shares on her YouTube Channel. Check it out.

These are just a few uses of a video. Where you place them is based on it’s purpose and expected outcome. If you expect people to call you after viewing the video, the best types of video are the Testimonial and About Us videos. If you want people to better understand what you do in a short amount of time, an About Us video is your best bet. Finally, when you have a need for improved SEO, consider a video blog (with a written portion to ensure all the search engines find you).

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How Many People Should Be In My Business (Testimonial) Video?

People in a Business

This is a common question we get all the time. How many people should be interviewed? Or how many testimonials should we have in the video? The answer is much more simple than you think. There are a few variables that affect the quantity of people that should be in your video or testimonial video.

As an example, if you are creating a 60-second video featuring testimonials, you have to think about how long each person has to say what they need to say. If while on camera, they are going to say, “XYZ Company was the most reliable company I have ever worked with because they provided me with answers that were relevant to my issue and solved my problem.” It would take between 8 to 12 seconds for them to say just that line. We have to also assume they’ll want to give a little backstory as to what they were looking for in a company and why they were looking for that. Let’s assume each of those statements could be made in the same amount of time. Three sentences, average of 10 seconds each, is approximately 30 seconds of content (provided they stated it perfectly).

I have to imagine, you’re starting to notice the problem. If you wanted three people on camera giving you a testimonial but each person said three or four sentences that took 30 seconds to say, you’re running out of time pretty quickly. Don’t forget, we’ll also need a little breathing room between each testimonial to set the stage for what their issue is and how the business solved it.

The above only addresses the time it takes to make a statement, but does not take into account that you may want to have a voice over stating how to contact you or to reinforce something that was said in one of the testimonials. All of this is why when we have clients creating a testimonial, we recommend a 90-second to 2-minute testimonial video to ensure you have enough time to get what you need plus the additional B-Roll shots required to create a polished, finished video.

When we take into account the above, we find that you can typically get between two and three people in a 2-minute testimonial video. Even more perfect than that is it typically takes about a half day to get testimonials from that many people along with the B-Roll shots.

We like to use this video as an example because it provides you with all the information you need to help you understand what problem is being solved and why that company was able to accomplish it.

This video allows time for the viewer to understand what the issue that Bill faced and how Credit Brain helped him overcome it. You can feel a bit of emotion in this story and, if you were in Bill’s situation, you might be inclined to make the call.

While video isn’t the only reason people call, it sure does help the viewer understand and feel the situation more clearly. If this is what you’re after and still have questions, feel free to reach out to us with your questions, or comment below.

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How Long Does it Take to Get a Professional Video?

Photo taken during a video shoot with Plum Productions

Time is money and you want to know, how long should it take to get my video? You have every right to ask that question. You also have every right to get an honest answer. While we’ve had clients come to us because they were frustrated with how long it was taking to get their video from another production company, our goal is to be as upfront about timelines as possible. Timelines vary by several factors. Let’s dig into what can change the timeline and what you can do about it.

  • Deposit. Yes, we, like many other production companies, require a deposit to get started. This can sometimes slow the process down a little, depending on how large the client’s company is.
  • Before the Shoot.  You’ve decided to move forward and you hope to get your video in a week…is this realistic? Probably not, but it could be. We consider the time before the shoot to be the most critical and has the biggest impact on timeline. Here’s why: We base much of the rest of the video’s outcome on what happens before production begins. We hold a preproduction meeting to ensure we completely understand and everyone agrees to the direction the shoot is heading. We write scripts, plan the shoot schedule, etc. based on this information. A poor plan can result in a poor video, so we can’t stress how important a good preproduction meeting is for your success. This portion of the production usually doesn’t slow the process down unless things change directions and decisions can’t be made in a timely manner. Usually doesn’t happen, but sometimes it does.
  • The Shoot. The shoot is the shoot. It’s where the planning meets reality and stuff starts to happen. Typically we schedule a half, full or multi day shoot for a set number of hours. Again, this doesn’t usually cause any delays to the delivery time unless the client cannot schedule the shoot until someone has returned from vacation or needs to wait until a date in the future to begin shooting. That also applies to our schedule. If we’re already booked for the next several weeks, a new shoot most likely won’t get scheduled until after that clears up a bit.
  • Post Production. Here’s where time bends. Our goal is to always get you a finished product to review within about 7 to 10 days (unless otherwise stated during the shoot). Typically this is good for the client and good for us. It allows an adequate amount of time to be creative in the editing process while still keeping to a deadline. Where things typically slow down is when the client receives the first edit. That’s not a problem because there are usually several people involved on the client side to provide adequate feedback and list the revisions. There should always be revisions. We fully expect the client to want something revised, after all, it’s their video and they need to get what they want, right? Once we get the revisions from the client, we usually apply those concepts, thoughts, and themes to any other remaining video edits and make the changes to the first video. Believe it or not, one time we waited 6 months to get the revisions list. These things happen and when they do, they affect how quickly the client receives the completed video.
  • Final Payment. Once we’ve completed the required rounds of revisions the client will provide final payment and the final videos are delivered. Again, this can stall the delivery process if it takes a few weeks to process checks at your company. This isn’t common, but it does happen.

There you have it, several factors that can affect the final delivery time of your video. How long should it take to get your video created and delivered depends on schedules, payment timelines, and revision/feedback timelines. Our typical projects take anywhere from 30 days to 3 months…depending on the client. That said, one time we started and completed a project in 7 days…so that can happen as well. We can say with certainty that it’s very difficult to provide a highly produced, quality video in less than 30 days…and even more difficult is producing an delivering a video by last week (as is sometimes jokingly requested).

If you’ve been waiting for a video production company to complete your project and you’re outside those timelines, give us a call, we may be able to help or give you some questions to ask. Any other video questions?  Give us a call.

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Do We Have to be on Camera? Why People are the MOST Important Part!

womans face

Human brains are hardwired to recognize faces. When a video has a person talking in it, customers are more likely to connect with the video. When the audience can see the human behind the voice, they are more likely to trust what you are telling them. Speech is perceived by more than just auditory cues, we take in visual ones as well.

As a species, we are hardwired to be judgmental. Many people do not trust the information they read online. A study done in 2009 found that rather than trusting the people with the most expertise in a subject, people are more likely to trust those they believe have their best interests at heart. Psychologists at Princeton discovered that in only a tenth of a second, we form impressions of strangers from their faces alone, and our brain then responds based on how trustworthy we find their face to be.

In video, it is important to note that just having a trust worthy looking person is not going to make your audience listen to the message presented in your video. Remember, speech perception relies on both visual and auditory cues. The combination of both a great speech and a trustworthy face, among other things, is what will make your video the most compelling.

So, how can you get people to want to listen to your video? There are a few items that are critical to building the trust you deserve. First, you must be authentic. Be you. Dont try to be someone you are not. If you look, sound, or feel uncomfortable, it will show, and many viewers will see, hear, and feel it. Second, demonstrate your integrity by showing us how much you believe in what you are saying. Again, if you come across as fake or phony, it will show. A good analogy is a dogs behavior when certain people walk into the room. Some people are deathly afraid of dogs and the dog can sense it immediately. We humans have learned to do something similarto sniff out false and bogus people. Some are better at it than others are, but we all have this ability. Third, people dont care how much you know, they want to know how much you care. If you are genuine in caring about your viewer, they will sense it and feel a higher level of comfort in listening to you speak. Finally, speak the truth. Dont sugarcoat or exaggeratethese all come across counter to the previous three and will completely destroy your credibility.

This can be applied to all parts of speaking, but with video, you need to be aware of more than just your speech. Your background shouldnÔÇÖt distract from your message. You are what they should be paying attention to, not the bookshelf of whatÔÇÖs happening outside the window behind you. Add text to the screen to help reinforce what you are saying. It also focuses the viewer on what you are saying and subtly tells them, ÔÇ£This is important!ÔÇØ Have confidence and be positive while on camera and use transitions when speaking. It helps the viewer follow along when you say things like, ÔÇ£Now that IÔÇÖve covered XYZ, letÔÇÖs move on to ABC.ÔÇØ This transition tells the viewer where you are and what to expect next. Sound like English class all over again? Good! It should.

Having just a trustworthy face is not enough to make people want to listen to your video; however, neither is just having a good speech. If you take the time to focus on all aspects of your video, including whatÔÇÖs in the background, what youÔÇÖre wearing, and even the music that is playing, your video will have a much better chance of being listened to and acted upon. You want to connect to your audience, so give them what they need. Comfort, trust, integrity.

As always, we coach clients how to perform better on camera during our shoots. When we have someone who is struggling on camera, we do our best to help him or her relax and speak clearly. After all, you know the subject matter, just talk as if youÔÇÖre talking to a friend. WeÔÇÖll do the rest! Let us know when youÔÇÖre ready to get started.

 

Source: Wistia Blog. (2017). Why Videos Featuring Humans are Easier to Trust. Retrieved from: https://wistia.com/blog/make-trustworthy-videos-with-humans on September 28, 2017.