Video is a great way to grab the audience's attention, tell a story and create a personalized connection with viewers. Video is important in digital marketing because it’s a visual way to share a message and a way to entertain your audience. Research shows that 97% of marketers claim that videos help their audience to better understand their products, and 13% of all trafficking comes from live videos alone (TopFloorTech).
Video Process
Determine Your Goal
Be sure to have a clear goal as to what you are trying to achieve with your video. Are you looking to promote a club or organization? Or maybe you are trying to raise awareness on a particular product or campaign. No matter what you are trying to achieve, start by brainstorming about what you are trying to accomplish. If there isn’t a goal or vision in mind, it can be hard to see a creation come full circle.
Think About the Content Platform
Marketing involves creating content that is cohesive on different platforms. It’s important to keep this in mind when creating videos. Will this clip work for a TikTok? Will this footage compliment the flow of your Instagram feed? These are both great questions to ask so that your videos can be created for the specific platform where you want it posted or hosted on. Depending on the platform, be sure to add a title or caption to explain your video and give users a sneak peek into the content that they are about to view.
When it comes to finding the correct platform for your audience, look to see where they are spending their time. If your video is targeting college students, try posting on TikTok or Instagram. If your video is targeting Generation X plus, try posting on Facebook or YouTube.
Know Your Audience
The audience is everything when it comes to video marketing. It is essential to keep your target audience in mind during all stages of the video process: brainstorming, shooting, and editing. If you know who you are speaking to, then it will be easier to not only come up with content ideas, but you will know what tone and voice will be best in your video. Creating video content that is relatable to your audience is critical for any brand. Lifestyle content examples could include “a day in the life,” “tips and tricks” for a specific skill that would be helpful to your audience, or replicating a trend from social media that would be recognizable to others.
Market Research
Video marketing is critical when it comes to online communication. In 2022, internet users spent approximately 14 hours per week watching videos. With people using their smartphones and laptops all the time, videos have had great success and the field will continue to grow in the coming years, as 54% of consumers say that they want to see more video content from the brands that they follow. Video marketing has proven to be extremely effective; 74% of marketers say that video has a better attraction and a larger investment than static imagery. Videos help raise awareness, engage audiences, and build trust. Elements of a video that have shown success according to marketers are music (74% of marketers find effective), voiceover (66%), and captions (64%). Marketers tend to post their videos on free social media platforms such as YouTube (51%), Facebook (75%), and Instagram (58%). The time in which videos are posted is also important. Most marketers post content during the day, while others find more success in evening or morning postings.
Write Your Script
Begin writing your script by producing a brief with your team. A brief is a brainstorming document where all minds can come together to make sure that the goal of your video is accomplished. Once you have produced your brief, create an outline of key topics that you will cover in your video. A few critical points that you should include in your script are: introductions to the people who are in the video, an explanation of the topic that you will cover, and dialogue for your video. Be sure that when you are writing a script, the tone is conversational, thorough, and matches the tone of voice of your audience. Your script should include text and b-roll signals to guide your video along the way.
Find Talent
It’s time to find your talent! The people behind the screen should help accomplish your goal through personality and roles in the video. For example, will you have hosts, contestants, or friends?
Schedule The Shoot
When and where will your shoot take place? Determine a location and time to meet to film the video, and communicate these plans to all participants. It is also a good idea to have a backup plan in case of weather changes, or poor lighting in the area you have chosen to shoot.
Film
Every detail of your video matters! During the filming process be sure to take all factors into consideration. Some of these factors may include lighting, backgrounds, and various angles. It is also a good idea to use a tripod when filming. Not only will the video come out smooth and sturdy, the finished product will leave you with a professional quality video!
Post-Production
No videographer leaves a shoot with perfect content! The next step in the process is to edit the video to produce a finished product. Post-production includes editing, adding graphics, sound effects, and closed captioning as needed. Once the video is edited, be sure to review it with your team and make any changes as needed.
Distribute
Going back to the content platform that was determined, it’s now time to post the video content and share across platforms whether that’s on social media, email, website or other platforms to get in front of your viewers.
Tips for Shooting Video
Good Lighting and Background Are Key
Be intentional! Every detail of your video matters, and that includes the lighting and space in which you’re shooting content. Lighting and shadows have the power to create a mood that can mimic your storyline. If you are filming yourself, keep the lighting on you, not behind you so that your lighting is consistent. Backgrounds are essential too; the simpler the better, so that it doesn’t distract from the action in front of the camera. Check your surroundings and background before you film to make sure that there isn’t disruptive noise in the background.
Use a Tripod
If you have access to a tripod or other stabilization piece, use it to your advantage! Not only will the video come out smooth and sturdy, the finished product will leave you looking like a professional!
Shoot To Edit
No videographer leaves a shoot with perfect content! The next step in the process is to edit your videos to tell a story. To make this job easier, try shooting from different angles so that there is variety in your finished product.
FAQs
How do I get a video project started?
If you are one of the brands we service, please submit a marketing request form.
How much time do I need for video projects?
Check out our start a project page, which has estimated lead times needed, which are based on how long a final video is estimated to be.
Will you caption our videos for us?
We are not able to provide caption services outside of the videos that our team creates for the brands we service.
Will you edit the video I filmed?
We are only able to offer video editing services for the videos that our team films.
Why should I caption videos?
It is important to make video content available to all audiences and by adding captions, this can help make video accessible.
What additional tips do you have for filming a video of yourself?
- Check your surroundings and background before you film to make sure that there isn’t disruptive noise in the background and that your background is not busy.
- Keep the lighting on you, not behind you so that your lighting is consistent.
- Stabilize your phone so it is not shaky and place at eye level.
- Film for the platform orientation of where you will be posted the video to.
- Look at the camera while recording the message.
- Speak slowly and be enthusiastic!