Increase your ROI with video content

Video production has become the heart of every marketing strategy, with our lives and work on social media and online platforms. Almost 93% of brands say they got new customers due to the videos posted on their social media accounts. The holy grail of the online presence of any brand or company is unique video content; there is something very compelling about videos that give the audience more insight into your brand and helps them connect with you.?

However, not everyone can produce quality video content, and there are some guidelines you need to keep in mind for basic video production. We will discuss some areas you need to focus on to improve video production techniques so the investment in your content can be maximised. Let's cut to the chase, here is how to make better quality videos:

The one thing you need to be extremely mindful of is the time of your videos. It is one of the defining features of the success of your video. You should aim to keep the video long enough to convey the video's key message but not longer; short videos are great for a cold audience and to help the target audience familiarise themselves with your brand. However, videos that are too short may also fail to portray the essential points you are trying to get across through your video.?

Hit the sweet spot that achieves both objectives when defining the length of your video.

A clear-cut idea or scope is imperative for your video to have a high-performance result. Visualising your desired production and knowing what you expect out of the video is very important.? Figuring that out is a step that comes even before filming or scripting otherwise, your final product loses direction. There can be several different expectations of the final result, and it's important to communicate those and the priorities within the team. A video could be a tool to generate leads, create brand visibility, or increase reach, so defining the purpose is key. A specific goal helps keep the production time and process effective and guarantees the desired outcome. Knowing where your target market is and when you need to expose them to your video will ensure the video is a success. It would help if you always devised a clear strategy of how you will distribute the video before you produce it.

A video you watch on your phone? On the bus? or on a big screen during a business fair?; adjust the production accordingly, keeping the final video purpose and length in mind. The volume of mobile video consumption increases?by 100% every year. In other words, now’s the time for your business to?create a winning?video content strategy.

Whom you are targeting is key. Knowing the demographic and psychographics you are trying to target is instrumental in content production. Your product must evoke an emotion that translates into action.

It is also wise to keep all potential problems in mind and have alternative solutions on the back burner. The better the pre-production is, the easier the actual video shoot or production will go. It is crucial to ensure the purpose and storyline are aligned while keeping the target audience and display size in mind. These factors all impact the decision-making process during production.?Each frame and every sequence should have a purpose, and so should each light and microphone, guaranteeing the result to be premium.?

Some think "roughing it" is the creative process and the way to go about video production; however, that is not true. There is a chronology of steps to be followed when making a visual product. A good video relies on a killer script. We outline the script with our clients in a creative workshop, creating an initial recording schedule and planning for potential hiccups and logistical/time challenges.? Improvisation and on-the-spot scripting while shooting tend to take you off-topic and can make your video unnecessarily long and lose its purpose. The essential elements of a video are to be pre-determined. There needs to be a goal, a build-up, and a call to action. Anything more than that is non-essential and a drag.?

The best approach is to find one pain point or an issue for which there is an audience and then offer a solution. When you offer this problem-solution format, you are asking and answering the question yourself, which helps you avoid an overload of information that could distract your audience. The most successful video content tends to tell stories that connect directly with the viewer, and the better you tell stories about yourself, the more likely your viewers will understand what your company is offering and what it can do for them.

Study your script

We highly recommend re-reading the script several times before filming begins; this will also help you save time on the shoot and reduce production costs for unnecessary retakes.?Scripts tend to look sparse, with short pieces of text and much space. The initial thought might be that it's easy to learn, but don't let the appearance deceive you. A script page takes around 10 minutes to record when the text reads like running water; the same script can take 60 minutes or more if you are unfamiliar with your script. That's time that could be spent on other, more essential things to make the most out of your production and budget.

It is easy to believe that things will go smoother if you cut up the script and read it sentence by sentence in front of the camera. But with this method, you're doing yourself a disservice. Although it is possible to finish the shoot quicker, any extra time is better spent editing the material afterwards. In addition, the speech risks becoming monotonous and unengaging as each sentence is read separately, without a larger context. When the script is read in a flow, it becomes powerful and lives up to its full potential!

Keep notes

Video shoots are usually hectic, and the day will be busy with various activities, so taking notes and writing down all your ideas can be very good. It happens that you want to record an impromptu interview where the person gets inspired in front of the camera and speaks freely about your new product or service. Then it's good to have keywords and support phrases about the conversation so that when you film any additional material, it can support the storyline.?

Set sufficient time aside for recording

Less is more. Never stray from your subject and stick to the information central to your message. A film shoot is time-consuming, and a working day is never long enough. Even if the result is a seemingly simple film of a few minutes, there is much work behind it. So it is recommended not to have anything else during a stressful day which interferes with your concentration during the shoot. Please make sure you, and everyone involved, can fully dedicate the day, or at least part of the day, to the shoot itself.

Sometimes you get into a flow and are tempted to carry on without a break - that's great! But a shoot can also feel demanding - everyone has different needs and may need more or fewer breaks than their colleagues. Then it is good to take shorter breaks to eat and hydrate, drink coffee or go out for some fresh air. Remember that it is always better to take a ten-minute break and work efficiently for one hour than to push on and work inefficiently for three hours.

How do you select the right people to be in front of the camera?

For many, being in front of the camera can feel daunting and revealing and even strange to have cameras and lights aimed at you. You would never ask your mechanic to repaint the kitchen or your painter to fix your car. Each task requires specific skills and a professional who possesses sound knowledge in their field and is confident in what they do. People who thrive in front of the camera and see film recording as a fun challenge are usually a great fit to showcase your company's brand and values to the outside world. You want to ensure the essence of your business and values are correctly portrayed, so choose clients or people who know what they are talking about by heart and whose skills and expertise extend beyond the screen and connect and engage with your target audience.

At the end of the day, the recording day usually becomes a memorable experience, bonds the team or clients and something you look back on with a smile. Remember that you can always shoot another take if something doesn't go according to plan, so don't stress yourself when something doesn't straight go according to plan.

You may have the know-how of how to make a video. However, if you want your resources to translate into maximally profitable, you should hire professional help to make the best possible video and your money's worth.? If you drop the ball at any point, be it production or editing, you can risk losing the whole essence of your video. Delegating and outsourcing your production to us at Storisell can play a massive role in improving video content and free up a ton of time that you could be spending on your next big business idea.

Storisell and Prod46 work with filmmakers and photographers with broad education and many years of professional experience, so your production projects are in excellent hands. We produce everything from client testimonial videos and employee branding to company videos and everything in between.

Ahead of starting any project, we invite you to a workshop with our production team, where we go through the project's visualisation, planning and full scope together to ensure that you get the best possible result for your production. We are helping and guiding you throughout the process and ensuring that sound, image, and light always look professional and premium. Together we make it a comfortable, professional and enjoyable experience. Ready set and action!