"We need a video.": 4 Questions for Video Producers to Ask Clients Before Starting a Video

If you're in video marketing or a video producer, you've probably heard a client say, "We need a video."

Video can be a powerful tool to connect brands with their followers and prospects. The opportunity for brands to use video to reach their audience has grown exponentially as platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Linkedin have emerged and matured. (Everyone nowadays wants to be on TikTok. It's the "cool" thing. And yes, putting "cool" in quotes is not cool.)

Clients are excited to use video to communicate. They should be.?However, in order for a video to be effective it must have a clear objective that provides value to a brand's target audience, otherwise we're just creating video for the sake of making a video.

As a video content strategist and producer with 15+ years' experience it's my responsibility to provide recommendations on the most effective ways for clients to connect with their audience using video. If you're trying to determine the best way to use video to get your client's message to their audience,?here are four questions to ask them before you get started.

?1.??????What is your goal and objective?

Sometimes we jump right to the method of communication and don't focus on what we are trying to communicate.

Is there a creative brief?

If not, try to get an understanding of the objective, strategy, target audience and key message.

2.??????Who is your audience for this content and what are they looking for?

You can spend time and resources producing the next Oscar, Emmy, Clio, (insert your own aspirational award here) winning project, but if your audience has no interest in the content, they're not going to watch and engage with it. Who exactly is your viewer? What's their age? Demographics? Interests? Create a persona if one doesn't exist.

With all methods of communication, value is the most important factor of gaining and retaining an audience. Content should inform, entertain, and/or educate.

What value are you providing the viewer to watch and engage with your content?

3.??????How do you plan to distribute your video?

The planning and production of video is only half the battle. The distribution is just as important but sometimes not as well thought out. Many times people think once they have their video they can just publish it and their followers will come to it automatically. This is why knowing your audience and understanding what they are looking for is imperative. Distribution is successful when you put the right piece of content in front of the right person at the time they are looking for it.

If you plan to distribute via email, the subject and body of the email is just as important as the video. They help pitch the value of the video. The one challenge is that with email you have to rely on potential viewers to not only open their email but then take a second step of clicking a link to watch your video.

Distributing your video in an environment where your followers are, such as a website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn, can bring about longer retention since you're meeting them where they are already engaging with content they're interested in. One important thing to note is that audiences have different expectations depending on the platform they are on. When it comes to video, it can't be a "one size fits all" approach. What works on one platform may not work on another.

4.??????How will you measure success?

The metric many people gravitate towards are views as it shows how many people have "seen" your video. That being said, different platforms define views in different ways. For example, Facebook and Instagram count a view when a video has been watched for 3 seconds (about the amount of time it takes to scroll past it on your feed), while YouTube requires a user to hit "play" and watch for 30 seconds, and TikTok counts a view from the moment the video starts. While each "view" is not created equally, the total number of views is one of the metrics shown publicly, signaling (rightly or wrongly depending on your opinion) to potential viewers that this content is worth watching. A video with a lot of views can attract more viewers but it doesn't guarantee retaining them.

Metrics that help determine how effective your video is in connecting with your audience are average view duration, time watched and average percentage viewed. While views help you determine the number of people who have started your video, these other metrics help measure how engaged they are with the message you are communicating.

Depending on the message of your video and call-to-action, conversions is another important metric. However, just because someone sees a video doesn't necessarily mean they'll make an immediate purchase or conversion.

What value are you providing the viewer to watch and engage with your content?

Video is such a powerful tool to connect people and brands. In order for video to be effective, it must provide value to the target audience.?Sometimes when we're excited to begin a project, rushed, have a lot going on, or whatever else it may be, we skip the basics. Asking these 4 questions can help you as the producer and your client align not only on the message but the best way to use video to reach their audience.

Video Marketers and Producers, are there other questions you ask your clients? What have I missed? What are your thoughts?