4 Reasons More Brands Are Choosing Video Companies Over Ad Agencies for Digital Content Creation

Advertising as an industry has undergone rapid changes in recent years, much of it due to technological advancements. The critical role that traditional ad agencies once played has transformed so much that it’s losing its once coveted and irreplaceable position in today’s digital landscape. From major companies to small businesses, ad budgets are being cut while the demand for fresh, compelling content is increasing.

So where are these businesses both large and small turning their focus to instead? The answer is simple: video production companies.

The Role of Ad Agencies

For decades, businesses relied on ad agencies to bridge the gap between them and their target markets. Agencies had the creativity and insight into what would attract customers, and could then craft ads and build campaigns. Long term relationships were built and maintained between corporations and the agencies. This worked well for so long because of the media landscape, where print, television, and radio ads ruled. As tech has advanced and evolved, the internet has overtaken these older media formats.

Advertising agencies traditionally have a broad scope of functions. They would develop strategies, create the ads, launch the campaigns, and then demonstrate that they could produce results. This model worked well before the digital age, but marketing today requires speed, agility, and immediate results.

The impact of an ad can be measured almost instantly with data and analytics right at our fingertips.

Digital media has transformed marketing in such a way that the ad agency model as we once knew it is no longer necessary.

It simply doesn’t make sense in our fast-paced digital landscape. Businesses can gauge the effectiveness and understand the impact of a video on their own, with no need for outside analytics. Clicks and conversions offer more than just insight, they offer real results.

Connecting with Customers through Video

Today video has become the dominant force in the building of a brand and the promotion of products and services online. From YouTube to Facebook to Twitter to Instagram to company websites, video rules as the top form of influential content. Just take a look at these compelling stats:

·      45% of people watch an hour or more of video online per day, according to Hubspot

·      79% of consumers prefer watching a video to reading about a product, according to Wyzowl

·      84% of consumers have made a purchase after watching a video, according to Wyzowl

·      63% of businesses are using video for marketing, according to Wyzowl

Naturally, businesses of all sizes have taken notice and turned towards video as a primary means of connecting with customers. The role of the traditional ad agency has taken on less importance, and in some cases, is losing its relevance altogether. Many businesses are even building their own in-house production teams to keep up with the demand for new content.

As brands seek to churn out fresh, compelling content fast, they’re also increasingly relying on high-quality video production companies to help them get the job done right. From explainer videos to product reviews to employee interviews, there are so many different ways to make an instant connection with an audience through customized video content.

Short but captivating videos can grab a viewer’s attention and keep them watching until the end. A well-made video is going to demonstrate authenticity and a commitment to quality without coming off as a straight-up advertisement. It gives the audience information, insight, or touches them on an emotional level. A great video is going to do all three at once.

Often the best way to achieve creative, compelling content is not with a full-service ad agency, but with a production company. That’s because they’re focused on what’s essentially the most important medium in marketing today. A skilled video production team can take an idea and turn it into an entertaining, authentic, and appealing piece of content to help build and boost a brand.

This isn’t to say that ad agencies have no role in marketing today, but that the lines have become blurred. What was once a clear-cut model of how to build a brand just doesn’t work like it used to. Successful social media marketing and online advertising simply demand quality video content in a way that we’ve never seen before.

The Advantages of Video Production in the Digital Age

If you’ve spent any amount of time online today, especially on social media sites, then it comes as no surprise to learn that brands of all sizes and types are seeking to connect on an emotional level with their target audience through video. Well-crafted video content is versatile, powerful, and can be used across a wide array of platforms to reach audiences.

With the internet, video is simple to distribute and easy to get out in front of customers, especially for free on social media platforms. The viral nature of powerful or highly entertaining videos also means that brands no longer have to budget for and spend significant amounts on ad campaigns. Videos can simply be uploaded online and can take off through social shares.

While not completely obsolete, ad agencies struggle to maintain their relevance and prestige. More and more brands are turning towards professional video production teams to create their digital content.

They’re cutting out the middle man, so to speak, and are working directly with skilled and talented teams to strategize, create, and deliver directly to their audiences online. There are a few key advantages that video production offers over ad agencies:

·      Speed

With the internet, time is always of the essence in order to maintain an edge. Marketing today relies on speed in order to be effective. In the digital era, faster is better. The nature of social media and the ability to connect instantaneously with customers means that many companies, especially those just starting out, no longer have the luxury of waiting on an ad agency. Coming up with creative ideas, strategizing, and then actually executing the ads and running the campaigns the old fashioned way can take months of planning and coordination. In order to stay competitive and maintain an edge, businesses and brands need to be marketing in real-time. That’s just the nature of advertising today.

·      Cost-effectiveness

Video has been proven to increase conversion rates, especially when used on landing pages for websites. A survey by Wyzowl found that 81% of businesses using video saw their sales increase. With sites like YouTube and Facebook, video content can reach a wide audience online at no cost to a business. Putting dollars into great video content can result in increased revenues, as well as increased brand awareness. Building brand awareness is key to standing out in today’s crowded markets.

·      Versatility

Video production companies work with brands to come up with fresh, creative content that’s well suited to a variety of platforms. Businesses can include videos on their websites, across their social media accounts, at corporate events, trade shows and expos, and in ads. Instead of simply creating an ad, businesses have the ability to create all kinds of video content to serve a variety of purposes. It isn’t just about explicating advertising a product or service, but about connecting with consumers, sharing information, and demonstrating your knowledge, integrity, and commitment to quality. The versatility offered by video is unmatched.

·      Authenticity

Consumers today are interested in authenticity. Honesty, transparency, and coming off as genuine are all things that customers value and that will help build brand loyalty. Well-made video content is the perfect medium for conveying that authenticity and connecting with customers. It’s a powerful storytelling tool that can captivate, intrigue, and touch people on an emotional level. 

How Ad Agencies Fit In

With such a focus on video marketing today, it might seem like advertising agencies have lost their place to video production companies. However, it’s not all bad news for ad agencies, but it is time for them to ditch the old model and rework their internal structures.

Ad agencies can maintain their relevance by focusing more time and energy on their production teams.

Video content is not only the way of the future but more importantly, it’s the way that marketing is being done right now. It’s what consumers want.

Brands are seeking out highly skilled video production companies to help them craft their creative vision and bring it to life. Recognizing the very real threat of extinction has helped many agencies recalibrate and reinvent themselves. Video production companies may have the advantage, but there’s still a role for everyone to play in today’s digital marketing landscape.

Wrap Up

With the value of quality video production gaining increasing importance, agencies have to change and adapt. Video is a truly powerful medium that can transform a brand and take it from unknown to influential in a matter of minutes. Brands today are fully aware of the need to create fresh, engaging content - the statistics behind video’s value simply doesn’t lie. For video production companies, demand is on the rise and the future has never looked brighter.

Please share, comment, like and subscribe if you want to see more content like this.