For many, video production is not their main job. They’re not confident that they know what they’re getting into, so they avoid it altogether. However, video is a powerful marketing tool, and it should be a staple in product launches, trade shows, web pages and more. For those who may not know how to make a video, here are seven best practices that will make it easier to spearhead your company’s video marketing efforts.
1. Read a good video production guide.
Here’s a comprehensive guide that comes with 15 templates! You’re probably not going have the time or the resources to follow all the recommended steps. Do the best you can.
2. Agree on (and write down) the most important thing to put across.
It’s easy to lose sight of the main event as subject matter experts and marketing experts review content developed in stages. It’s also a good idea to decide in advance what response you want from the viewer — something like “Hmmm. Never thought of it that way.”
3. Dictate style up front.
Watch competitor and other videos. Study your brand guidelines. But don’t let creative people waste your time on stuff you don’t want.
4. Unless you can enforce turnaround times at every approval/review stage, don’t rely on project timelines.
Whether you’re working with an inside team or outside agency, efficient video production requires approvals at set stages of the process — typically scripting, storyboarding, and creating/editing the video elements. Changes in direction become increasingly time-consuming and expensive at each stage.
5. Don’t let anyone rewrite the script in disregard of the visuals.
There’s a reason that video consumers are called viewers, not listeners. Words are supposed to punch up what’s on the screen, not run the show. If words and visuals don’t reinforce each other, the viewer needs to work harder to grasp the message.
6. Don’t let anyone rewrite the script in disregard of the target video length.
Many script editors ignore the undeniable fact that that adding spoken words to a script not only increases the length of the video but also requires new visual elements to go with the new words.
7. Make sure the storyboards are timelines, not slides.
Viewers follow action. They get antsy when things stand still. It doesn’t matter if storyboards don’t look like well-designed slides. They’re supposed to show you exactly what will attract the viewer’s attention at any point in time, in synch with the script. If you’re not seeing that, ask for more detailed storyboards.
