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30-point video production checklist

Here’s a list of 30 things that, in my experience, are all-too-easily overlooked in the process of making videos to support technology solution selling.

Organization

☐ Team includes the people with the most customer and market insight.

☐ All relevant background materials shared with the production team.

☐ Style preferences, graphics standards, and branding guidelines communicated.

☐ Collaborative methodology, team responsibilities, and signoffs determined.

☐ Feedback and sign-offs specified.

☐ Realistic deadline established.

☐ Budget includes captioning, social media versions, trade show/conference versions (without narration), edits for re-purposing.

Messaging

☐ Presents a compelling reason why viewer should care about what you’re saying in the first 15 seconds.

☐ Presents a true-to-life situation facing the target customer.

☐ Tells a story and helps to build a video library of good stories.

☐ Asserts one memorable differentiator (more is not better).

☐ Differentiates solution decisively with comparison to alternatives.

☐ No vague promises.

☐ Has a useful shelf life, not simply part of a “product announcement” package.

☐ Coordinated with other content (e.g., summarizes research report, animates relationships or processes described in website product section)

Visuals + motion

☐ Relationships and processes are animated step by step.

☐ Adds supplemental relevant information with graphics or text.

☐ Key points can be understood with the audio turned off.

☐ Uses motion and transformations deliberately to keep the focus on what matters to the viewer.

Narration

☐ Conversational and low-key, not high-pressure sales-y.

☐ Word order matches on-screen events.

☐ Minimal audio-only information.

☐ Narrator selection by audition.

☐ Background music not distracting.

Distribution

☐ Thumbnail image selected or created.

☐ Uploaded to YouTube + other platforms.

☐ Surrounding text communicates who should watch the video and what they’ll get out of it.

☐ Captions and transcript.

☐ Clickable chapter headings and links for long videos.

☐ Repurpose excerpts.

Bruce McKenzie

A writer with a background in public broadcasting and corporate marketing communications, Bruce McKenzie pioneered the “2-Minute Explainer®” brand video for technology businesses in 2004. Customers have included numerous enterprise technology companies (Cisco, IBM, BMC, Brocade/Broadcom, Software AG, CA Technologies, CompuCom) as well as B2B startups. Rebranded “Technology Business Video” in 2017, the company today produces a variety of “tactical” videos to reach buying team members throughout the sales cycle. We take everything marketers want to say and transform it into short videos that communicate stuff buyers want to know. It’s basically what good writers do, made visual. Visit www.techbizvideo.com to learn more or set up a chat about tactical videos with the Technology Business Video professionals.

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