Don’t worry if you have the “face for radio”. Tip six resolves the issue.
Last week I gave a webinar for the Small Business Centre about my favourite topic – video marketing. It was fun to share my experiences and was broadcast from the desk of my marketing firm in Toronto. The scintillating title (sorry for the sexual innuendo, but the title of this blog has encouraged me to tease you!)
View the webinar and learn how to promote your video to skyrocket sales!
I shared the webinar experience with a client who I’m in the early stages of developing the key messages for his first business video. Joseph’s request was that he wanted his to be “sexy and fun”! Yikes, I cringed. Yes, sex sells. We see it in advertising – but in a corporate video? Learn seven key points to consider when developing your video.
If you don’t have time to read the entire blog – scroll to the end to read tip seven about ‘auto-start’. Learn what you should not do when you post the video on your website.
1. Target Audience
Determine the target audience for your business video. Is it for consumers, business, or both? Let’s assume it’s for business. What are the industries, age ranges of people and job types (from administrators to executives).
My client’s designs and manufactures custom bags, boxes, and coordinated accessories such as tissue paper and ribbons. His target audience is managers and executives in corporations and government departments and agencies.
2. Brand Image
When it comes to creating a business marketing video what is the brand image that you need to convey? Is your company fun and hip or reserved and conservative? Is your product and/or service cool or serious? These are all factors to consider when developing the video.
For over 25 years Joseph’s company has sold to corporations, charities, adverting agencies, to governmental agencies. His customers are looking for a creative packaging solution from a company that they can trust to be with them from start to finish. What would his target audience expect to see in his video?
3. Key Messages
What are your key messages for your marketing video? Professional, knowledgeable, innovative leader, reliable?
Joseph’s company is known for creativity, variety, quality, and value. We knew that many product images are important as people are visual and seeing is believing!
4. Desired Results
Start with the end in mind. After watching the video what is desired outcome? What are the two or three actions that you would like the viewer to do? The following are examples of your call to action:
- contact you (call or email)
- visit your website (as they viewed it on YouTube or another social media site)
- request a free quotation
- sign-up for a newsletter
- book a free consultation
- request information
- follow you on a social media site
- buy now
Determine the call to action before you develop the talking points (or script). The call to action should not be just a slide at the end. You can creatively sprinkle throughout the video messages to contact you now.
5. Professional Video
Hire a professional to film and edit the video. Do not shoot it from someone’s phone. Your business video should be created with the target audience in mind.
In advance of meeting with a videographer share your objectives and key messages. Ideally, write them down. A good videographer can provide creative options that meet your business objectives and budget.
6. Camera Shy
Do you have a “face for radio?!” No problem, let your customers speak for you or perhaps your staff.
Or if you want a sexy video and have a large budget engage models shoot it in New York, on a beach, or in Paris. Seriously, I won’t charge you to be at the photo shoot or my travel time if it’s on location.
If it’s in Paris, I will need to arrive a few days early to scout for film locations and enjoy a French manicure and chocolate éclair or two (or three!) If you’ve read my blog about Promotional marketing videos generating multiple media interviews – you’ll understand my reference to chocolate.
7. “F” Day (filming day)
I wrote a blog about how to get ready for your video shoot. Learn 11 tips for a great video. Actually the title of the blog was “10 tips” but I added tip 11 after my first television interview: get a manicure!
8. Auto-start
Never, ever set the video to auto-start. Why? Often people use the internet at work – do they want their coworkers to know they are researching bankruptcy options? If they are at home – do they want their spouse or children to know they are looking for a divorce lawyer?
Are your ready to wow our customers with impressive videos that you can make in a snap (okay a few hours) You should plan for 45-60 minutes of filming for each minute of video produced. Contact McCabe Marketing to learn about your online video marketing options. There’s a video option for every budget.
