Your first foray into corporate video production can be equal parts intimidating and exciting. When done right, corporate videos – like any video – can generate leads, boost conversions, and increase sales.
Unfortunately, a lot of people overlook important details in the grand scheme of things, and usually end up with nothing but awkward video footage and wasted opportunity.
Keep these five details in mind when you start your first corporate video, and you should find yourself with a masterpiece.
WHAT ARE CORPORATE VIDEOS
But first things first: what are corporate videos, and how are they different from other made-for-web videos?
Corporate videos are basically explainer videos that are used more often by people in the business/corporate sector (hence the name). They’re meant to educate the target consumer about the brand, business, product, or service.
MUST-NOT-BE-MISSED:
- DEFINE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
The look and feel of a video can change depending on who you want watching the video. For example, a brand awareness video aimed at retired couples (60 years old and above) can’t be full of modern slang buzzwords or shortcuts (try explaining AF or fleek to your grandmother), the same way you wouldn’t include company inside jokes on a video meant to be shared via social media.
Get a clear picture of who you’re selling to so you can figure out the best way to reach them and engage them.
- START WITH A WORKABLE BLUEPRINT
You can’t build a house based on nothing but good intentions and misplaced optimism, otherwise you’re left with an unsymmetrical mess of four walls, too much window, and awkward corner allotment.
Corporate video production is basically the same thing. Before you even think about shooting, sit down with your partners and discuss limits, goals, milestones. Set budgets, a timeline for each milestone (script writing, shooting, editing, etc.,) and your best guestimate for a release date. Make sure you allot time for possible reshoots or other delays.
- PRODUCTION TEAM
Who you have working on this project is crucial. You want to get the best of the best without blowing your budget, so pay extra-close attention during this phase. Choose your team depending on the results you want. Some suggest including fresh graduates or new players in the game, as they’re more likely to have fresh, original ideas. Others are more comfortable with experienced, seasoned video producers/editors/talent.
A good rule of thumb would be to get people with a good mix of talent, experience, and originality. The odds of you finding people to fit this bill may be slim, so remember to set expectations and only compromise when you can. Sacrificing your budget for the sake of quality isn’t a good idea – and vice-versa.
- SHARPEN YOUR MESSAGE
What are you trying to say with your video? What do you want your viewers to know? Can your message be summarized in a sentence or three? Is it bordering on a full paragraph?
Ultimately, the reason you’re releasing a video is to spread your message. Whether it’s brand awareness or consumer engagement, you’re trying to tell your viewers something. Ergo, you want to be as succinct as possible. An extensive vocabulary is all well and good, but it doesn’t mean much if your audience doesn’t understand what the heck you’re saying.
Spend a little time condensing your message to one to three sentences. Keep what’s important, scrap the embellishments.
- SHARE
One of the most important parts come after corporate video production. Once you have your finished product, don’t be afraid to get yourself out there. Post your video to every social media platform imaginable, and backlink, backlink, backlink. Link your social media accounts to one another, or link them all back to your official website. Even the best corporate videos are worth nothing if no one sees them, so share your stuff around while waiting for others to get with the program.
