4 Suggestions to Hiring a Video Production Company

video camera used at a football game

We get called frequently to create videos for potential clients. We are asked many of the same questions. But when it comes to hiring a video production company, asking the right questions and investing a little time will be worth the effort. You’ll end up with a much better resulting video that will professionally position your company. Choosing a production company can be a delicate process because, many times, you’re asked to pay up front for something that doesn’t even exist yet.

What to Consider When Hiring a Video Production Company

Listed in this blog posting are a few insider tips to finding a production company that can produce the high-quality video your business deserves.

  1. Demo Reel – Don’t Be Fooled! Many production companies create a great demo reel on their homepage. Usually it is just about two or three minutes long showing you snippets from multiple projects they’ve worked on. Looks cool. Looks like they can produce a great product…but the real question is, “What does the finished product look like?” Your video isn’t being created to just be pretty or cool, it’s created to effectively communicate a specific message you’ve created. You’ll want to dig a little deeper into the project to find out what the client was trying to create and the message they were trying to communicate. If you can’t find the finished product (red flag!), you might want to keep looking.
  2. Recent Projects. While we don’t always update our website as soon as we’ve completed a project (admittedly, we probably do this two or three times a year), if you can’t find a single recent project that was completed in the past few months, you’re probably dealing with someone who isn’t doing this type of work full time or isn’t very detailed in their business. Take a few minutes to visit their social media pages to see what their most recent works look like. Recent projects usually show you exactly what they can do and as well as show you their strengths.
  3. Get Quotes. While we don’t enjoy being shopped around, we also know that when we are shopped around, we’ll do well. Last year, we assessed our pricing to determine if we were in line with the market. We sent out a fake RFP (through a friend’s company) to see how other companies would bid on a project. What we found was shocking! We found that for the same project, bids were between $800 and $20,000! That’s a pretty big delta! When evaluating who to work with, think about the value you’ll receive (that doesn’t mean cheapest or most expensive) and the one with the best value is the one you should choose.
  4. You Usually Get What You Pay For. You can hire someone at any price to create your video. If you want to be on the upper end of the scale above ($20,000), you can find someone to charge you for that and probably wow you with their equipment and style. If you want to be on the lower end of the scale above ($800), you can find some college student or someone newer to the industry who is trying to build up his or her portfolio to produce your video. Keep in mind that professionals that require higher rates can do so because they are confident in their product and have enough experience to make your video stand out from the rest.

Keep in mind, these are recommendations we have when you’re trying to find a video production company. You may have other thoughts. If you do, or if you have questions, we’d love to answer them in the comment section. Feel free to post a question or comment below. Until then, good luck in your search!

Source: Jager, J. (2015). 4 Tips for Hiring a Great Video Production Company. Entrepreneur Magazine Online. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243236 on April 24, 2015.

3 Types of Business Video To Have This Year

How Long Should a Business Video Be, video camera and lens

Business Video: Make 2017 a Video Year – Stay On Trend!

First of all, we know that business video has made a HUGE stride in this past year. You can’t scroll through Facebook, LinkedIn, or a site like CNN without seeing ads with video. Having the right kind of business video for that medium is critical. This article isn’t about that type of video; however, it is about the three most important business videos you should have on your website. When reading the three types below, think, “What does my prospective client want to know?” Then ask yourself, “Do these three business videos answer their questions?” I’ll bet they do.

Company Overview Video

Almost two-thirds of all customers shopping online find a video about the company helpful in making a decision whether to buy from you or not. It can be simple or complex, but it needs to be there. Talk about your mission, why you exist, a founder’s story, or highlight a key employee. This makes your potential customer relate and want to get to know you more. Here’s an example.

Product / Service Demo Video

An informational video about your product or service can be extremely helpful. Is your service a little complicated? Does your product need some explaining? These are questions you can answer very quickly with a Product or Service Demo Video. Support that logic with a full 95% of those making purchases feel that a video is helpful while researching what they should buy.

Customer Testimonial Video: The Best Type of Business Video

Prospective buyers don’t want to feel alone. In fact, they want to see and hear from those who have already purchased from you. Think about the last time you made a purchase on Amazon. Did you read the reviews? Most people do. In fact, most people who read the reviews also make decisions based on what they read in that section. Just remember, don’t promote…let your customer do the talking. Let your prospect connect with your current customer.

Business Video Extra Credit!

And, for extra credit, we’d recommend the video blog series. This is one you have to be ready to put some time into. There are two ways to approach it: (1) Do it yourself using your computer, audio, and desk lamp, or (2) Do it professionally, but cost effectively. We recommend that if you’re going to do this yourself, you do so in batches. If you want to create six video blogs to push out over the next several months, book a professional for a half day and shoot all six. Then, once they’re edited, you can release them like clockwork, something Google and your followers will like. Here’s an example of one of those video blogs now…

Source: Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1BAq9tX

 

 

Related Posts: 

Video Trends of 2021

The Case for Video Content Marketing and SEO Results

Why Your Trade Show Booth Needs a Video

trade show booth

Trade shows are tough, aren’t they?  So many vendors, so much noise; it can be hard to make your booth stand out.  In fact, we at Plum Productions just exhibited at our first trade show, and we learned a big lesson we’d like to share: video draws visitors to your trade show booth.  It’s true!  An eye-catching video makes it near impossible for someone to walk by without noticing you.  For the best impact, set up a flat screen TV, hook it into your laptop and place it on the table in front of your booth—not behind you.  In a pinch, you can play your video right off your laptop if you don’t have an extra TV handy.  Ours was so effective that we gained several new clients, one of them being a custom video for—you guessed it—an upcoming trade show! As great as trade shows are, you might approach a video for your booth differently than a video on your website.

  • First, chances are the room you’re in will be loud.  Narration on your video might get lost.  You’ll want to make sure your video includes “punch words” or short phrases about your business.  Remember, a trade show video isn’t going to get into the nitty gritty about your services. It just needs to get people to stop and talk to you.
  • Second, go for flash.  Bright colors and quick edits grab attention.
  • Lastly, keep it short.  Remember, it only takes a few seconds for someone to pass your booth.  Keep your video concentrated to the exact information you want a passerby to see.

You can check out the video we created for our new client and see a real life example of an effective trade show video.

Good Luck! If you need any help, let us know!

I Can Make Your Video For $5

studio setup for shoot

Video for Just $5

WAAAY COOOL!! You mean I can have a 2 minute video created by you, edited and everything for only $5? Awesome! Where can I sign up? So many times it’s the hook that gets us in the door. Unfortunately, a poor experience afterward can make us bitter and unhappy. We believe everyone should have video on their website or YouTube; but, we don’t believe it should look like your brother’s 9 year-old created it with their iPhone. We don’t have a problem with someone wanting to do it themselves; after all, that’s why we created MyVideo101.com, (now JennJager.com) but we also believe it should portray the level of professionalism that the business and it’s owners portray in real life.

Getting stuff for cheap is rewarding…that’s why some people are addicted to shopping;kid frustrated by mistake but cheap isn’t always better. Imagine you found a deal…no a steal…for a brand new iPad while searching online. You found one for $20. Would you buy it? Some would say yes…the risk is low (after all, $20 doesn’t get you far these days). Others would say, “It’s too good to be true, it must be a scam.” While there might be circumstances that warrant the low price (estate sale, estate auction, etc.) many times the buyer gets what they pay for resulting in that bitter and unhappy feeling.

We also don’t believe in the mantra, “High price means better quality.” We think those who charge extra for a product or service just because they’re a little better isn’t right either. But it must be in reason. That’s why when someone asks us how much it costs to make a 30 second video, it’s tough to answer. Things we must consider before we can even remotely tell you what the price is:  Where is the shoot? How many people will be in the testimonial portion? Will there be paid actors/actresses? Will there be narration? …and many, many more question. Each item may add some cost, but the cost will often time result in a much higher quality product.

So, the next time you hear someone say they’re having their cousin create their website video, ask the following question:

  1. “Will the quality of the video reflect the level of professionalism your business requires?”
  2. “How long has he/she been creating videos?” Just out of college, see question 1.
  3. “How long will it take to have the completed video?”

If you or someone you know is looking for a high quality video for a reasonable professional price, let us know! Questions? Ask us in the form below.

What Can TV Teach Us About the New Video Revolution?

old time television

TV went through a revolution some years ago. Remember when cable first began? Remember when people were asking, “Why do we need a channel just for weather?” or “Why do we need a channel with 24 hour news?” 20 years later, we know we can’t live without the 24 hour news cycle (well most of us). Given this, what can we learn from history when it comes to video? Here are a few things we can pull from the history playbook.

TV History – A Big Lesson

In Video, Content is King!

Throughout history of television, there has never been a shortage of ideas. Television went from sitcoms to reality TV and back to sitcoms. Television has gone through drastic changes, only to come back to where it began. Not surprising. People like stories. People like to watch reality and sitcoms. They’re very similar in nature.

What does that mean for you? Since content is king, you’ll need to focus on how to create content. Think of Google as the masses (the millions of TV viewers)…constantly looking for something new, better, and entertaining. Your goal should be to continue to come up with new material to share. Whether it’s a marketing video, an informational/testimonial video, demonstration video, a training video, or just a recording of an in depth discussion about a topic relevant to a specific niche, new information (content) is king.

Your Action Item: Take approximately 30 minutes to play on YouTube. First, develop a list of keywords to search. See what you find. Watch 5 videos, but only for 30 seconds each. Write down notes about what you learned from each video. Next, search through the most popular videos and channels. Do the same thing, watch for 30 to 60 seconds. What did you learn/experience? Keys to pay attention to are the format each used, the techniques they used (sales), the techniques they used (production), the length of each video, etc. Use this information to come up with new approaches to video and to content.

Got an idea for a great video? Let us know. Want help coming up with one? Let us know.

Does Video Provide an ROI?

image from demo video

Did you know that Digital Video is a very powerful tool in business? Ever notice the games on your iPad or iPhone? Many of them are now using video to advertise to you. Why is that? Because it works.

Product Videos

Video about a product is usually ‘to the point.’ In fact, the most effective videos that are about a product are under 2 minutes. These videos typically contain information that will help a prospective buyer make buying decisions. They include the benefits clearly and support all other material a possible buyer might encounter. Do you want to improve a possible buyer’s chances of buying? The location of the video within the website is more effective if placed near the purchase or buy now button. Once someone has watched the video, he or she should feel confident in making the purchase. If so, you don’t want them looking far for the button to purchase (or phone number, if this is your call to action).

How do you know if Video works?

Good researchers know that calculating cause and effect takes data. Pure data. If you’re going to do a video, you’ll want to know, did it work? One way to determine this is to do some testing before posting the video on your website and after posting the video to your website. Here are a couple of steps to consider: Pre-Test. Measure current data. How long do potential customers stay on a page? Typically people stay on a home page for just enough time to determine – Is this who I was looking for? Can they do what I need them to do? Do they provide the level of professionalism I’m looking for? Can you do the job? Can I trust you? More time on your site may equate to level of comfort and may lead to more sales. But how will you know unless you measure it before and after? Here are some stats that support having online video:

  • 188.2 Million People in the US watched 52.4 Billion Online Content Videos in December 2013. (Source: http://www.invodo.com/resources/statistics/)
  • Professionally produced video optimized for eCommerce outperforms user-generated video (UGC video) by 30%, delivering a 24.7% lift as compared with an 18.7% lift for the UGC video. (Source: http://www.invodo.com/resources/statistics/)
  • 93% of marketers used video for online marketing in 2013. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Barriers-Tumble-Video-Marketing-Adoption-Grows/1010374)
  • Mobile is important too! 72.1 million US Smartphone users watched video on their devices at least monthly in 2013. This is expected to rise to 86.8 million, more than a quarter of the US population, in 2014. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Long-Form-Video-Content-Rivals-Short-Even-on-Smartphones/1010492)
  • 51.9% of Marketing Professionals worldwide cite video as the type of content with the best ROI. (Source: http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Which-Content-Marketing-Tactics-Best-ROI/1009706)

While we may be biased, the stats are now screaming out, “Use Video!!” If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here, or contact us directly.

Should I Create an “About Us” Video?

Still from testimonial video about Elite Payment Processing

How Does Video Help Your Website?

When we created our website, we contemplated about creating an About Us video or to just have an About Us page. We opted for the text version because we believed it helped our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because words are easily understood by Google. Since the creation of our website, we’ve learned how important video is to SEO. Not only that, we’ve discovered that an About Us video can help sell products.

Imagine you are looking for a photographer for your event. During your search you find three photographers that you think can do the job. You click on the About Us page for each and find that two of the three pages are text based. When you watch the one with the video, you not only learn about the photographer, you also learn she has a great sense of humor. You think, this is perfect for the event we’re putting together.

Here’s an example of one that could be used as an About Us; however, doesn’t exactly follow the full format of creating an emotional connection first.

Video speaks to the emotions of the buyer, while text speaks to the logic. When you present to emotions, you will connect with the buyer. When the buyer connects with the personality within the video, you have a greater likelihood of acquiring the sale.

Key Points to a Successful About Us Video

  • Be Unique. Your company has a story, a culture, and a personality. This should come through in the video you post. If you’re an accounting firm, you will most likely want to present a professional, straight forward message. If you’re an advertising agency with flair, you’ll want to present a professional, creative video.
  • Earn Trust. Use a testimonial or two in your About Us video. Think about it. Potential customers are looking for someone, they’ve elected to do more research about you, why not give them supporting material in the form of a testimonial.
  • Keep the Video Short. Try to keep the video to somewhere between 3 and 5 minutes, but make the first minute the most emotionally connective.
  • Make It Personable. This may sound logical, but many people want to push a sales pitch; instead, make it about the benefits of using your company and the values you hold. Connect with the potential client.

If we can help, let us know! Watch for our About Us video, coming soon!

5 Keys From YouTube on Marketing Your Videos

Word Cloud related to SEO and Websites

Knowing that you’re going to spend some money on a quality video, shouldn’t you at least know how to better market them on YouTube? Here are a 5 keys to smart marketing on YouTube. Many of these came from YouTube’s Playbook, so use wisely!

  1. Create a Playlist. This is a grouping of videos, either by theme, subject matter within a theme, or any way you want to dice up a theme. A playlist can either be your own videos or from other channels. The goal behind creating a playlist is to get people to stay on your channel longer. If you have your viewers going from one video to another because you provide good content, your brand gets recognized. Your brand begins to place higher in the “Suggested Video” section.
  2. Trailer. We’ve all heard that movie voice, “One man, against all odds, …” but having a channel trailer is important because it’s the first thing people will see when visiting your channel. One of the keys to having a trailer is to make it engaging and interactive. Why should people look at your channel? What content are you providing? Keep it short, but make it stick. Make sure the video shows the brand’s personality and character. If your company is whimsical, the trailer should be too. If you brand is serious, so should be your trailer.
  3. Annotations. While admittedly an annoying feature if you are watching the video, this is one of the best ways to engage your audience. Annotations are those text boxes that show up on the screen. They are clickable and can give some important information that might not be included in the video. Remember connecting is important. Get those viewers to comment by adding annotations.
  4. Analytics. What gets measured, gets done. One of the best tools Google offers is the YouTube Analytics page. It’s available for your YouTube channel as well. Learning which video has been watched the longest (not necessarily the most number of times) can tell you a lot about what your audience wants to know. By looking at the analytics, you can customize and improve later videos you post. You can also determine who your viewers are and how engaging your videos are to them.
  5. Interaction. Finally, one of the keys to successful marketing your YouTube page is interaction. Not just with your viewers, but with other channels. Interaction on your part is simple. Like other videos (while logged in as your brand), make playlists with other channel’s videos, and commenting on other channels. As with anything being measured, do this in moderation. Google doesn’t like it if you just like everything.

We hope this helps you be more productive on YouTube and improve your rankings. If you liked this article, please give it a share!  

Source: SoMedia Networks. (2014). Five Tips from YouTube's Playbook on Marketing Your Videos. Retrieved from: videomarketing.somedia.net/five-tips-from-youtubes-playbook-on-marketing-your-videos/

 

4 Ways to Optimize Your Business YouTube Page

YouTube logo

Google is the largest and most used search engine online. It seems everyone knows that, but did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine online? Owned by Google, it has quickly become the next most used search engine. This is why you must use YouTube as a part of your marketing plan. What better way to use YouTube than to provide Google/YouTube with high quality video that educate the consumer about your business? Here are a couple of other tips:

  1. Make Your Channel Your Own. When someone lands on your page, do they know it is yours? Do they recognize your brand? Too many people start a YouTube Channel, but do not brand it. It should look and feel similar to your overall branding strategy. This should also include your video. Make sure the video you place on your channel matches your brand. This should include when you comment on others’ videos.
  2. Provide Content. We like to say, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. Content is king with Google, and the same applies to YouTube. Your videos must be original and interesting. When others comment on your video, YouTube and Google give it more importance. The video must also represent your brand. It is also important that you have a lot of content. It is perfectly fine to upload multiple videos about an interesting and related topic to help you build SEO about that topic. If you can provide information that is hard to find anywhere else, you’ll also attract multiple viewers and give them a reason to comment.
  3. Get Them Clicking. Within YouTube is a fantastic function called Annotation. Use that function to get people to click through to a page that you decide. Think of this as a sales funnel. If they found you via Google, clicked on your YouTube page, and watched the video, you must give them a reason to move to your webpage or other sales action. Whether you’re raising money for a fundraiser or educating people and want them to buy your book, a video with an annotation built in will lead them to the link to buy. Use this. Get them clicking by also getting them to comment on your video. Best way to make this happen is to get them to see an annotation telling them to do so or getting the person in the video to request for feedback or comments. Build it into the video.
  4. Use Links. No. We don’t mean pay for links; we mean link all of your content. If you write a blog about a topic that is highlighted by your video, embed or link (or both) to that video. This builds an SEO web that helps Google and YouTube better understand how the topic is related.

Finally, if you need any help getting that video going, let us know. We can help!

Website Video Idea – Employee Spotlight

Employee Spotlight Video

Do your customers know who they are talking to when they call your business line? How about your potential customers. Ideally, they don’t know you or haven’t met you directly. This would mean that they found you online through a search engine and have made the decision to call you. Wouldn’t it be nice if they had some idea of who they were talking to when they call? Now they can!

We believe that potential customers would like to feel comfortable calling a business. We also believe that a business can move the level of comfort for potential customers to the positive by supplying the customers with an Employee Spotlight video. This allows the customer to know who they are talking to. We’ve all seen the About Us pages on websites that usually contain a photo with a brief description of their role. Why not change this? Why not make this a video introduction supported by the brief job description of the employee? This can significantly improve search engine performance for each person’s name as well as the name of the business.

Who Needs an Employee Spotlight Video?

This works particularly well with organizations like law firms, partnerships, ad agencies, and chambers of commerce. These tend to have lower turnover allowing the video to have a longer shelf life. Even if turnover is a little higher, shooting a video highlighting high-level employees can improve morale and make the employees feel a bit more connected to the company/firm.

If you’re considering a video that spotlights the employees and partners in the business, contact us today to learn more about how we can help.