So, you‘ve decided that you want a video for your business, you’ve looked at the various options on who and how it will be produced…from doing it yourself, to hiring a Freelancer or using a Video Production Company…but how do you plan it?
This can seem quite daunting at first, as you may not have looked into getting a video made before and you want to make sure that what you’ll get…is going to be relevant and set the right tone and message for your business. The most important aspect though, is that you know your business, the products, services and most of all your customers, more than any video producer will ever know. That said, the truth in some cases, is that you can be too close to your business and not be able to ‘See the Woods for the Trees’…this is what the video producer is for.
I’ve met with a great deal of business owners, marketing departments and public sector representatives with regards to making videos for them. Some have very clear ideas on what they want and more importantly, what they DON’T want! Though, the majority of my clients have not been too sure on how to progress with a video(s). Everything I will be writing about, is based upon my own experience and methods.
The first thing I do, before I meet a client is to look at their website….this can be very useful, however it can be quite misleading also, if the ‘copy’ of the site is written by someone else (web production company etc) and not by the business themselves (SEO can have this affect). So when I meet with a client, I ask them to describe their business in a simple statement…may sound bizarre, but what I’m looking for, is what you ‘instinctively’ believe about your business and not some, long thought out response…try it, you may find it more difficult than you think!
You may have 10 different services, but in your statement, you may only mention 3 or 4…this tells me what is most at the forefront for you at this time and leads me on to ask about the services you’ve left out (if any). The reason for this is that your business has most likely changed, from when you started and you might be concentrating on new areas, however just because you are moving to new areas or expanding, your video might be best placed to cover what you have already proved and traditionally offered your customers?
For example, your customers may be split between domestic and commercial (never an even split either) however the commercial side might be something you’d like to expand upon. Having a video produced that is dedicated to this side of your business can show you in a different light, than trying to create a “we do everything…for everyone” approach. Yes, it could alienate the domestic side, but if 80% of your business is commercial and this is what you want to grow…you’re then pitching your video at a completely different audience, than trying to ‘catch all’…the opposite could also apply.
So why does this matter? It matters because it allows me to recommend certain locations for the video…if you want to enhance the commercial side, then the shoot should take place in one (or more) of your best customers locations (when applicable) to show the large scale work you can undertake and the variety of services you can offer and demonstrate in one place. Of course, this won’t apply to every business, but what I’m saying, is to match the type of locations (previous customers) with the type of customers you want!
Of course, each business is different and doing a video for a solicitors, vastly contrasts with say a removals business, however the same principles apply….look at the work you have done, where you are now and where you want growth…deciding at what stage the video should be pitched at, is key!
These are just my initial thoughts and the steps I take when I visit you, to plan your video and to be honest, we haven’t even started, but what I’d like you to take from this, is to be able to stand back from where you are now and try to take a look at your business from a different angle, from how your customers see you…This is what your video should aim to achieve!
We’ll be going into more details next time.
Jamie Morden
