What Do I mean By Video Slideshows?
A Video slideshow is a low cost form of video where still images are animated on the screen. By animated I mean the images are moved on the screen I’m not referring to the digital technique of turning a still image into an animation like this (click here). What I’m talking about is kind of video you can watch by clicking here. The images move on the screen, there is accompanying music and there is an excellent voice over and the video finishes with the company’s contact details. Slideshows like this kind of video are the entry level when it comes to marketing videos and you are probably asking yourself if they are worth it. Let’s take a look at the pros and the cons and see if we can’t reach a conclusion.
The Pros
Slideshow videos like this are inexpensive. You can buy a video like the example I gave above for between two and three hundred pounds. It is possible to buy even cheaper than that but you won’t get the voice over and with a video like this all of the heavy lifting, if you will, is done in the voice over. It is the work of the writer and performer that makes this video worthwhile.
The is no disruption to your business because there is no video shoot required. All that is needed is a selection of good quality photographs from which the editor can choose. It may even be possible to use some stock footage as in the example above.
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The turnaround for the video will be quick because there is no shoot and the edit is fairly simple. The companies who make these types of videos usually have good work flows with experienced talent who can turnaround your video within 1 or 2 weeks.
There are automated options available. There are websites where you can upload images, select music and template and a video will be generated for you sometimes for free. Magisto have a section of templates and offer video for business.
The Cons
There is no getting away from the fact that slideshows look cheap. They are what they are and if you use them you have to accept that your customers can tell you invested very little time, money and effort.
They still require good quality images. This means that if you don’t already have good publicity images you’ll either need to have them taken or accept that your video is not going to reflect your business in the best light.
Automated slideshow products can give you some very strange results. A good slideshow utilises the skills of an editor to move your images in a way that shows your company in the best light possible. They will focus on and highlight the most important or striking parts of the images you supply. They will tell a story with music and images and movement. I once tried an automated service just to see what kind of results I would get. What I got was a video that was meant to display a house to potential buyers in a way that would make it seem attractive but didn’t. I particularly enjoyed the ten seconds that featured the corner of the stone fireplace in close detail followed by a close up of some curtains. Good slideshows need people. The algorithms are not good enough… yet.
Even the best voice overs are useless if you are a video playing silently on a facebook newsfeed. To capture viewers attention in that environment requires captivating images. Slideshows struggle to capture the attention of the casual browser.
Conclusion
Buy a slideshow from a good producer, don’t use an automated service and expect anything wonderful. If you do get something good it is purely by accident and you have been very lucky. Be prepared to treat your slideshow as a placeholder. It fills a gap where you will put something better, a real video. Pay for a good voice over and script. In a slideshow they do all of the persuading when it comes to converting viewers to contacts. If you are planning to stick with slideshows because of their affordability then buy a package where you can update your images regularly or where you can have multiple slidshows for different aspects of your business. If you are choosing this option because they are cheap then take advantage and exploit the benefit to the full.
