Figuring out new, innovative ways to connect with potential buyers is the challenge for all marketing teams and smaller company directors. The written word is still powerful, but with digital content increasing exponentially on a daily basis, the need to stand out is becoming more acute.
This situation also means consumers of digital content have increasingly short attention spans. The syndrome of content overload means ingenuous ways are often needed to attract potential buyers’ eyes, especially from social media platforms.
This article helps you address this problem for your firm, and gets you started into your foray into video marketing.
Recruiting a video production specialist
You may have considered producing some video with existing resources. But in the same way you cannot expect optimal accounts to be filed without the help of a specialist accountant, the same is true of video production.
The last thing you want is to produce any kind of video, and then to have your firm associated with cheap marketing. The good news is that there are all kinds of options to get help creating some compelling, eye-catching animated video.
Take a methodical approach to finding a good corporate video agency.
What to look for in a video agency
There is no shortage of choice, so you are in the driving seat as a buyer of these services. With this in mind, you can be quite demanding in your requirements. Use this advantage to get the best possible quality and price as you search for your agency.
First, shortlist some candidates from around the internet. They do not have to be in the same town as you – you can easily communicate requirements for animated video online. Unlike 3D video, you do not need on-site film crews to bring your firm to the screen in 2D.
A common way to start searching is to reach out to people in your network or your region, if you are living in Seattle then search for Seattle production companies who have worked with video production companies in the past. Furthermore, you can just search online for terms and phrases like “video production companies in Melbourne” or in another city if you require a company in an exact location, as well as search through freelance marketplaces and directories like ProductionHUB. After finding potential options, looking into their portfolio of work and researching reviews from clients will give you better insight on how they operate and deliver projects.
Putting your shortlisted agencies to the test
When you have some potential candidates identified, now is the time to put them to the test. The first thing to do is to make your candidates aware of your interest by sending them an outline of your firm and your planned video project.
First, check out their published portfolio. For you to find and shortlist them, they will have stood out, but now is the time to look a little deeper. Check out the agency’s customers and see how their videos look and feel on social media. More importantly, check how much engagement they get, and the reaction to the videos. If the comments are minimal or negative, beware.
See if each corporate video production agency has any customer testimonials – including the person’s name and company – on their website. This is a sure-fire sign of whether their customers are happy with their work. If there are none, ask why and consider speaking to a couple directly. If you are not convinced, move on to another candidate.
At this stage, you should also look for complete transparency about the agency’s pricing model. Whether they work on a project basis, hourly rate or expect a retainer, it is important you know what they expect before you move forward. This can save everyone’s time if you do not like what you see. In particular, you should check the agency’s attitude to charging for revisions and edits.
During this process, make sure you speak in person. Nothing beats a conversation for finding out about a person, so ideally make this a face-to-face meeting or a video call, so you can interact properly. Use this time to work out if you would be able to work with the person, or whether you think there is something they are hiding.
Use this opportunity to qualify who you are paying for too, since if you are paying top dollar, you want to be benefitting from the skills of the most experienced video producer, not the office intern.
Moving to the next stage
Once you have a candidate in mind, move to the next stage of the process. Tell your chosen candidate what you are looking to achieve with your video campaigns. This could be to raise general awareness in your firm, or to create specific leads for different products and services.
Ask your agency to form a detailed understanding of your firm and what it represents. The more they understand about this, the more they can convey the message in your videos. Bringing out these qualities will help to solve that challenge of content overload and draw potential buyers to your firm to benefit from your expertise and excellent customer service levels.