” I think we should start making video content”, sounds like you or someone you know?
Congratulations, you’ve decided to take the plunge to start creating video content for your business. Now, you might be left thinking, where on earth do I start? Now don’t get me wrong, there are lots of elements to think about when it comes to producing a video but before you get started we’ve devised 5 simple steps to think about before you engage with your video production company.
1) Why am I making this video?
It might seem incredibly obvious, but this is one of the first things you need to consider when looking to create video content. Why are you creating this video? What purpose is this video going to serve? What is the message you are trying to communicate? What is your WHY?
This doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does have to be clear. For example, let’s use a Skincare company. We’ll call them, Jones Road Skincare. They have launched a new product targeted at teens and want to share this news with their audience, so they want to create a video to showcase their new product.That is the why.
Although it seems simple it’s important to remember and means that throughout the process you can go back to your why. Brands often think that they should be creating video content (which they should), but if there is no purpose then you are only doing your-self and your brand a disservice.
2) Who is your audience?
Quite literally, who do you want to watch this video and what information do they need or want? This will impact your messaging, length of time and placement of video so it’s important to get this right. Let’s take Jones Road skincare for example, their target audience are customers, 15-19 with an interest in skincare.
Consider this audience, what are they interested in? What messaging is going to resonate with them? Ultimately what can you say to them that will make them buy your product? Understanding your audience will have a direct impact on your messaging and your story do spend your time deep-diving.
3) Where are your audience?
Okay so we’ve nailed down your audience, good work. Next step, where are they? Where do they spend their time online? Let’s take the above example – we know that this age bracket spends a lot of time of platforms such as TikTok and Instagram so placing your video on Facebook may not be the solution here. How long does this audience typical watch content for? 15-30 seconds…so a 2min video on your website might not instantly grab their attention.
Where your audience spends their time not only impacts where the video is placed but also the content itself. From the length of the video, how the video is shot and any other technicalities that vary by platform. Don’t wait to think about where your video is going – plan ahead.
4) What do you want your audience to think/feel/do?
This may be arguably the most important question you need to ask yourself and is something you should continually re-visit and ensure that your video is working hard for you. Let’s explain this further.
Think: When your audience watch your video, what do you want them to think i.e., this product would be great for me, that is exactly what I want. I must have it.
Feel: How do you want them to feel when they watch your video? What emotion are you trying to evoke? Using our skincare example, this may be empowered, excited, desirable.
Do: What action do you want your audience to take? In this case it could be I want them to click the link to buy,I want them to leave a review, I want them to share with their friends.
Answer these questions and come back to them at each stage in your video production journey.
5) How will you measure success?
You are creating this video for a reason (see point 1), so how will you measure if the purpose of this video has made an impact. There are many measurements you can use to track success but you must decide what this looks like upfront so you can see if it is working for you.
Taking our example of Jones Road Skincare, this could be how many views did the video get ,how many watched it through or simply how many direct sales can we attribute from this video? Deciding what success looks like at the beginning ensures you can modify and adapt and ensure the video works hard for you.
There is A LOT to consider when making video content that tells your story in the right way for the right people but start with these 5 basic elements and you will be well on your way!