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5 Tips for Creating Awesome Corporate Videos
How To Create Great Corporate Videos
The term “corporate video” doesn’t usually grab the attention of partners and prospective clients. That is changing as big brands and small businesses change their approach to the traditional
corporate video. Increasingly, companies are trying to find ways to create content that can engage and entertain audiences instead of just trying to sell them something or promote the company. In today’s environment of two way
communication between brands and consumers, companies have become storytellers, and video is a great storytelling tool.
Now, for many, video is intimidating and often considered too expensive. Not every medium-to
small-size business has the resources to put millions of dollars into their marketing or advertising videos. With the right content and a few basic tools, and a modest budget, any business
can create engaging, high-quality corporate video that will help solidify your relationship with existing customers and bring in new prospects.
To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of tips for creating great, compelling corporate videos.
1) Pick a purpose and find the stories that focus on it
Not all corporate videos serve the same purpose and they shouldn’t be the same. Some videos are designed to get new customers, others to get new employees. Some videos want to sell or promote a product, others may be more about raising brand awareness of your company as a whole. Think about what your company has to offer and how you can offer it in video.
Customer testimonials can be a great way to show people your products and customer service, as well as display the value of your company or product. Employee testimonials can be a powerful way to recruit new hires. Product overviews can help prospective customers learn more about a product and make more informed purchasing decisions.
“How To” videos and explainers can show expertise in your field and provide a valuable lesson for the consumer. You can even
try making a short documentary about a client that features your product.
2) Make a plan
While the artistry of filmmaking may baffle you, the logistics behind it will probably be second nature to most small business owners. If you’ve ever had to make sure something gets done, you have the basic skills to produce. As most good business leaders know, at the heart of getting things done is a good, well-thought out plan, so don’t rush into your video.
Once you’ve decided the goal of the video, consider who the people are in the company who should input on the video? What outside resources will be needed? What is the budget? Timeline? These are just some of the initial questions you need to ask, but essentially having a plan means considering what needs to get done for the video, how it is going to get done, who is going to do it, and when it is going to get done. Don’t try to do it all alone. Video is a collaborative medium and requires a team, find the people in your company who are interested in this kind of creative expression or hire professionals.
3) Find stories that will connect, engage, or entertain your audience
When thinking about the stories that will support your video’s purpose, recognize that not all stories are equal. Some have more emotional pull than others, some are funnier, some are action packed. Videos take time and money and there is no reason to spend valuable resources on a bad video. As you plan your video, consider which stories you have to tell and which ones are the strongest.
For example,
testimonials from clients in interesting or exciting industries will be better than those in more conventional ones. Looking to recruit? Employees who are confident speakers and big company advocates will do better on camera than those who prefer to work quietly. Concerned your skills don’t apply to a “how to”? If you’re in a niche industry, find a way to connect your skill to day to day problems or topics, an accountant can explain basic tax terms or ways to organize financial data. Talk to your team and think about how you can turn your company’s experience and experiences into interesting consumer experiences through video. Remember to keep it simple and keep it short!
4) It doesn’t need to be Hollywood-level, but production value matters
No one is expecting your company video to look like a glossy Nike ad or a blockbuster action movie, but that doesn’t mean it should look like someone shot it on their iPhone. If you want
corporate videos that will have impact you need to invest in them like any other marketing measure or company initiative.
“As you plan your video, consider which stories you have to tell and which ones are the strongest."
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The best way to guarantee decent production level is to hire professionals. In today’s competitive video production market there are probably more than a few video producers in your area and your budget. Ask friends for recommendations, search online, find their websites and review their work, find someone who does work you like and begin a conversation about budget and ideas. You can often find video production firms that will do everything from concept to post-production or others who may want you to work on the concept and they will come in for production and post-production. Find one that works with what you want.
If you absolutely have to go it alone, get a decent camera and a tripod. Make sure to check your video or shoot test shots to make sure the image looks the way you want. Watch a lot of other videos for inspiration and good luck.
5) Get your video out to the world
Now that you’ve made your video and are ready to share it with the world you need to launch it effectively. Many filmmakers will say that a movie isn’t complete until it is seen by an audience. The same is true for your videos. So don’t get too caught up in production and post-production that you forget about marketing and distribution.
YouTube is a great place to host your video. In addition to being the most popular video hosting site, it is the second most popular search engine after Google, and it’s results are also prominent on Google searches.
More important than the hosting is the promotion. Facebook, Twitter, your company blog, website, and email list are all great ways to spread your videos. Be careful not to spam people with too many, but an occasional update with some video clips will actually be appreciated by many.
Beyond your own social media, try to pitch your videos to publications, especially smaller industry publications that may need video content. Depending on your video it could even work for a bigger publications, but regardless of the size, when you get your video on a publication it means people you don’t know are learning about your company.
Now that you have some basic tips, start brainstorming and then get to producing. What’s your next big video idea?
