Make 2018 the Year Your Business Falls in Love with Video
Whenever the 31st of December rolls around, we always take the time to reflect on the year just gone and make plans for the one ahead. In our personal lives, it might be to lose a bit of weight or to learn how to reverse a trailer, while in our professional lives it might be to work hard to get a promotion and a pay rise, or stick it to The Man and start our own business.
When it comes to how video production relates to your business, it’s easy to make some New Year’s Resolutions but much harder to follow through. Video is an important part of any business and marketing campaign, though, so if you’re serious about making the most of video in 2018, here are some tips.
Make a commitment to invest in video
As consumers, we take for granted just how much we rely on video. It’s how we catch up on the latest news (like online news websites), how we stay connected with friends and family (like Skype or Facetime), and how we keep ourselves entertained (like Netflix and Facebook). It makes sense, then, that businesses embrace this unique medium of communication that visually and audibly connects them with people. Consumers are used to watching and engaging with high-quality works of video art, though, so if your business wants to really gain traction from video creation, you need to invest in it and do it properly – because a video you’ve shot on your shaky smartphone just isn’t the same as a professional corporate video. Talk to a video production company like Onepost Video Production and discuss your goals and options. Do you want to create an explainer video or corporate video that outlines what your business does and what makes you tick, but in a fun and engaging way? Do you want to infuse a bit of personality into otherwise boring video content? Do you want to harness the power of video to keep your global company connected? Whatever your goals, Onepost has options to suit all budgets.
Do some DIY video too
You’d have to be living under a really big rock if you hadn’t noticed the rise of video content on social media of late. Heck, people are even converting still images into short videos simply by adding a few swooshy stars just so Facebook’s fancy algorithm prioritises it over a regular old photo. But one trend that is set to continue its upward climb is the DIY-type video. Facebook and Instagram Live do this well, enabling businesses to connect with their customers on a more intimate level – even new New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern loves getting amongst Facebook Live quite regularly. Snapchat is another video-sharing platform that continues an upward trajectory of popularity, and it’s no longer just focused on the ‘youf’ of today either. Snapchat’s 10-second videos enable businesses to offer quick and candid snapshots of their day to their clientele, often in an entertaining and engaging way.
Create a video marketing calendar
There’s an old and probably wildly over-used saying that goes, ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’, but as cliché as it sounds, it’s very right. There’s no point investing in video production support if you’re not willing to sit down and plan how you’re going to use it. Create a video marketing calendar that includes every possible avenue your video content could be used in, like social media platforms, websites, newsletters, partnerships, even events. Use this calendar to plan when you’ll push particular videos, when other events might impact how and when you use your video content, and when you need to set time aside to plan it properly.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Once a video has been used for a few months, that’s it – its effectiveness is over. Right? Wrong. One video can actually be used in many different ways, on many different platforms – but it’s important to realise that to really get the most out of a video you need to start planning long before it’s completed. For example, perhaps you’ve invested in a cool 90-second corporate video to host on your website. Use your video marketing calendar to plan a full campaign around your video, including shorter cut-downs of the same video to host on other platforms. Create bite-sized ‘sneak peek’ videos to entice your customers. Produce short versions and incorporate them into a sponsored post on Facebook and Instagram. Include a link to your new video in every email newsletter you send out. Encourage your staff to share them on their own social media platforms. Make the most of every opportunity to get as many eyes on your video as possible.
Don’t be afraid of video
If your business has never really done video before, it can be a bit daunting, and you’ll probably need to take a leap of faith. But with the right attitude and a willingness to take risks and be open to new ideas, video doesn’t have to be scary. Partner with a video production company that listens to your needs (and possibly your fears), has creative ideas and can think outside the box (because you want a video that stands out from the crowd). Not sure who to call? Onepost Video Production is a good place to start; contact us today.