You want to incorporate videos into your marketing strategy, but what kind? Do you really have to pay someone with fancy equipment when you already have a camera on your phone? How much can you do yourself? This blog will attempt to explain and encourage you with what kinds of videos business owners can shoot themselves and what they should hire a professional for.
Have a strategy
There are many different types of videos for a variety of purposes and platforms. Before you launch into any kind of video campaign, make sure you have your video strategy formed. Just posting videos won’t maximize the effect you can make. Once you have your video strategy, there are two key questions you should ask yourself.
- What brand image are you going for? Professional? Casual? Planned or spontaneous? Once you know, stay consistent with the feel and quality. Your audience will be expecting it.
- Where are your time and resources most valuable? If video is something you already love to do, putting together your own is much easier! But make sure all the different aspects, from filming to editing, are consistent in quality and reflect your brand image. Consider whether your time and investment into learning and producing those types of videos are best used there or in your actual job.
Tips for Filming your Own Videos
If you have quality content, you’ll want to help it succeed with quality presentation. No matter what you film with, make sure you frame yourself correctly and use a good background. Use a better mic than the built-in one on your phone. Sound volume and clarity will enable the viewer to hear everything you say without being distracted or having to strain. Good lighting will also make your video jump from a cheap webcam look to a more professional appearance. We want to see your face and not a dull impression or shadows cutting sharp angles. Even simple software will help you edit in text and fades to the image and add music to the background. With some pre-planning and an investment into a few good pieces of equipment you can make a significant improvement to home-made videos.
Who for What?
Some videos that are great to film and post yourself are live feeds to Facebook and other quick announcements on social media. If you have a nice set-up, you could film your own email greetings. There are dozens of ideas to use video to create relationship and give value to your audience. At the same time, there are key presentation pieces that you won’t want to skimp on and risk cheapening your image. After all, 62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of brands that publish poor quality videos.1 Referring back to our two keys, consistent quality and brand image can be obtained, but it is up to business owners to decide if it is worth it to do the work themselves or hire a professional video producer. For example, your web video or major communications will take a lot more work and are usually wiser to hire out.
If you have video ideas and would like help determining your next steps, please feel free to contact us.
