How to Make a Video for Your Business

Video has been a powerful tool in the world of storytelling since the birth of Hollywood, quickly bringing a story to life and providing a visual representation that is easy to understand and digest. It can be just as effective in communicating your business story as it is in telling the story of the Jedi. But how can the storytelling techniques of Hollywood help develop a video for your business?

Today, video is an essential part of any business’ marketing strategy. Using the techniques of Hollywood, video can be used to educate, entertain, and engage with consumers on a deep level, by providing a vessel through which businesses can fully encapsulate their brand story and deliver it in a captivating way.

And Business videos have proven successful. According to research from the Aberdeen Group company revenue grows 49% quicker for those who use video within their organisation, than for those who don’t. On top of this, a study from Forbes found that a massive 90% of consumers use video to help them make decisions on their purchases.

It can however be a little overwhelming to get started on your business video, so with this in mind we’ve turned to our Director of Video, Simon Burgess, to get some answers to the questions you might have when embarking on a B2B video campaign:

Q: What is the first thing a business should consider when making a video?

A: You need to work out exactly why your business wants the video in the first place. Think about what the video is going to be used for, who the target audience is, and where it will feature. Is it going to be used on social media, your website, or at an event? Are you looking to increase brand awareness? Is it for new customers, existing customers, or internal staff?

Once you have a solid idea of the goals for your video, it will be much easier to structure and decide on the content and the creative.

Q: How long should my video be?

A: As long as it needs to be to get your message across.

A lot of sources suggest that a video should be short and punchy, which is absolutely the case for certain videos (i.e. for social media), but this isn’t always true. A customer case study or an explainer, for example, will need to provide a little more depth and substance to fully encapsulate your message.

Q: How much will my video cost?

A: Again, it depends on what you want to create, but it’s much easier to come up with creative ideas when we have a rough budget to work too. There are so many ways to tell one story, and budget (and time) will dictate what the final video will look like.

There are many elements that can go into your video; location shots, product shots, voiceovers, animation, celebrity hosts – and they all cost money, but they all can also enhance your video and engage with your audience.

Once you have established a budget you are willing to spend, you can then enjoy looking at the ways to spend it.

Q: Do I really need to pay for a professional video? I have a phone camera after all…

A: I guess the first thing to say is that when you’re paying for a professional video you’re not paying for the equipment, but instead for the team’s creative ideas and production experience. As a director friend of mine once said ‘the professional knows what to do when things go ‘wrong’’.

Don’t get me wrong, good equipment plays its part and today we all have some great cameras in our pockets. Together with inexpensive editing software you can do amazing things. So if you have the need for a short, internal video, get creative and go shoot.

On the other hand, if it is customer-facing or important to your brand, then it’s probably better to get the professionals in. You want to present your company and story in the best possible way.

 Q: What else should I consider?

A: Keep the video authentic. If something is forced, or faked, an audience will notice. Think of those videos that try to present themselves as a ‘funny viral video’ but are quite clearly adverts. It’s infuriating. Instead, be clear with your intention – the video’s authenticity will come down to the people involved and the approach you take to telling it.

Also, remain open to ideas. Some ideas you have for your video might not be possible, but then there may also be things you can do that you hadn’t previously thought of.

Regardless of the questions you have, allow us to share our expertise with you and help shape your video – we take pride in our work and want to help bring your vision to life, creating something that matches and surpasses your expectations.

The filmmaking process should be an open conversation, allowing room for change, so set aside some time to discuss your business video and make careful considerations on how your business story might be best presented on screen.

If you want to find out how video can help strengthen your business narrative, get in touch about your business video project today.