The Worst Advice About Video Production

Business owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs know that video is one of the sharpest tools in the brand growing shed. As a producer and entrepreneur, I can tell you from first-hand experience some of the worst advice I’ve ever heard about video production. We can get you on the right path. The more time that passes without an effective video strategy, the more opportunities you are losing. Let’s review some of the common bad sayings that we video producers hear often.

“It’s got to be super short”

Video can be any length that performs well. Length and timing is connected to the platforms on which they will be uploaded. 10-second ads are good for video view campaigns on Facebook, and Instagram, and in juxtaposition, a 2-minute long, unboxing review video on YouTube is good for influencers. It will depend on the platform that you decide will be most effective for your audience. It’s best to perform A/B testing to further ensure effectiveness. You may find that your individual audiences respond differently.

“It’s pricey”

At its very core, video production is storytelling, not expensive. It’s a technical way of sharing stories around the campfire. The good storytellers get all the attention because their content is engaging! It doesn’t matter if it’s filmed by Hollywood or on an iPhone. If your video is thoughtful, compelling and appropriate for your audience, then it will be a powerful marketing advantage. Focus more on the content and less on the glamour. Some of the most effective YouTube videos are individuals filming themselves on their web cameras. Find your niche and press hard.

"Just shoot it on an iPhone”

Even though I just mentioned this above, this does not imply laziness or cost savings. Shooting “it” isn’t just something to be tossed off lightly. Shooting on any format or platform should be strategic to your brand-building goals. Cost saving is not a brand strategy; it is an accounting task. Work within your budget to develop a strategy that reinforces the brand’s imagery appropriately. For example, if your strategy includes having a “homegrown” or “organic” feeling, by all means, shoot on an iPhone. It is a smart and thoughtful implementation of iPhone commercial production. If you are Cartier, Audi, or Rolex, your forward-facing imagery must convey luxury and hold the standard to the absolute best quality. Those type of luxury brands may have employed Hollywood professionals to produce their fantastic campaigns, but the feelings and emotions, the production value and the messaging that pour out of those productions are entirely on target for the audience they are trying to reach.

“I’ll let my brother’s kid do it”

The idea to let a novice produce would be entirely feasible if you were proficient at teaching video creation. It takes many hours and skills to begin to master any craft. Novice creators are just starting out and will be making mistakes along the way. Professional producers already have made those mistakes on their own time. Unless you think you’re training someone who is willing to stay in your organization after they’ve mastered their craft, I would recommend utilizing students as interns when possible, but I would not expect much useful content. The sooner you begin to work with hired professionals or have experienced video producers internally the sooner your content will become active and become an asset. It’s all about building proficient content that works for you.

“There’s not a lot of ROI”

Tell that to Netflix. One of your most significant assets could be a YouTube channel with hundreds of subscribers. It takes time, money, energy, and a whole lot of patience, but an efficiently produced video content library has an incredible ROI. Video can save money; through the video, you can explain complicated products and services, saving your sales team precious time. A video can directly convert customers with links to a shopping cart or contact info. Video can make you look larger than life adding perceived value to your customers and potential buyers. It can build company morale by highlighting and featuring employees and vendors. Video ROI goes beyond monetary value and brings life to your brand. 

“There’s already a lot of noise out there”

Video is the most effective way to convey complicated information and emotions. The number of videos that currently exist should tell you a lot. Study what channels your competition is successfully on and how you can join in effectively. There is a ton of room for nuance. Niche marketing to detailed demographics is king in the world of a thousand choices. There is a lot of noise out there. If your noise is presented on the appropriate platform, targeted to the specific niche demographic, and produced effectively with a strategic goal, you will be highly competitive in that market. It’s nearly impossible to pierce the membrane of the human attention span and the ability to recall your brand is most likely the last thing on anyone’s mind but your own. This causes the video marketing journey to become a long and arduous task. But, do not fret, you can begin at any moment. As soon as you join the game, you’re making gains.

These concepts only scratch the surface of video marketing. The sooner you can begin your video journey, the sooner you can become more effective and successful in building a valuable video library. Start by working with a producer like RetroMotion.co to make an effective strategy. Develop specific goals and tasks for your library, and get started producing!