Video Production in a Competitive Landscape
It’s no secret, the use of video production in marketing is a rapidly growing trend. In the current economic landscape of Calgary, businesses are looking for any way they can to get an advantage over their competition, set themselves apart and get their brand in front of potential customers. A videographer and creative video production company can be an excellent tool for storytelling, invoking emotions in people and giving your brand a voice and image.
Most businesses are starting to realize they need to implement video in their marketing strategy, but there are barriers to entry on a professional level and doing it yourself may not be an option.
In this article, we’re going to discuss what to consider when hiring a videographer or video production company, and if you should just create your own video.
Considering Your Goal
Your first consideration when thinking about how you’re going to implement video is what you want to achieve. Are you hoping the video will go viral and reach 10 million people and in one fell swoop build you a massive brand following? Dollar Shave Club achieved this, so it is possible. Or are your expectations a little more realistic? (Not to crush your dreams, but viral videos are tricky; we’d know, we’ve made a few.)
Typically, goals are more along the lines of using video to explain a product or service to potential customers when they visit your website or to compel people on social media to enter the top of your sales funnel. Often, videos are created to simply build brand awareness and show people your business exists.
Once you’ve considered your goal, you need to decide what sort of video will be most effective in achieving the results you’re looking for. If you want to give a quick update to social media followers, a simple live video on your phone might be best. However, if the video is going to be the first impression people have of your brand, something epic with a major “Wow!” factor is going to be more useful. We all know how important first impressions are.
Once you decide what kind of video you need (we can consult on this if you’re lost), it’s time to move on to the next step.
Hiring a Videographer or Video Production Company
If you’ve concluded that you need to hire a professional, here is the next step. If not, the rest of this article may not be helpful at this time.
Here are some points to consider when looking for a videographer to partner with:
- What is your budget?
- What is your industry and what style of video are you looking for? (See some ideas of different types of videos for marketing here. )
- Will your video require special gear, such as a drone? Actors? A Set? Special locations?
- How soon do you need the video completed?
Now that you’ve considered those points, you need to find a videographer that aligns with your needs. For example, if you have a budget of $500 for your video, you’ll likely want to look for an independent videographer or student instead of a production company. When considering budget, you REALLY want to be careful.
Does the quality of the video reflect the quality of your brand? If you’re a high-end, luxurious furniture company and want customers who are looking for quality or a status symbol, will an inexpensive, low-quality video attract the appropriate clientele?
On the other hand, if you have a small family-run hobby shop, perhaps a fancy, expensive corporate video wouldn’t represent your business.
You also want to be careful not to overpay. Does the quality of the work reflect what the video production company is charging?
It’s important to find a videographer that specializes or has experience in the type of video you need.
Do you need an artistic video with lots of interesting shots to show off your products or do you need a more traditional corporate video with interviews? Some videographers are good at one and not the other.
Do you really want to hire a videographer that specializes in weddings to make your corporate overview video? Or would it make more sense to hire a corporate video production company that will take into consideration the goal of the video and the message you need to communicate?
Does the production company you’re hiring have the necessary equipment to do the best job?
What is the turnaround time you require? Sometimes a solo videographer can have six months of editing to do before he can get to your project. A larger video production company may have several editors and be able to provide the video quickly.
Portfolio and Reviews
It is important to look carefully at the portfolio of the video production business you plan to hire and to make sure that you love their work. If a videographer doesn’t have any portfolio pieces…. red flag!
You can see our portfolio here.
We also have reviews and a list of some of our clients on our about page.
You should also read the reviews for that company to make sure there aren’t trending issues with them.
Red flags:
Here are some examples of reviews that often indicate issues that you should be aware of when hiring a videographer
- numerous clients saying the videographer takes too long,
- the video wasn’t delivered,
- quality was poorer than expected,
- a lack of transparency with invoicing and quoting,
- any other common trends in negative reviews.
We’ve had clients who had previous videographers quoting one price and invoicing for triple what they quoted without explanation or warning. This should never be acceptable.
Summary
In summation, here are the major points to consider when hiring a videographer or video production company:
- What is your goal?
- What level of production do you need to achieve this goal?
- Does your budget align with your goal?
- What type of video do you need and does the company you want to hire specialize in this type of video?
- Does the company have the appropriate gear to get the job done?
- Can the company portray your message with their work?
- Will the final product be a good representation of your brand?
- Does the company you’re looking to hire have a good reputation?
- Do you like the portfolio of the company you’re looking to hire?
- Are the prices reasonable for the quality provided?
- Can you see yourself getting along on a personal basis? Will the person empathize and enjoy the venture with you? This may or may not be important to you, but it may help serve up a superior outcome.
If you found this helpful, please share it.
In the comments, let us know if there are any considerations we’ve missed when hiring a videographer.
This was an awesome read thanks for sharing valuable info on hiring video production company, All of this info are very interesting and informative to read on. Keep sharing more blogs with more useful information.
It made sense when you said that the budget should align with the goal when hiring a video production service. My brother wants to hire a commercial video production company with experience in marketing for his small business’s social media pages. The information in your article should help him decide what kind of questions to ask potential video production services in our area.
I like that you said that you must carefully check the portfolio of a video production company to make sure that you love their work. My fiance and I are planning to have our wedding preparation and wedding day documented. We want to make sure that the videos would touch us for the rest of our lives, so we will do all your tips to find the best company.
You made a good point when you said that you must consider whether you need a video production company that specializes in corporate videos to match the goals of the video. This is a good tip for businesses that aim to launch new products through videos that can interest their target audiences. I could imagine how your tips could ensure that the video is going to be produced in a way that can market a product.