Not long ago, video production required the services of a professional team, days of planning and a big budget. And even then, the results may not have been what you were expecting.
Today, we are all potential filmmakers, because most of the technology required is available on our phones and on our laptops. But, as the old adage goes, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
But I am going to explain why you definitely should, and I’m going to give you a few tips to help you make your videos a success.
Tell a story
First of all, why?
In the B2B sector, we have seen the growth of LinkedIn, and the growth of online trade media where video is increasingly being used to tell stories and report news.
And for retail companies, homeowners are spending much more time online researching products before they approach you. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are popular places to start that research process, and videos are now a regular part of the mix.
In both examples, you will want to bring customers back to your website, where they can view more informative video content.
If you are a B2B manufacturer of home improvement products, with video you can:
- Discuss the latest regulations and how your product development can help customers comply.
- Film a factory tour to demonstrate the care that goes into the manufacturing process.
- Conduct short interviews with some of your staff to show the human side of your business.
- Film projects carried out by customers to show products in situ (and offer some free PR).
- Film ‘how-to’ videos, which can include glazing tips, adjusting frames, or handling techniques.
If you are a retail business, you may want to consider the following examples:
- Showcase individual products, explaining all the key features, including security and choice of styles and colours.
- Explain how upgrading windows and doors can improve the thermal efficiency of homes, saving customers money. Discuss payback times.
- Create videos that give answers to some frequently asked questions, such as: why does condensation form?; or what is the best lock for my front door?
- Offer maintenance advice, such as tips on keeping PVC-U clean, and keeping the hardware in top working order.
- Film some of your favourite installations, and encourage homeowners to explain why they are satisfied (a promise of a bottle of wine might help!).
Take your time
Once you know what you are filming, how do you create the most engaging video? Yes, the temptation is to press record and work with what you end up with, but a little bit of preparation goes a long way.
- Take lots of footage. If you are recording an interview, you will want to break up the video with other bits of film, while keeping the audio the same – we call this footage ‘b-roll’, and it is worth building a library of this.
- Get the lighting and audio right. A separate light and microphone will not cost you the earth, but they will elevate your finished product dramatically. A badly lit film with poor audio can be unpleasant to watch!
- Tripods and gimbals will help prevent camera shake, and can create a professional-looking finish. Again, these needn’t be expensive.
- Graphics and audio. A pro tip would be to create titles and captions, and to add a backing track. Take care with copyright, and there are third party sites that can help you.
- Take time editing. Keep your finished product to under three minutes, and keep dialogue running smoothly – remove pauses, hesitations and repetitions.
Next steps
Once you have a finished product, there are ways to make it stand out once it is uploaded to the site of your choice. After all, you don’t want all that effort going to waste. Here are some tips.
- Let the video play natively. For example, upload a video directly to LinkedIn, rather than link to YouTube. It will automatically play in someone’s news feed, and it improves the metrics.
- Use captions. A lot of people view social media with the sound turned down, so using captions (subtitles) can dramatically improve engagement.
- Share! Once you have uploaded your video, tell people where it is, and get your colleagues to do the same. You’re unlikely to ever ‘go viral’ but widespread engagement is usually down to other people sharing your content.
- Repurpose. Take the content and write a press release for a trade magazine or local paper, or as an e-shot to existing customers.
- Use as part of a wider strategy. Make sure that your messages are consistent across all platforms, and that your videos don’t stand in isolation. You want your marketing channels to work together to help you build relationships – and to sell more.
True-Shot
Professional videos can look amazing, and they are the perfect for solution for some applications. But for the majority of cases, these ‘True-Shot’ videos described above (which is what we at Lasco call them) are ideal ways to get your messages across to your customers in a fun and engaging way.
