Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative

Video Production Pricing Guide: Everything You Need To Know

admin — Tue, 16 Oct 2018 18:13:38 +0000

This Video Production Pricing Guide has everything you need to know and will help you develop an initial budget and plan for the costs associated with each format of video you’re considering.

We understand that deciding on a production company is a huge decision. Our goal is to empower you with honest and reliable video production cost information to help you budget for your project, no matter how small or large it may be.

First, A Couple Things You Should Consider

When determining the investment you’ll make in a video project, you’ll want to dive deep into considering these four main areas:

Your Business Goals
Your Marketing Strategy
The Audience & Platform
The Content

We’re at a pivotal time for video because more consumers and influencers are turning to video content that drives their purchasing behavior. Did you know that a survey from Wyzowl showed that 84% of consumers have been convinced to purchase a product after watching a video?

Low-quality videos, however, damage your brand image and while spending less on a video may seem like a good idea, in theory, it usually ends up being a negative impact. In short, a cheap video will make you look cheap.

Business Goals

The first questions to ask yourself are, “What am I trying to accomplish with this project?” Are you trying to double your sales through a marketing campaign? Are you trying to improve efficiencies and net profits by training your employees?

Different goals will require different video strategies and scales of video investment. A better question to ask is, “What would a successful project be worth to me?” If the right video could output $250,000 in new business, perhaps an investment of $25,000 could make sense.

Your Marketing Strategy

If you have a $1,000,000 marketing budget, investing $15,000 in a video project could make sense given your total marketing investment. On the other hand, if you have a marketing budget of $25,000, your video investment might look more like $2,000 or $3,000.

Video production companies should have the ability to be flexible in both types of budget. Your production investment should also output a video product that matches your marketing & brand standards.

If you’re positioning yourself as a high-end brand, a higher end production approach may be necessary. A local business may be able to do fine with a simpler production approach

The Audience & Platform

Different types of audiences & platforms will require distinct levels of investment to be effective. An internal video deployed through a company intranet could be effective as a small budget production.

However, capturing the attention of a consumer audience for a deodorant brand requires a larger investment as you’re in a market saturated with highly creative and big-value marketing content. Assessing your competitors and the audience you’re aiming to capture the attention of will allow you to pick an appropriate scope.

Content

What do we want to show? Is it all in one city or in cities across the nation? Will you be able to capture everything in a one day shoot? Or will it take two days? Three days?

Understanding the amount of content to capture will determine the scale of investment. Also, the style and assets captured in the production.

Will you use actors? Will they be paid or internal company employees? Do we want a high-end cinematic style or a simpler production style? All of these things help gauge the overall investment.

The Breakdown of Average Video Production Costs

In order to determine a detailed answer about how much your video production costs will be, you’ll want to weigh in on the following factors to get a more clear idea.

Video Type:

Cost of video production greatly depends on what type of video you intend to produce. An animated video explaining your business and a fast-paced, docu-style commercial with actors will definitely vary in cost. The basic rule of thumb is as follows: The higher-quality video you need, the more you should expect to spend.

Duration:

Unless you’re planning on making a short film over a branded content advertisement, duration really doesn’t have a huge influence on video cost. In short, if you’re making a one or nine-minute video for your company, the video crew and their equipment will remain mostly the same. Furthermore, unless there are a ton of edits that need to made in post-production, duration won’t make a huge impact.

Pre-Production:

Pre-production includes many tasks such as:

Permits
Scriptwriting
Storyboarding
Scheduling shoots
location scouting

…and much more, which take up more time than you may think.

Plus, the more your script is altered, the more your production costs will fluctuate. Having the option to write the script in-house with advice from the production company, can alleviate the many changes.

Be sure to also budget time and travel for scouting your desired filming locations. This can be avoided by hiring a crew that is local to where you plan to film and it’s a bonus that they already know where to shoot.

In short, the more intense your pre-production is, the more it will cost you at the end.

Crew:

When it comes to video production companies, there is never a one size fits all. There are production companies of different sizes, skillsets, and capabilities that you’ll have to weigh when deciding the best partner for you.

Keep in mind if you need a more specialized crew and equipment for something like VR or 360° video production, you’ll probably have to spend more.

Rates will vary based on the aforementioned details, but these are the standard day rates for the most common crew members you’ll find according to StoryHunter:

Documentary DP (Director of Photography): $400-$1,200
Commercial DP: $650-$2,000
Full-Service Video Production: $1,500-$300,000 (flat rate)
Drone Operator: $500-$1,400
Commercial Video Editor: $400-$1,000
Motion Graphics Editor: $600-$30,000 (flat rate)
Sound Technician: $300-$700
Gaffer: $300-$600
Grip: $200-$600

Remember that hiring extra talent, such as voiceover or actors/actresses, will cost you extra and you definitely want to keep this in mind with your budget.

The good news is that unless you plan to do a giant commercial for TV, talent won’t be necessary, as you can feature your own employees for things like testimonials, short documentaries, interviews, and b-roll.

Time:

Time is directly related to day rates for production companies. Day rates often are higher due to pre-production and gear costs. Since most videographers charger per day, your costs will go up depending on the number of days spent shooting.

Using the rates from above, you can expect a three-day shoot to cost around $2,000 to $8,000 for a two-person crew.

Also, keep in mind that if you hire a shooter for a half day, they’ll charge you for more than a half day rate due to making up for lost time and money since they cannot schedule another shoot that day.

Equipment:

For a larger production, a crew may need to rent cameras, lighting, mics or any other filming gear. Most production companies will pass the rental costs directly onto you as expenses but if they don’t, they probably include rentals in their flat-fees.

Many videographers won’t need to rent equipment, but they still will charge you for equipment costs, which usually is apart of the day-rate (this helps protect their equipment and the original cost of purchasing the equipment).

Post-Production:

The majority of the work that goes into producing the high-quality video is done in post-production, so budgeting for this is a must.

In post-production, your video will go through editing- often will multiple rounds of feedback from your company- as well as coloring and grading, according to StoryHunter.

Things such as motion graphics or titles often can be separate video production costs too.

Want to see about how much your video will cost?

Use our Video Cost Estimator Tool to walk through your options and approximate price!

Calculate My Approximate Cost To Make A Video

Budget

If you’re just beginning to consider a video project, we know costs can be all over the place and sometimes it can be confusing. Its true: you can contact multiple different video production companies for your same project and can wind up with quotes ranging from $2,000 – $25,000.

We have been producing video content for clients long enough that we’ve got the process down to a unique science.

Our goal is to provide clients with high-quality professional videos at a price that is reasonable. We take ample time to understand your specific budget and all of our video production options include hands-on support and project management.

Here are some guidelines to help you understand our process better:

So How Much Does It Cost?

We have a flat hourly rate of $100 per hour that spans three phases of the project; planning, shooting, and editing. Depending on what you want to accomplish, we’ll allocate various amounts of time in each of those phases to output a video that fits your goals. Most videos we produce range between 30 and 80 hours for more simple videos and 100-500 hours for bigger ones

I Only Have $XXXX, What Can You Do For Me?

Just because you have a low budget doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. We’re here to support marketing departments and entrepreneurs with organizations that are growing or looking to grow. If that sounds like you, let’s talk and figure out how we can work together. We have a defined process that we are able to scale around to fit your budget, while still outputting an effective, creative, and unique final video.

What If You Go Over Budget?

If we begin a project at a certain budget, we stick to it. The only time we go over the original budget is when new requests, outside of the original scope, are made. Either way, every additional billable hour is pre-approved by you.

What’s The Payment Terms?

We are flexible on payment terms, and we are able to work out payment options and financing that works best for your organization. However, most projects are invoiced 50% upon start and 50% upon completion.

The Timeline & Turnaround

How Long Does It Take To Create A Video?

Depending on your urgency and level of responsiveness during the project, we can produce a video between 2-8 weeks.

For larger, more complex videos – these can take 3-6 months. In cases of extreme urgency or fast and tight deadlines, we can be flexible with you and make sure your project is completed on time.

Process & Details

How Involved Are We During The Process?

You can be involved as much as you want, but most projects require little involvement on your end. After the initial discussions, recommendations, and approval, you’ll have a 90-minute kick-off meeting. You’ll need to supply us with basic information like logos and files, and from there we’ll take care of everything. You may need to hop on a quick phone call, answer a few emails, but a very common misconception is that the project is a big undertaking for you and your department.

Who Is Actually Working On My Project?

Once we officially get started, you’ll be connected with a project manager who will be your point of contact for the project. He will work with you day-to-day and help move the project to completion.

How Do You Work With Us If We’re Located Far Away?

We have clients all over the world. In addition, we have connected with a network of amazing videographers from around the world, who will make sure your video is completed no matter where you are located.

What’s The Final Deliverable?

When your video is completed, we will send your video in a .MOV or .MP4 via Dropbox. If you require additional file types of mediums, those can also be sent.

Will I Receive Storyboards or A Creative Brief?

For narrative and animation projects, storyboards are included. On other projects, instead of creating full-on storyboards, we will create a visual description or a shot list. Storyboards can be timely and costly to make, and unless the project requires it – we try to focus that time elsewhere.

Who Writes The Script?

We do. Our team is trained and experienced in developing creative messaging and scripts around a variety of industries. After an interview call with you, we’re able to develop content and generate ideas for you.

Rights & Ownership

Once It’s Done, Who Owns The Video?

You, the client, owns the rights to the final video file as well as all the raw files we capture. If you’d like them upon completion, we can give you all of the raw files, project files, and final video files, or we can store them on our secure servers.

The post Video Production Pricing Guide: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

How to Land Your First Video Production Job Today

admin — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 05:00:57 +0000

The video production space is a fun industry. You get to meet, experience and network with different people, create unique work, use cool equipment, and be in control of the product you’re creating; seeing it come to fruition.

Combine that with video production’s flashy aura; it’s a very appealing career path. But it’s not always the easiest to land your first video production job. Because of the enticing industry, there are hordes of people looking for careers at video production companies.

Bonus: Download our 15 step checklist to put momentum in your video production job search as a PDF. Easily save it to your computer or print it for reference for your next website.

I get about 50 emails a month from recent graduates and job seekers of all ages, looking to call our video production company home. From all of these interactions, and hiring for a variety of video production positions, I thought it would be helpful to put together:

10 Tips to Get a Job With a Video Production Company

1. Audit Your Current Situation

Are you a film student? Or a recent film school graduate?

The first step is understanding what your skill set is and where you are currently in your career path. It’s time to ask yourself some questions…

What are you good at? What skills do you possess? The key here is seeking objective third party feedback to get a firm grasp on your actual skill set.

The biggest problem I see when people seek jobs in video production is they approach an employer thinking they are good at editing (or shooting, etc.) when in reality their skills aren’t up to par.

Become self-aware and seek an appropriate position that fits your talent and skill.

For example, let’s say you want to be a video editor. Here’s what you need to do:

Sit down and take out a sheet of paper.
Search Google and write down a list of all the video production companies you’d like to contact and work for.
Create a list of 50 or more.
Take a look at their work and order them in the level of quality. The one at the bottom is the lowest level of editing quality, and the one at the top is the highest quality level.
Once in order, take your best work and match it to the level of quality you think you fall. You might be near the top around #1, or you might be near the bottom around #45 or so.
Ask a variety of unbiased sources to help you discover where you fall overall in the top 50.

You will not improve yourself or get matched with the right job if you have an unrealistic view of your skill set. Once you have this, you can begin your search for your ideal situation.

2. Create Video Content for the Job You Want

You have to create videos that are relevant to the company you want to hire you.

If you want to work for a company that primarily creates 30-second videos and commercials, you should make a variety of 30-second marketing videos and commercials.

If you want to work for a company that makes animation videos, you should make animation videos.

For beginners, this means creating free videos for companies just to get noticed. Go out and have fun creating videos until it matches the quality and skill of the company you want to work with.

This is the most challenging part of the job pursuit, but it’s the most fun and most essential part. For some, it may take just one video, or it could involve making 5, 10, 20 videos. But the key takeaway is to have video examples that match the quality needed to land a job at the video production company you desire.

After each video you make, examine the video side by side with an example of a company you are looking to work for.

3. Market Yourself on Social Platforms

image credit: Jason Howie, Social Media (CC BY 2.0)

Now that you have an honest review of yourself and you have work that is relevant and ready to be shown to employers, it’s time to package yourself.

You need to look at yourself as the business, and all the video production companies as your potential clients. Your work is the product, and you are the salesperson. What you do next is going to make or break you.

Contact your list with a pitch that they should hire you.

Here’s a step-by-step checklist to create momentum in your job search:

Step 1: Have a presence on all social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo, YouTube, Instagram, etc.)

Step 2: Have clean, professional photos that display who you are and what you look like (make it fun and creative)

Step 3: Fill out bios that describe who you are, where you live, and tell your story (get creative here as well)

Step 4: Upload all your video work to Vimeo and YouTube

Step 5: Fill out the descriptions of all your videos to describe your role and the background on the work

Step 6: Add custom thumbnails to all the videos to look as presentable as possible

Step 7: Put the work into playlists and collections based on what type of work it is or what role you played in it

Step 8: Create a simple website using Squarespace or another website builder (if you are also a web developer, this is your time to shine and make something very slick)

Step 9: Make it simple, clean and focused on the work

Step 10: Have your best main video or demo reel displayed on the front page

Step 11: Add your contact information, including cell phone number, email, and social media accounts

Step 12: Create an email account, adding a professional signature with your name, contact information, title, and social media accounts

Step 13: Create a resume that quickly displays your relevant experience (not that important, but some will request it)

Step 14: Build a list of as many video production companies as possible, including the name’s of the hiring manager (usually the owner), the email address of the hiring manager, the mailing address, their website, and some notes about them. You can find most of the information through Google search.

Step 15: Make the list as big as you can.

4. Email Owner’s/Hiring Manager’s of Video Production Company’s

You’ll need a few items in place for your emails.

You’ll need videos that match the quality level of where you want to work
You should have a website and social presence that displays the videos
You should have an email account and a list of companies you want to work for.

Assuming you cannot find a job ad or position that you can apply for, you’re going to have to reach out to them. Market yourself as a great candidate they need to hire. Keep the email short, and focused on your work.

Here’s a great example…

Subject: Joining your team

Body: Hi [insert first name of hiring manager / owner],

My name is [insert your name] and I’m a [insert your production expertise] living here in [insert your location]. I’m emailing you because I believe the type of work I do would add a ton of value to your team. Take a look: [insert link to site here]

I’m a fast learner, work quickly, and I can work with little or no direction. My production skills and my character would make me a valuable and profitable part of your team.

What do you think? Could I stop in sometime to chat about the possibility of working together?

The key to the email is that it’s short, it tells them who you are and why you are emailing them. It directs the owner or manager to your work, touches on some of your character skills, and gives a simple request and call to action.

Take this email, and send it out to every company on your list. You can use the above email as a starter and tweak for every company. Try to find a common bond between you and the owner.

Research their Facebook or LinkedIn profiles.

Where did they go to school? What do they like? Discover ways to connect with them and blend the information into the emails.

Once you have emailed everyone, start to make phone calls with a similar message as to what’s in the email. Leave them a voicemail or engage them in a phone call.

Aim to network and create relationships with the owners of all the companies on your list. The point of this step is to make the companies aware of you and get in front of them.

5. Listen to Feedback, Improve, Follow Up

Once you have created and initiated conversation with some production companies, it’s time to listen, improve, and follow up.

It’s critical that you listen to the feedback they give you.

Questions you can ask…

Ask them what they think of your work.
Ask if they would hire you if a position opened in the future.
Ask how to best stay in touch with them?

Create a list of all the companies and follow up with them every month or so. Email them new work you created and show them areas where you have improved. Keep creating videos and enhance your skills.

The goal is to get an offer. Persistence will pay off.

If you do this consistently for a year, you should be able to land a job. If you do not, don’t get discouraged. A lot of this process depends on luck. You often need to be in the right place at the right time. The more follow up work, creating new videos and networking you do will pay off in the end.

Remember, not everyone is made out to be a hands-on creative in video production, but maybe you might be a producer, or an office manager, or a production assistant.

Part 2 – Try another angle

6. Apply for Internship Programs

There is an option to seek internship programs. This helps in a variety of ways. Internship programs are generally an exchange for services – you work for the company; you get real-world experience.

The life experience, skill set and the connections you make will be invaluable. There are paid internships as well but may be harder to land.

7. Become a Freelance Videographer

A freelance videographer works as an independent contractor on multiple projects.

What you’ll need:

skillset
equipment
where to find gigs
what to charge

Valoso, a digital media company, created the Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Freelance Videographer Infographic.

The full version is here.

They discuss equipment needs, what you can expect to do and salary.

Another good starting point is the Learner site for anyone looking for specific techniques in editing, lighting shooting, etc.

8. Network on a Daily Basis

As a freelance videographer (and even when you do land a job), the benefits of networking are critical for your business. It is all about building relationships and personal development. Your people skills are as essential as your technical/creative skills.

Every person you meet is an opportunity to find work. You are not just gaining exposure to them; you will be gaining exposure to their circle of connections as well.

Most jobs are found through referrals. As you become more established, your business will expand. One of your most significant assets in the industry will be a portfolio of your latest achievements.

Keep your website fresh with examples of your work and update often. Your goal eventually will be to create a sleek, custom site over time. Now you’ll have a “home” to send potential clients as you network.

9. Have a Go-getter/Positive Attitude

Understanding the industry is essential. But having a great attitude will take you the extra mile.

In this industry, you need to go with the flow. Say “yes” to as many opportunities as you can. Each will develop your skill set.

Having a positive attitude is often cited as a major reason for individual success and overall business health. The benefits of having a positive attitude are nearly infinite – in fact, no one ever says having a positive attitude causes problems. Think about it – when have you ever thought, “that person’s positive attitude is getting on my nerves?” [source]

10. Find and Follow Mentors

image credit: AiClassEland at English Wikibooks [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons

From Media Bistro, Advice from the pros- Real-world insights: – How I Turned a Passion for Video Into a Burgeoning Career,

“What tips do you have for those seeking mentorships?

Look at those people who are great at what they do, and who you idolize. Study and learn everything you can from them. Reach out to them. Once you have them as mentors, they will be fountains of knowledge you can tap when you need them. Just don’t get too annoying about it.”

**Looking to work specifically in the Entertainment Industry or TV Production?** Our friends at DreamJobbing.com are specifically experts on this topic and have put together an even more extensive course for breaking into the entertainment industry. We highly recommend their course and you can find it here.

The post How to Land Your First Video Production Job Today appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

Animated Video: How to Bring Business to Life

admin — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 05:00:49 +0000

Animated Video: How to Bring Business to Life

Using animation is the perfect way to bring your story to life. Animated video is powerful and can help you explain even the most complex concepts. At Clum Creative, video is something we think about constantly, both on how to tell your story and how to drive profitable business results.

It’s also why we’ve put together this guide – to help transform your business and help make the ordinary extraordinary. Animated video can be a quirky topic. Most companies have heard of it, but few understand it. We’ve compiled ideas, data and action steps to develop a video that fits the needs of your business.

Don’t have time to read the whole guide right now?

Let me send you a copy so you can read it when it’s convenient for you. Just let me know where to send it (takes 5 seconds):

Chapter 1

What is an Animated Video?

Chapter 2

What’s Involved in Animated Video Production?

Chapter 3

5 Types of Animated Videos and Why a Business Needs Them

Chapter 4

Why Animation Production is Great for Explainer Videos

Chapter 5

Tools to Use to Create Your Own Animated Videos

Chapter 6

Tips for Animated Videos

Chapter 1

What is an Animated Video?

An animated video can be a quick explanation of how your product solves a problem but with a little twist. Using animation, you can bring your message to life. It’s a way to use video to keep your viewer’s attention and in the example below solve a problem.

And the best part…

Animation evokes emotions and we learn and remember best through pictures. According to Dr. John Medina, a molecular biologist, vision is our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resources.

Let me explain further with an example.

Have you ever received a medical bill and you were dumbfounded by the amount? It probably evoked some type of emotion.

In the example below, a quick video explained how you could retrieve the actual amount you owe.

Here’s the video produced for GMS, Group Management Services.

Do you think the video helped relieve some stress?

Having the most updated information at your fingertips would be a welcome relief.

Any business can use animated video to help get their point across. Animation is fun and helps pre-frame a viewer with a positive attitude.

And, as shown in the video above, one of its most significant benefits, is the ability to display a complex idea simply.

Chapter 2

What’s Involved in Animated Video Production?

As with any video, there are key components that make your video great. You’ll want to build a “video map” (from concept, production to publication.) In this section, I’ll discuss the production process from script to the final version.

Step 1: The Script

The idea behind the perfect script is to make it authentic. This can be challenging, but if you keep your viewers in mind, it can be done. Focus on what the customer wants. As business owners, it is easy to focus on our product features. Customers are looking for solutions. Present them with the problem, then solve it.

Animaker, wrote A Beginner’s Guide to Script Writing for Animated Videos. They shared three vital concepts when writing a script:

The structure of the script is critical. The narrative must flow in a logical pattern to keep it meaningful.
Define your animated characters.
There should always be a Call-to-Action. The best script aims at communicating a message that directly encourages your viewers to take action. (immediately). They will feel a bond and want more information.

There’s more information on script formulas and the psychology of writing video script in chapter 4.

It is important at this time to decide on the approximate length of your video. Wyzowl highly recommends “keeping your video between 1-2 minutes as this is the best for engagement purposes”.

Step 2: Design – Illustrating What is Written in Your Script

Here’s where a storyboard comes into play. Everything in your script is brought to life through the design process. It’s best to have experience in film or graphic design to accomplish this stage.

Think of storyboarding as the chance to “see” the video before you actually start filming. Having storyboards created help determine if you have gaps in your story. It details your visuals scene-by-scene.

Below are notes, courtesy of Rob Koo at DreamWorks’ redwood studios, Tips for Storyboarding:

A great tip is to lay down grids to help “ground” your characters & compositions.

No Film School offers more Storyboarding Tips from Dreamworks.

Step 3: Voice – over

Now that the storyboard is complete. It’s time to tell the story.

This is the person who reads the script. It’s time to narrow in on what kind of voiceover you want. The voice-over is a part of a production technique where the voice – is not part of the narrative.

A key takeaway here is to remember to always keep your brand in mind. Do you want more of a corporate type voice-over or a lighter version? Depending if your business is B2B or B2C will help decide which way you want to proceed.

VoiceBunny is a reliable and efficient service to get high-quality voice-overs for videos.

Here’s how to use it:

Select a voice actor
Build a brief and start your project
Receive your voice over

Listen to a sample of their work:

Voice-over sample from VoiceBunny

You want the right person to help deliver your message.

Step 4: Music/Sound effects

Just as important a choice as your voice-over is your music selection.

It might sound obvious but the right music will make or break your video. Music creates the right mood. Music is one of the most powerful drivers to create an emotional connection with your audience. If your audience feels a connection to your video, they will be naturally attracted to your brand.

The music and sound effects are as critical as the video itself.

Step 5: Animation

This is the step where all your graphic elements come alive with motion.

Animation communicates your brand’s message quickly. At this point, you are adding precise timing to every scene.

With the ever-increasing number of videos, businesses need to cut through all the noise and be seen. Animation is a clever storytelling tool that will initiate an emotional feeling with your viewers.

The next section will go over types of animated videos that are available.

Chapter 3

5 Types of Animated Videos and Why a Business Needs Them

From one statistic to the next, the results say video is better received than text. Proven research shows viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% who spend their time reading text.

With all data pointing to video, animated video will help you engage better with your audience, convert visitors and increase revenue.

1. Whiteboard Animation

Whiteboard animation is a process where a story and storyboard with pictures is drawn on a whiteboard (or whiteboard-like surface). The “authors commonly use stop-motion animation to liven hand-drawn illustrations.” [source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiteboard_animation]

Key benefits of using a whiteboard animation:

good for explaining difficult concepts
leaves you wondering what’s coming next, where the speaker is headed
makes you feel involved as if you were the one drawing the image.
it’s fresh, unique, entertaining, eye-catching and engaging

2. Kinetic Typography

Kinetic Typography – the technical name for “moving text”—is an animation technique mixing motion and text to express ideas using video animation. This text is presented over time in a manner intended to convey or evoke a particular idea or emotion. [source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_typography]

Watch “language in motion” as Josh Penn brings awareness to dyslexia with kinetic typography. He created a 60-second animation that communicates what it is like to live with the learning disability.

Key benefits of using kinetic typography:

the art of moving text
since the text is continuing to move on the screen, the viewer has to follow along and stay engaged
the use of movement and font selection evokes emotion
helps them retain more information by seeing everything laid out in front of them

3. Cartoon Animation

An animated cartoon is a film for the cinema, television or computer screen, which is made using sequential drawings, as opposed to animation in general, which include films made using clay, puppets, 3-D modeling and other means. Animated cartoons are still created for entertainment, commercial, educational, and personal purposes. “Similarly, animated videos are perfect for marketing AI-driven concepts, such as an AI girlfriend, allowing brands to effectively exhibit how their technology creates personalized, engaging experiences.” [source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animated_cartoon]

Key benefits of using cartoon animation:

highly associated with animated videos
can be professional when used for business communication
make content fun and easier to understand

4. Live Action Video

Animation is art in motion. Your sketches are showcased in a series of frames. This makes it appear the images are actually moving. Live action video incorporates a recording of moving objects. Everything is captured in real time.

Key benefits of using live action video:

mix of animated content paired with live action (more live than animated)
use live actors or product shots with overlaid graphics, kinetic typography, cartoon interspersals
done in real time. quicker turn around time.

5. Animated Infographic

Advids shows how companies are integrating videos into their marketing campaigns. They shared “20 Innovative Animated Infographic Video Marketing Examples”.

They go on to explain how an infographic animation is a “visual representation of data and knowledge in the form of an online video. Infographic videos are created by combining various animations to create an informational video that helps explain data in an engaging way and aims at improving their perspective on the subject matter.”

Let’s face it.

Data can be boring but it doesn’t have to be.

Here’s one of the animated infographic’s mentioned above for AT&T’s Cargo View developed to monitor shipments in the air.

Key benefits of using animated infographics:

turns boring statistics, facts, and other numerical data into fun animated figures
makes it easier for your customers to visualize and understand the features and benefits
easy to produce

Chapter 4

Why Animation Production is Great for Explainer Videos

Explainer videos can help increase your sales, show your a brand’s culture and personality. Adding animation will 10x this process. The videos can be unconventional and attention grabbers with endless possibilities. Also less costly in most cases.

An explainer video can educate your audience on your company, product or service in an engaging and fun way.

Tools to Use to Create Your Own Animated Videos

Leveraging animated video can help you promote your business or boost conversions. It’s important to discover a style that fits your brand. Some animated videos are easier to create using awesome tools. Other animated productions need that professional touch to create a more enhanced customer experience.

Now it’s time for me to show you my favorite tools to create animated videos to get you started…

1. Animoto

Animoto turns photos or video clips into professional videos fast. Looking for a full tutorial?

Watch as a video is created from start to finish.

It’s as easy as:

select a style
upload photos, video clips, select music, and edit
add text with title cards
add captions to photos
edit your photos within your videos
arrange your clips
trim video clips
select music
preview, produce and share

2. Biteable

Biteable has a free version that lets you create quality videos and publish them directly to YouTube.

It also allows you to customize your videos with text, photos, colors, and sound.

It’s as easy as:

choose a style with their pre-made video templates
use your own content
choose a soundtrack
make presentations or a slideshow
share it

3. Moovly

“Create your own videos using over 175 million media objects with this powerful, easy and intuitive video creation editor.” This tool is great to create video presentations, explainer videos, or use for internal communications.

Here’s an example of a GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) awareness video using Moovly.

GDPR – an awareness video for employees

Moovly has an easy drag and drop editor you can use.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Pick a video template or start from scratch. They have 100’s to choose from.

Step 2: Drag, drop & animate. Plenty of royalty-free media you can use.

Step 3: Export & share your video.

It will allow you to customize it, add or cut parts, add your logo or contact info etc.

4. Mysimpleshow

Mysimpleshow is the “online video maker that allows anyone to make their own animated videos in minutes”. The easy-to-use solution will enable anyone to create concise and engaging explainer videos.

When it comes to drawing on a whiteboard animation, an actual hand can drag elements across the screen. It’s powerful and user-friendly.

5. Powtoon

Powtoon is a drag-and-drop animated video tool that is easy to use. It has applications in a variety of industries such as Marketing, Training, HR, IT, and Education to name a few.

You can create different types of videos including demos and explainers.

via GIPHY

Pontoon grouped templates in an intuitive visual interface to help you get started fast. They added one way to “create beautifully designed titles, bullet points, intros, outros, announcements, calls-to-action or any other messaging — with one click; and that is with designed text.”

6. Wideo

Wideo is a web-based animated marketing video creation platform for creating video business presentations and more.

With the animation maker software, you can create your own professional videos in minutes and without any previous experience.

Watch this short demo to find out if Wideo can work for you:

Chapter 6

Tips for Animated Videos

Video marketing is a visual storytelling trend that is here now and will continue to grow. Animation lets you get creative with your content. The animated video tips below will help you improve the success of your next video.

Jonathan English, Managing Director, Skeleton suggests a 5-step process for generating ideas for your video content.

Step 1: focus on the problem

Step 2: brainstorm creative ideas

Step 3: review creative ideas

Step 4: pick your final idea

Step 5: repeat with executions

We have a few more tips to start telling your story in a dynamic way that will engage your audience.

Tip 1: Keep it simple and short. If you want maximum viewer engagement most animated videos are under 2 minutes and don’t show more than 5 images on the screen at one time.

Tip 2: Follow a script. Create a storyboard to strategically plan out your ideas and animations.

Tip 3: Animated videos are essential in such a visual world nowadays

Tip 4: Videos share better on social media

Tip 5: Videos bring any concept to life

Tip 6: Animated videos use voice-over which is better because if there is a major content change during post-production, it’s easy to record the voice-over again versus scheduling a new interview.

What You Can Do Today

Video is no longer important, it is an essential piece of your marketing. The beauty of video is it comes in so many forms to reflect your image and brand. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, ways to reach people today.

As visuals and videos continue to play an essential role in your business, you’ll want to add these strategies to your marketing mix.

Do you have experience creating video animation or using animation tools?

We’d love to hear your experiences about animated video production.

The post Animated Video: How to Bring Business to Life appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

How to Use Video Content Marketing for Business

admin — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 05:00:18 +0000

Content improves your website’s SEO and search engine ranking. It increases audience engagement and fills, nurtures and converts leads. Which ultimately skyrockets your sales.

Video boosts conversions and sales, builds trust, appeals to mobile users, and engages even the most distracted buyer. Put the two together, and you’ll have the perfect storm… in the right way. Video marketing is an incredible way to create content or reuse/repurpose your existing content that can have a significant impact on your audience.

For example, incorporating an AI headshot generator into your video content creation can enhance personalization and engagement.

Think of the two together; content is king and video is insatiable. It can only equal emotion driven sales.

Smart marketers use them both and use them wisely. In this article, you’ll discover how to use video to produce content for your business.

Bonus: Download our 13 Tips on How to Utilize Video as Part of Your Content Marketing as a PDF. Easily save it to your computer or print it for reference for your next website.

13 Tips on How to Utilize Video as Part of Your Content Marketing

1. Video Should be Around the Story, not the Sale

I know I just said emotion driven sales. But when done correctly, it will happen naturally. As marketers, you must focus on adding value to your customers.

Donald Miller from StoryBrand, says “A video needs to be about the customer. It needs to be about what that customer wants, what their problem is … getting what they want. How that problem is making them feel. Then you pivot to you, and how you can help them overcome that challenge, but the whole narrative is really about them.”

Digital Marketer, sat down with some of the biggest brands in marketing and asked the question:

How should you deploy video in your marketing strategy?

Listen to their responses:

Digital Marketer. “How should you deploy video in your marketing strategy?” YouTube. YouTube, 25 May 2017

2. Design Your Video to Stimulate Their RAS Filter

Effective video marketing has to be engaging from the beginning. You need to grab your audience within the first 5 – 10 seconds.

Those few seconds will either grab their attention or repel it. You’ve heard many times; we now live in a world with very short attention spans. There is a reason for it. A scientific reason…

Our brains have a Reticular Activating System (RAS) that acts as a filter. It sorts out what is important to us and rejects useless content. Studies have shown that “our brains respond to novelty, our name, emotion, contrast and factors that influence choices about ourselves. Your online video needs to appeal to those things in the opening seconds to get viewers hooked.”

Visual Narrative lists four techniques to stimulate the RAS filter in your viewer’s brain:

communicate why you want your viewer to watch
inspire emotion
create contrast
be creative and unique

Your video content must match the interests and needs of your viewers. If it does, you won’t have to worry as much about their attention span. People will pay attention if the content is relevant.

Remember to put yourself in their shoes and ask the infamous WIIFM question. It’s about the value proposition. The key that will make your viewers understand what you have or offering is worth their time or money. It is the primary reason a prospect should purchase from you.

3. Incorporate Humor and Gain a Loyal Fan aka Customer

Humor can help build personal connections. There are proven studies that humor is a social bonding technique. If your video makes one person experience a laugh or crack a smile, you’ll forge a bond with them.

Not to mention, if they find your video amusing, they are likely to share it. Humor is contagious. Humor makes us happy and happy goes a long way…maybe even viral.

Businesses must understand their target audience first and use humor where appropriate.

Is your brand the type to use conversational style? Or is it more refined?

“Before you commit to adding more humor to your content, you’ll want to consider the ramifications it has for your brand voice.”

A great article that covers this topic was written by Jayson DeMers, Should Your Brand Try to be Funny in Content Marketing?

He makes a valid point that there are risks associated with the wrong type of humor:

you could compromise your brand image
perhaps even offend someone or a group of people
trying to be funny but it bombs (your content, in that case, would fall flat)

Humor in your video can be a powerful tool if used right.

Key takeaway… if you are adding value, and it’s right for your brand, humor should be incorporated.

4. Add Video Content to a Sitemap

Bottom line…

You want your brand discovered.

A video sitemap will give Google information about your video content on your site. Here’s how you can add video content to a sitemap. With the help of a sitemap, Google can direct visitors to your site instead of leading them off-page to a hosting platform such as YouTube.

Ian Cleary of Razor Social gives a step by step tutorial on the benefits and how to go about setting up a video sitemap. There are a few options available; creating your own, using a plugin or sitemap generator tools.

Using a video sitemap allows your video content to be indexed as part of your site which is essential.

5. Educate Your Audience and Answer Your Customers Questions

How many people do you know that turn to YouTube for a “How-to” video?

There are more than “135 million how-to’s on YouTube, addressing every need, impulse and question that can be typed (or voice-commanded) into a search bar. According to Google (and this is a few years old), more than 100 million hours of how-to content have been watched in North America so far this year.

Think about it…

And 91% of smartphone users turn to their smartphone for ideas while doing a given task. [source]

As a business, you need to address the questions and concerns your viewers’ have that are related to the types of products you sell. Then create a video with the answer.

Buzzsumo has a great tool; the question analyzer, that is perfect for researching customer questions. You can find the most popular questions asked in forums like Reddit or Quora.

You can also use a tool called Answer the Public. Find out what questions and queries your consumers have by getting a free report of what they’re searching for.

6. Use Video Content in Stages of Your Buyer’s Journey

One of the best ways to adopt video into your content marketing is to meet your customer where they are in the buying process.

Use video content in stages of your buyer’s journey:

Top of the funnel – educational videos (useful information on how their problem can be solved) At this stage, they are just beginning to understand there is a problem. They are becoming >>> aware. Awareness stage.
Middle of the funnel – explainer videos (explains how your product or service solves their problem) Now that they are aware, they will consider their options to solve their problem. >>> Consideration stage.
Bottom of the funnel – demos, and testimonials play a critical role here. Your potential customers are trying to decide on a specific product. >>> Decision stage.

Each stage must have a deliberate approach. The videos must reflect a main goal or purpose.

You should always keep in mind the actual process your visitor goes through leading up to their purchase. Use the buyer’s journey to create video content at every stage.

7. Evaluate Your Past Content

Always be improving.

By taking a step back and reviewing previous success and failures, you will be able to evaluate and improve on current video content.

Monitoring past content results can be helpful when producing a script for your new video. Positive responses to specific content can help guide what you need to include in order to create a powerful video that customers are likely to engage with.

John Hall, Cofounder, and CEO of Influence & Co. wrote an informative article advocating video, 4 Ways to Start Using Video Content in Your Marketing Strategy

He encourages how to make thoughtful video content:

Update your documented marketing strategy
Understand your audience and where it lives
Start small
Test, test, test

These four steps highlight the importance of taking into consideration your own strategies for success before jumping in head first.

By improving your marketing strategies you will be able to respond faster to fundamental decisions that impact your video making process. Another vital step in production is finding the best medium that will reach the most amount of buyers and generate the most responses.

Once you’ve established the best way to communicate with viewers, it’s time to test out new designs while keeping in mind your knowledge of past accomplishments.

8. Add Videos to Your Existing Written Content

Want to give your blog post or site page more depth and value?

Add a video.

Integrating videos into your content marketing will benefit your business and customer. Your content will become more dynamic and engage your viewers.

You can embed a YouTube video as a powerful SEO growth strategy. On our YouTube marketing post, tip #11 gives you step by step instructions on how to embed a YouTube video in your blog posts.

The videos you choose for your blog posts can be exactly what was written or you can choose other videos you created that are relevant. The written word may not be as effective as a step by step tutorial viewed in a video. It helps the user comprehend exactly what you are trying to convey.

It’s important that your video create value. Whether it is through education in how-to videos or creating an emotional or inspirational feeling. Human emotion will influence your customer’s buying behavior.

Douglas Van Praet, author of Unconscious Branding: How Neuroscience Can Empower (and Inspire) Marketing, states it clear as day:

“The most startling truth is we don’t even think our way to logical solutions. We feel our way to reason. Emotions are the substrate, the base layer of neural circuitry underpinning even rational deliberation. Emotions don’t hinder decisions. They constitute the foundation on which they’re made!”

9. Use Social Videos to Impact Your Customers

“46% of consumers confirm they made a purchase after watching a branded social video.”

Using video promotional campaigns to increase communication between your company and consumers can be easier than you think. One of the main benefits of using videos to promote brand awareness is its ability to function and succeed in many different formats.

Jodi Harris, Director of Editorial Content & Curation at Content Marketing Institute, tweeted that “Videos can be presented as the main course or served as a pre-roll advertising appetizer.” [source]

In other words, a corporate video can be presented as a short video clip on Snapchat or a long instructional documentary and still satisfy their targeted audience because it is so versatile.

Customers value the content being communicated whether it is a simple customer testimony or elaborate how-to tutorial.

Not only can it be produced in short and long formats and available on dozens of social media outlets, but it is also easily accessible on stationary and mobile devices.

Today’s advanced technology allows for all of these elements to make video the most ideal way to accomplish your marketing goals. More importantly, there is a direct connection between watching a video on a social media channel and a buyer’s decision to make a purchase.

Brands should utilize a multi-platform video strategy to increase their ROI.

10. Create a Video Content Marketing Strategy

It’s time to lay it all out.

Video content marketing is a strategic marketing approach that will drive your customers’ actions. Consistent content to the right audience will attract, engage and convert your leads. The goal of every video should be to educate as well as entertain your audience.

Think about it this way…

Every concept you’ve implemented for content marketing can be applied to your video content marketing.

Meaning you should have a well thought out video campaign. As a business, you should create quality videos that always add value every step of the way through the buyer’s journey. (discussed in tip #6). You’ll find yourself creating a more strategic and effective video.

5 Proven Key Steps to Successful Video Content Marketing

Know your value proposition and know your brand
Know your audience. If you are serving more than one audience (different personas). It may be beneficial to create videos tailored to each persona. This will help you deliver video content that will be the most relevant to your audience.
Distinguish your business from your competition. What makes you unique?
Have video content for every stage of the buyer’s journey
Focus on the customer experience

Remember you’re talking to humans. Express emotion.

And avoid jargon. Depending on where your visitor joined in, they may not understand your language.

11. Rid Yourself of Bad Video

How many times do you exit out of a video because of low-quality sound, blurry visuals, or meaningless jibber-jabber?

In such a digital age, it is sometimes hard to compete with other corporate videos. You want to create a video that will attract viewers, keep them engaged, and inspire them to do something with the information you are delivering. It is essential to make sure your basic production techniques maintain good quality to keep viewers interested.

If you want to build trust and credibility within your consumer market it is important to follow a few guidelines.

Avoid extremely long video unless it is engaging and needed
Stay away from crappy audio
Create the best thumbnails

Design enhances brand awareness. By investing more in the overall quality of your video you will increase your client base and increase conversion rates. At the end of the day, your investments will pay off.

Remember, these are a representation of your company’s goals and it’s important to put your best foot forward when producing your corporate video.

Don’t settle for less. Invest smart to receive a significant return on your investment.

12. Rebirth of Corporate Video as Content Strategy

The way we communicate and how our consumers digest information is always evolving. Corporate video today is an example of that change.

Corporate video is much more customer-centric than focused on the brand. It is designed to solve a problem rather than talk about the benefits.

The new corporate videos should …

tell a story
educate the viewer
build trust

Only then should you ask the viewer to do something. It naturally will create an action needed by the audience.

Video marketing can seem daunting in the beginning. But having a well-rounded marketing mix is the best solution for any business. We help businesses create effective and timely video productions.

As a business, you must think about the long-term resources that are required for video content marketing. You should decide early on if you are going to be committed and fully equipped for video production or outsource the process.

With video content at its peak, a new corporate video will boost your brand and solve your customers’ needs. A powerful video will help convert viewers into customers.

The post How to Use Video Content Marketing for Business appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

Top 34 Film Schools That You Need to Consider Now

admin — Thu, 17 May 2018 05:00:37 +0000

If you’re looking for small, top-notch film schools, you’ve come to the right place.

While there are broad and diverse ranking factors for fields of study and majors, we considered film schools with undergraduate enrollments ranging from 350 to 10,000 students.

Schools in this list are a great help in getting work at a video production company, which you can see a list of top companies at DesignRush.

The below schools are communities where enthusiastic filmmakers receive one-on-one training that can help launch their career in the industry. These schools have programs that range from very hands-on, intensive programs for filmmakers, to the more traditional, yet smaller college or university that has a stellar film program.

Many of the schools prepare their graduates for careers in film production, photography and the visual arts. Studying the core principles of filming, editing and production can lead students to find career paths with “major film companies, news studios, and advertising agencies or pursue self-employment.”

And the award for Top Film Schools 2018 goes to …

1. New York Film Academy

The New York Film Academy (NYFA) is for a new generation of storytellers: passionate visual and performing artists who want to learn by doing in a hands-on, intensive environment.

NYFA is honored to be the school of choice for many Hollywood filmmakers’ families, including Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, and Jodie Foster.

Students from over 120 countries take NYFA’s accelerated degree, conservatory, or workshop programs, with campuses in New York City, Los Angeles, and South Beach, Miami; Gold Coast and Sydney, Australia; and a year-round location in Florence, Italy. Summer workshops are offered worldwide.

2. Colorado Film School

The Colorado Film School, located in in Denver, CO was recently named one of the top 25 film schools in the world. Students earn Certificates, AAS, and transfer out for bachelors degrees.

“All CFS students begin with a set of Core courses that provide foundational understanding across all disciplines, encouraging a deeper understanding of the entire film-making process.” The film school focuses on six core topics:

Screenwriting
Writing / Producing
Writing / Directing
Acting / Directing
Cinematography
Post-Production

Colorado Film School has only 350+ students but produces close to 1,000 films a year.

3. Laguna College of Art & Design

Their mission is “To provide a select number of outstanding students with an unparalleled education complete with all of the skills and professional connections needed to succeed in today’s thriving and competitive creative industries.”

LCAD’s liberal arts studies are augmented each semester with “special guests who interact one-on-one with their students. For example, our World Cinema class has hosted Barbara Schock (Academy Award-winning writer/director/actress), Mary Iannelli (TV costume designer), and Michael Schiffer (writer/producer of Colors, Lean on Me, Crimson Tide, Very Bad Things, and the video games Call of Duty, Call of Duty: Finest Hour, Call of Duty 2).”

Program overview: Becoming a good artist or designer on a technical level requires learning how to be a keen observer — of light, color, form, balance, design. But becoming a great artist or designer requires one to be a keen observer of the world, of its inhabitants, of one’s self.

4. Cogswell Polytechnical College

Cogswell offers degrees in Digital Art & Animation, Game Design & Development, Digital Audio Technology, Digital Arts Engineering and Software Engineering.

The combination of the digital arts, engineering, technology and entrepreneurship – along with a broad foundation in general education – means that Cogswell’s students are prepared to move quickly into the converging global digital media industries, as well as into professions that are changing almost daily.

5. Cornish College of the Arts

Located in Seattle, the Cornish BFA film program will give you the “skills, portfolio, and connections you need to thrive as a visionary filmmaker.

Led by Lyall Bush—well-known Seattle writer, editor, and producer—you’ll pursue both the art and business of filmmaking across a wide variety of platforms, so you’ll be ready for wherever your creative vision takes you.”

Cornish College of the Arts offers a bachelor of fine arts in film.

6. University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)

With less than 800 students enrolled, UNCSA is ranked among the best film schools in the country. The school of filmmaking is their youngest and most distinctive program.

“In your first two years at UNCSA, you will direct and shoot as many as six digital films as you take hands-on courses in every facet of modern film production. Then you’ll choose a concentration — directing, producing, editing, animation and more — and collaborate with classmates on ambitious 16-mm shorts submitted to film festivals around the world.”

The school’s dean is Susan Ruskin, who worked in development for George Lucas and produced for Gilda Radner. One recent screenwriting alumna (2011) landed her dream job writing for the popular show “This Is Us.”

7. Minneapolis College of Art & Design

“MCAD filmmaking majors try it all: writing, directing, producing, shooting, editing, and occasionally even acting. This program helps you hone your personal style and bring your vision to life—whether it’s a music video, documentary, feature film, or something else entirely.”

As a Filmmaking Major You Will:

Master the structure of a variety of motion-picture projects
Create films that shape experience, question perception, and transform the world
Acquire real-world experience through internships and production opportunities
Gain foundational skills in a variety of creative media
Acquire the skills and knowledge for a professional career in filmmaking

source

8. California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

CalArts is located in Santa Clarita, CA (north of LA). The school supports a full array of moving image/sound approaches with the overall goal of fostering “total film/videomaker artists.”

Their total student enrollment for Fall semester 2016 was 1,459, with Film/Video making up 27%. If you like a smaller class size, the average class has between two and 20 students. Some of their notable alumni include: John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Kirby Dick, Tim Burton, Brenda Chapman (co-director of Brave and the first woman to win an Oscar for an animated feature), and more.

9. Ringling College of Art and Design

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students at Ringling College of Art & Design “learn the ins and outs of working on a professional film set through a number of projects that connect students with industry professionals and require both team collaboration and use of their developing technical skills.”

The students are involved in every aspect of filmmaking, from screenwriting, cinematography, directing and editing. They graduate as expert storytellers with their development of screenwriting, demonstrated through their final product.

Recent projects include:

13 students worked with Tim Sutton on Dark Night
Dylan McDermot piloted web series, Sugar, with help from Ringling College film students
Students are working with Justin Long on new web series
Kevin Smith is currently shooting his horror film, Kilroy Was Here, with the students

10. College for Creative Studies

CSS, located in Detroit, provides students with the skills needed for a career in the “creative industries”. All undergraduate students take liberal arts and foundation courses.

The foundation program introduces essentials in drawing, design concept, digital fundamentals, and materials and processes.

“Entertainment Arts at CCS prepares you to join the next generation of storytellers with Hollywood insiders who show you how to master the latest software and equipment used in the entertainment industry.”

11. Art Center College of Design

ArtCenter offers two locations in Pasadena, CA where “students receive a strong foundational instruction in all aspects of storytelling for screens big and small. They then choose a specific track: cinematography, editing or directing. Upon completing the program, graduates will have had the opportunity to write and direct a film and develop a reel of individual work.”

It’s one of the few schools that lets students retain rights to the work they make on campus. “The school doesn’t baby you,” says filmmaker Saman Kesh (’11), attached to direct Cube at Lionsgate and Controller at Fox. “It’s like a mini-industry when you’re there.” [source]

12. Rhode Island School of Design

With a student/faculty ratio of 10:1; film, animation and video (FAV) students can explore the art of the “moving image” in an intimate setting.

In the studio, FAV majors “bounce ideas off each other while focusing on making documentary, experimental and narrative films or animated work using a wide range of techniques, from CGI to hand-drawn to stop-motion animation and more.”

FAV majors work in “live action, animation or a hybrid of the two, and have the option of producing films in a wide variety of genres.”

13. DigiPen Institute of Technology

DigiPen offers undergraduate degrees in the areas of computer science, game design, animation, engineering and music & sound design. They earned a No. 3 ranking on The Princeton Review’s just-released list of the top 50 undergraduate schools for game design for 2018.

A BFA in Digital Art and Animation from DigiPen will give a student the powerful skills to produce imagery in a studio environment. They will possess:

Extensive production experience in both 2D and 3D animation
Excellent drawing skills
Strong storytelling abilities
Familiarity with modern studio processes
Professional work habits and attitude

Some of the roles that BFA grads have assumed are 3D lighting and camera design, character animator, effects animator and storyboard artist.

14. Carleton College

“The Cinema and Media Studies (CAMS) major combines the critical study of moving image and sound media with digital video and audio production. Courses range from global and Hollywood film studies to fiction and nonfiction filmmaking, animation, television studio production and genre studies, moving image media installations, and writing for film and television.

The integration of theory and practice is a guiding principle in the formulation of the curriculum, reflecting a liberal arts philosophy in which theory and practice are mutually informing.”

15. Full Sail University

A Bachelor of Science in Film from Full Sail entails studies in preproduction, production and postproduction, with courses in broadcast production and visual storytelling.

Their philosophy centers on the “value in creative thinking and the importance of hands-on experience. They put this into action with an approach that emphasizes problem-solving, learning by doing, and empowering our students to generate their own concepts and ideas.”

Full Sail was named the “School/College of the Year” in 2008 and 2011 by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges.

16. Vassar College

Vassar is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country. And one of the first liberal arts colleges to create a broad film major.

Students study film history and theory, as well as screenwriting for both short and feature films. They offer a BA in film studies and filmmaking. Vassar students are frequent “award winners at festivals such as Cannes.”

A quote from one of the filmmakers, “The glitter and excitement of Cannes, meeting all those movie people, that was great. But I want the film to make a difference.”

17. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is was named one of the “Top Graduate Fine Arts Programs in the Nation” by U.S. News and World Report.

The Film, Video, New Media and Animation (FVNMA) department is “dedicated to helping you develop your art practice in a variety of forms and contexts including the use of high definition video, new media art, experimental 3D animation, hand-drawn animation, and filmmaking.”

Students have access to state-of-the-art shooting, editing and production equipment. SAIC prides itself on the Gene Siskel Film Center, which offers approximately 1,500 screenings, 100 guest artists and 65,000 attendees each year.

18. Wesleyan University

Wesleyan is a strong liberal arts university in Connecticut that embraces creativity and independent work.

“All film majors study the motion picture in a unified manner, combining historical, formal and cultural analysis with filmmaking at the beginning and advanced levels in 16mm film, digital video and virtual formats.”

“The college approaches the moving image as an art in all its various forms, whether fiction, documentary, experimental, live-action, or animated, and in all its various venues, whether in cinemas, on television, in galleries, on the Internet, or on consumer/home formats.”

19. Los Angeles Film School

Los Angeles Film School offers degrees in film, audio, animation, music, graphic design and entertainment business. Their bachelor’s degree programs include production, cinematography, directing and producing.

Alumni from the school went on to work on several films that won Oscars this year (2018). They also worked on “Fences,” “Arrival,” “Moana” and “Land of Mine.”

20. Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute, located in New York City, prepares its students for successful careers through its schools of art, design, architecture, information and liberal arts and sciences.

“With a firm grounding in the liberal arts and sciences, a Pratt education blends theory with creative application in preparing graduates to become leaders in their professions. Pratt enrolls a diverse group of highly talented and dedicated students, challenging them to achieve their full potential.”

21. School of Visual Arts New York

Also located in New York City, the School of Visual Arts New York (SVA) offers a hands-on program where students create films for all four years.

Students in their senior year get the opportunity to work with a mentor to create a thesis film or animation. The works are premiered at SVA’s annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival. Since this event is attended by guests from the film and animation industries, students could possibly be discovered for their talent in film.

22. Emerson College

Emerson College, located in Boston, loves the concept of learning by doing. Their undergraduate programs (BFA) include acting, creative writing, media arts production, stage and theatre.

The Emerson College Film Festival screens students shorts in their screening room.

23. Yale University

With more than 5,000 undergraduate students, Yale’s Film and Media Studies Program has become one of the best programs for film and media study in the world. The program offers concentrations in both filmmaking and screenwriting.

The Yale Film Study Center offers a collection of films in many different formats exclusively for their students. Their mission “supports teaching, learning, and research, and fosters a robust film culture at Yale through collection, preservation, access, and exhibition.”

Students who major in film and media studies learn “how to make and how to analyze films and digital images, usually beginning with a core course in film grammar before moving on to look at the new media.”

24. Columbia University School of the Arts

Located in the heart of New York City, Columbia University School of Arts offers film, theatre, visual arts and writing.

“The School is renowned for the global success of its alumni in film and television. They have received top prizes at Sundance, Cannes, Venice, Berlin and the Academy Awards.

The MA Film Studies program and the undergraduate Film Studies major give students a unique opportunity to study film history and theory in the midst of an active filmmaking community.”

25. Ithaca College

Ithaca College has been recognized as one of the “Top 25 Schools for Film by the Hollywood Reporter.

“The college’s film program is part of the Roy H. Park School of Communications and includes undergraduate degrees in cinema and photography; documentary studies and production; film, photography and visual arts; and writing for film, TV and emerging media.”

Their goal is to provide students with the skills and background they need to expand and express their creative vision and develop career skills in multiple visual media.

26. Loyola Marymount University (LMU)

With programs in animation, film, television, media studies and screenwriting, Loyola Marymount University (LMU) offers it all.

“The program provides the theoretical, historical and cultural frameworks inherent to the understanding of film as a medium and students apply their practical skills, whether they are directing, producing, filming, editing, writing and/or recording sound for films.”

If screenwriting is the path students want to go, they have the opportunity to learn from professional screenwriters on the art of storytelling.

27. Southern Methodist University

Southern Methodist University (SMU) is devoted to train and mentor students to become artists in film and media. The university offers connections to pursue careers in production with a large alumni base located in Los Angeles.

“Unlike many film programs at other universities, Meadows Film and Media Arts have the advantage of being part of the larger Meadows School of the Arts, an award-winning school encompassing 11 areas of study in the visual, performing and communication arts.”

28. Emory University

Emory University provides students with an intimate learning environment for up-close and personal mentoring. Their mission is to engage students to think critically about “the ways in which images and sounds create ideas.”

Students study the history and theory of film and also offer foundational courses, including Intro to Media Studies and Digital Media and Culture.

Studying film at Emory University helps students understand the ways in which media communicate. Many alumni pursue careers in the entertainment industry such as TV networks, agencies and production companies.

29. Stanford University

The Department of Art & Art History at Stanford University offers degrees in documentary filmmaking and film studies. Students are exposed to film language, genre and visual and narrative structures.

It is harder than most film schools to get in, with only a five percent applicant acceptance rate. Stanford also offers an MFA program focused on documentaries.

30. American University

The School of Communications at American University educates students on how to master the ever-evolving media environment and works with local media to provide student internships for real-world application.

Based in Washington D.C., the study of media production is concentrated in one of three areas: Environmental and Wildlife Filmmaking; Political, Cultural, and Social Impact; and Art in Entertainment.

31. Columbia College Chicago

The goal of the Cinema Art and Science BA in Filmmaking program at Columbia College Chicago is “to provide students the opportunity to make short films through collaboration, analysis, technical skill development and practice.”

“At Columbia, you’re really provoked to do, rather than learn theory and learn how it’s supposed to work,” said Alumni Kyle Heller, whose Cinematique was named one of the “World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies” in 2015. “You’re really pushed out there to shoot and make films.”

32. Chapman University

With student enrollment still under 10,000, Chapman University is located close to Los Angeles and students have access to Hollywood internships.

“Dodge College of Film and Media Arts offers an array of undergraduate degrees that address the rapidly changing entertainment business, so you learn not only how to tell a story, but what it takes to pitch, produce, finance, market and distribute the stories you want to tell.”

Chapman has been ranked one of the “Top 10 Film Schools” by Hollywood Reporter.

33. Northwestern University (School of Communication)

“Northwestern’s School of Communication is one of the few places where students can find a comprehensive program in performing and media arts, including dramatic writing, film and television production, design for interactive and digital media, acting on stage and on screen, sound design and studies, theatre design and directing, theatre history, music theatre, and dance.”

The Department of Radio/Television/Film explores the history and theory behind film. It explores and teaches the production of media from cinema to broadcast television to alternative media to emerging technologies.

34. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)

“As a student of film and television at SCAD, you’ll acquire diverse technical skills, center yourself as a solid creative and step seamlessly into your professional film career.”

The only school on this list that produces its own streaming sitcom; every quarter a new episode of The Buzz — a sitcom where of college graduates hang out in a coffee shop — is produced, directed and edited by a different set of students and streamed on the school’s website.

Back to You

These film programs and departments prepare students to enter the next generation of great filmmakers.

Did I leave a school off the list that is important to you?

Let me know.

Video Marketing Trends in 2021: 19 Experts Weigh In

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2018 05:00:23 +0000

Video usage is on a continuous rise. 81% of businesses use video as a marketing tool — up from 63% in 2017. The problem arises when you might not understand how the video marketing landscape is shaping up for 2021 — considering all the different platforms and techniques that are available.

I asked 19 Digital Marketing Experts: “What do you feel is the #1 Video Marketing Trend to watch for in 2021?

Let me tell you, the insights received from the 15 established marketers were nothing short of amazing. I’ve listed all of them below.

1. Brenna Clarine — Valoso.com

“I am glad you asked me to contribute. Here is my insight on the bit:

The top video marketing trend to watch for in 2021 is hybrid events, according to my article on 2018 trends. Hybrid events combine live in-person events and virtual video events. Live streams are obviously an explosive trend that began in 2015 with the birth of Periscope. This trend has been growing ever since, and now, in 2021, we can expect live streaming events to jump in popularity. Experiential marketing is on the rise, and video marketing continues to pervade. Combine the two, and you have a successful strategy for your 2021 video marketing campaign.”

2. Scott Harrell — VideoToOrder.com

“Certainly, the obvious video marketing trends toward engaging customers and prospects via live streaming video events and producing native video content (videos that are optimized for display on specific social platforms) will continue well through 2021. However, I think the convergence of video and customer relations management tools in order to “automagically” create unique content from stock video assets and client data is exciting. Anyone who has seen the personalized videos from Santa Claus via websites like Portable North Pole or was drawn into Showtime Networks’ insanely successful “Dexter Hit List” marketing campaign can relate to the power of personalization. Brands that manage to cleverly weave customers into an interesting story will be the clear winners in the near future.

If this doesn’t fit, is just more of the same or you want something more edgy, let me know. I’ve been working on a few articles about a scary video trend towards using “deepfakes” – the process of digitally, and often realistically, face-swapping in video content. There is a tremendous room for abuse with this sort of technology in video marketing and I think it will become a problem for brands and celebrities.”

Check out his twitter: @LScottHarrell

3. Olga Bedrina — Animatron.com

“There is no doubt that video marketing will only continue growing in 2021 onward. What I expect to impact video marketing to a huge extent is personalization. In the age when we get bombarded by messages everywhere, we can no longer hope to reach the audience with the one-to-many approach. Instead, we might expect to see the shift towards account-based marketing, where highly targeted, highly personalized videos address every person individually.

At the same time, storytelling is another trend we should expect to see more of in video marketing. Video content that tells a compelling story, together with being highly personalized, will win the game.”

Check her twitter: @olga_bedrina

4. Laci Texter — SproutVideo.com

“Starting in the 2017 holiday season and following through into Super Bowl 2018, we saw multiple brands create what were essentially drip campaigns:

They put out teaser videos for their campaign.
Built the storyline over several different video releases to create momentum (doing so seamlessly cross-platform in order to reach the viewer wherever they were), and incorporated corresponding experiences (online and offline) for the big release.

Budweiser’s “Stand By You” is a great example of this trend, especially because the offline experience they incorporated in was a community-focused initiative. For all of these campaigns, engagement was the number one goal and I don’t expect to see this change anytime soon.”

Check out her twitter: @textercomm

5. Kevin Coll — SmartBug Media.com

“For me, there are a lot of places you could look for a big trend in the video marketing space but I have to pinpoint its use in the sales process and delight process. Whether you are B2B or B2C, there is value in the power of video, to help your sales process or interact with customers in creative ways.

For B2B businesses, incorporating video into their sales hand-off process to support or client services, using the Google plugin app like Vidyard GoVideo during the sales process is another example of a way to offer your prospects a unique and tailored experience.

On the consumer side, I would love to see eCommerce companies embracing it in the support process or in the post-purchase process using the same concepts. Imagine getting a video from the Warby Parker team after you bought a pair of new glasses saying “Thank you,” instead of just a normal Thank you email. A video is more intimate and fun.

Consumers have been embracing it for years with the smartphone and social media. Now it is time companies did the same thing in their sales enablement and customer delight process. I think this is a huge trend we are going to see more of in 2021.”

Check out his twitter: @KevinNeilColl

6. Vivek Nair — Vivek Nairs.com

“Livestreaming – I believe this trend is going to help lots of businesses and entrepreneurs tell their story better. Entrepreneurs need to leverage free tools like FB Live, Instagram Live and even Twitter Live for showcasing their “special” story to their prospects and customers. Now with YouTube Live coming into the picture, the freedom to create awesome video content has just hit a new level.

Single piece of advice for entrepreneurs pondering about Video Marketing – “Be yourself and don’t worry about perfection”.

Check out his twitter: @vivektweetsso

7. Katie Raebel — Plum Media.com

“All of the major platforms are pushing live video and naturally many brands are starting to experiment with it. While live video certainly showcases the authenticity of a company, I think more brands will start to look at striking a balance between do-it-yourself iPhone shoots and producing something with a little more polish.

At the end of the day, the quality of that content represents the company. Brands need to be intentional about how they approach live video and more importantly what they’re ultimately trying to achieve by going live.”

Check out her twitter: @kraebel80

8. Dan Rayburn — StreamingMediaBlog.com

“The best thing happening on the marketing side is that the industry as a whole is now talking about specific KPIs so we can look at and measure the value of the message being delivered. Because if we can’t measure it in a meaningful way, what’s the point of using marketing dollars?

So the key is the KPIs and how that is all measured.”

Check out his twitter: @DanRayburn

9. Angela Giles — AngelaGiles.com

“I actually think that using video inside of blog posts is going to be huge! Watch, I am just starting to do it now!

Check out her twitter: @angelaksgiles

10. Ivan Hernandez — Dremex.us

“Personally, I believe that live streaming videos have taken off and will become a trend this year. People want to be updated in real time and not only about political debates, events, news, or influencers but ordinary people who are expressing their thoughts and sharing how exciting their life is – It is a fact that we will see more and new influencers.

In order to adapt to these changes new video marketing strategies need to be developed, and creative efforts need to be directed to create original, authentic and spontaneous content that can be broadcasted live – Live video streams will help reduce costs because the videos would not require post-production expenses.

Besides, the content creators can take advantage of the length of these videos because live videos streams increases the viewer’s engagement, even if it is three times longer.

The following example proves that live videos will be the de facto standard when it comes to reaching the masses instantly with little to no cost. I used my Twitter account – I am nobody, believe me – to tweet a famous actress who has 1 million followers on Instagram, 200 thousand on Twitter and 250 thousand on Facebook to recommend a new clothing brand. She liked its products and bought some t-shirts. Once she received them, she started to broadcast a live video on Instagram to show the products, emphasizing its quality, beauty and how happy she was to receive them. This video was shared across three of her social networks, and I did not have to pay anything for it. Can you imagine what the ROI was after that?

In conclusion, live videos are going to mark a tendency and will lead us to a more connected world.”

11. Daniel Glickman — Animatron.com

“At Wave.video we see a clear trend of posting videos as the format of choice on social platforms. Videos far outperform images in the social feed, (Video gets more visibility and engagement) but until recently only larger brands could afford to produce them. While there is still a need for expensive, custom videos, small businesses are finding that video storytelling tools like our own are affordable and effective.

We see video content being created for all sorts of topics and occasions and posted regularly to almost all social channels. Expect your social feed to consist mostly of videos, perhaps as soon as late 2021.”

Check out his twitter: @cmoconfessor

12. Keith Gutierrez — Modgility

The #1 video marketing trend in 2018 is using video for everyday communications to build relationships. These are helpful, value-based emails that can be used to make an introduction, provide customer support, training and more.

There are several innovative Google Chrome extensions out there that are making video simple to record and integrate into your everyday communications. These are tools like Loom and Soapbox by Wistia.

Here’s an example of my Loom email signature video.

Check out his twitter: @keithgutierrez

13. Kim Garst — KimGarst.com

“My #1 video marketing trend in 2021 is that more and more businesses will step into storytelling using live video opportunities like Facebook LIVE, Twitter Live, Instagram Stories, Snapchat, etc.”

Check out her twitter: @kimgarst

14. Luke Severn — KDMC

“With the rise of video marketing on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, video marketing on LinkedIn is going to dramatically increase in 2018. When scrolling through my LinkedIn feed, I certainly don’t see as many videos as I do on Facebook and Instagram, but I’ve recently seen an upward trend in the amount of videos I’m seeing on LinkedIn, particularly those that are marketing focused.

Expect to see more videos on LinkedIn and an increased focus by LinkedIn on making it easier to post and share videos.”

Check out his twitter: @Lowkey_Luke

15. Jaron Gilinsky — Storyhunter

“Marketers have been investing more in their own branded content studios as they create a mix of content and ads (there is often little to no difference) across several social channels. All such channels – even previously text-heavy platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn – push marketers to create more images and video.

In the year ahead, we expect a lot of marketers to look for tools to scale production and turn those studios into a distributed model. Rather than rely on a single team at their corporate headquarters, they’ll tap into the best producers and creators anywhere who can best tell their brand’s story.”

Check out his twitter: @jarongilinsky

16. Ian Hardy — Global Media Desk

“Although they have been around for a while, 360 videos are gaining in popularity. Studies have shown that viewers interact and share 360 videos at a higher rate than their 2d counterparts.

What makes 360 videos especially awesome is that they allow brands to place consumers inside an experience and actually influence what they see. 2021 will have businesses, especially retail and real estate, continue to explore 360 videos and give their customers new and realistic ways to explore their products.

17. David Murdico — Super Cool Creative

The #1 video marketing trend I see in 2021 is writing, producing and promoting more quick, short, less expensive videos for different uses.

One of the first questions I ask when a new customer comes to me looking for one video, is what do you plan to do with it? I see too many smart marketing people investing way too much in that one magic video, and they want it to be funny, but not off-brand funny, and they want lots of product info in there, and all the calls to action, and they want it to go viral too, organically, with little or no spend.

In 2018 we’re seeing more brands, businesses and startups liking one or two creative ideas, then asking us to produce different videos for different purposes – some for awareness, some for specific product features, different CTAs – some funny, some not, and promote them in different ways – social media, pre-roll, promoted posts, pitching to the media, bloggers, influencers.
Then we look at the results, and see which are selling stuff and which aren’t.

18. Britt Laeger — StoryTeller Media + Communications

I think the biggest video marketing trend we will see in 2018 and beyond is immersive, engaging video experiences. Whether it’s interactive video content, 360 video, or even live-streaming, video is no longer a one-way communication stream. Businesses and brands will need to continue to personalize the experiences of their viewers rather than creating a one size fits all video strategy.

Check out her twitter: @bmiyo

19. Solomon Thimothy — Clickx Marketing

Creating videos in 2018 has been easier than ever before, especially if you’re planning to go live. I read a stat that 95% of brand and agency executives plan for live video to be a very important part of their marketing strategy in 2021. Live video is not something to take lightly, this trend is here to stay.

There are some key benefits with live videos including low production costs, increased engagement, higher quality of views, and shareability even after the initial broadcast. Not to mention, it’s easy to set up on your mobile device and to start broadcasting on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.

Check out his twitter: @sthimothy

Now I want to turn it over to you…

What an amazing collection of useful advice.

What do you feel will be the number 1 video marketing trend this year?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

The post Video Marketing Trends in 2021: 19 Experts Weigh In appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

11 Proven YouTube Marketing Tips You Can Use Today

admin — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 05:00:12 +0000

Watching YouTube videos is fun. Creating videos for YouTube and getting results for your business is more fun.

There’s no question about it. YouTube is on fire with 1.5 billion monthly users watching over an hour of content a day. Are you using YouTube marketing to its full potential for your business?

Are your engagement metrics high? Is your goal of increasing your conversion rate on track?

Could you use some new strategies to improve your marketing results?

Today I have something that will make you feel you can tackle any video and see first-hand strategies that are working right now … and will work even better in 2018.

Bonus: Download our 11 Proven YouTube Marketing Tips as a PDF. Easily save it to your computer or print it for reference for your next website.

1. Outrank Your Competitor with Keyword Research and Tags

Do you put a ton of time and energy into creating your video for YouTube but it’s not being found?

You need to help viewers find the videos they want to watch and keep them engaged enough to reach your call-to-action. It all begins with some keyword research. Keyword research is different on YouTube than it is for text-based articles found on Google.

I’m sure you’re most familiar with what YouTube will suggest to you.

With YouTube suggest, you’ll find exact keywords your audience is searching.

Quick steps:

Write out general topics in your niche
From YouTube homepage: type in a keyword (when you pull up your term look at the results)
Get secondary keywords from the drop-down menu ( you can have as many as 20 secondary keywords)

There are also keywords that tend to rank high in google for videos

how to keywords
reviews
tutorials
funny videos

Because Google dynamically displays YouTube videos on the SERPs, you can rank in both Google and YouTube for your keywords, which could potentially skyrocket your traffic. Here’s a helpful YouTube Video marketing guide to increase prospects in your funnel.

Another great tool to use for research is TubeBuddy. It’s a free browser extension that integrates directly into YouTube. It is great for showing how your keywords are ranking and it will show the exact tags your competitors are using for their videos. For instance, using a platform like AI Detector can help scan for AI-generated content in video descriptions or tags, so the authenticity aligns with audience expectations.

See TubeBuddy in action…

Green numbers represent where the video is currently ranking for that exact term.

You can go after a top video that is ranking for a keyword you want to rank for. Look for videos that already have a ton of views.

Check out the tags your competitor is using. You can go back and edit your video with the tags or when you create a new video, be sure to use the existing tags.

Also, under the “Creator Studio”, click on the analytics tab and continue to monitor keywords and optimize an existing video around that keyword.

Your YouTube analytics will help you discover trends and what is working with your audience and what is not.

2. Double Your Search Traffic With Compelling Custom Video Thumbnails

And increase engagement by as much as 154%!

A great custom video thumbnail can make the difference whether a viewer clicks through to your video or decides not to watch. It should compel your viewers to want to click your video to “discover” more.

Your thumbnail image plays a huge part when it comes to attracting and captivating your audience.

This strategy works for YouTube and Google search.

Have you noticed more video results are showing up in Google search results? Remember your uploading your videos on YouTube to be found but… big brother is watching and ranking you on Google.

How do you create compelling Youtube thumbnails that will attract?

After all, there are almost 5 billion YouTube videos on the platform.

Are you attracted to any of these thumbnails?

Enough where you want to click on the video…

“The Youtube thumbnail is the 21st century’s book cover. They need to be visually intriguing enough to catch eyeballs in a split second, or else you risk your videos gathering dust on your channel’s shelves.”

Canva curated a collection of 20 eye-catching thumbnails from channels started by people all over the world.

A few quick and easy YouTube marketing tips when it comes to thumbnails:

Be consistent with your typeface and treatments (large sizes make it easy to read and make sure text is large enough to read on any device)
Don’t typeset over images – Try setting them over solid shapes
Place your title within a color bar and at the center of your thumbnail
Set your subheading in a smaller size or different weight
Use similar imagery and design elements if you have a series/themes (like a playlist that has 5 parts)
Set crisp white type over dark images
Show strong emotion
Use bright colors and high contrast images
Use fonts and colors that are consistent with your brand

Captivating or shocking thumbnails can increase engagement for your videos by as much as 154%.

90% of the best performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails.

Thumbnails should have great features to increase their impact.

They should be facial close-ups, high contrast, high quality, 16:9 aspect ratio thumbnails.
The imagery should visually capture the keywords and content of the video.
Avoid having relevant content in the bottom right of the thumbnail because YouTube will overlay video duration in that area

You might be wondering…

What’s the right YouTube thumbnail size?

Your thumbnail should be 1280 x 720 pixels, with a minimum width of 640 pixels. And it must be in .JPG, .GIF, .BMP, or .PNG image formats.

In this Snappa tutorial, they show you how to create a YouTube thumbnail with the proper dimensions using a free tool called Snappa.

3. How to Properly Upload Video to YouTube From Start to Finish for Best Results

If you just created a corporate video, you have to consider where you want to host and promote it. There are a plethora of places starting with YouTube, Vimeo or Wistia for your hosting platform.

Let’s concentrate on YouTube with its 1.3 billion people and robust search engine and how to upload your video for top results.

Step by Step Instructions on Uploading Your Video for Best Results

Step 1 The name of your file matters. When uploading your video, your title becomes the name of your file. Ensure targeted keywords are in your file names. After uploading, you’ll see your raw file is your main keyword.

Step 2 To upload – Hit the arrow button at the far right of the screen. You’ll next see the option to set your privacy settings. I suggest private at first. This gives you time to optimize your video for top rankings.

Step 3 Write your title/headline using primary and secondary keywords if it makes sense. For example: How to Write Best YouTube Video Titles|Tags of Viral Videos|YouTube Videos The main keyword is YouTube Video.

Step 4 Write smart descriptions. Youtube displays the first 125 characters in the search results. So be aware of your first sentence. Make it count. You want to compel someone to click on your result. But don’t stop there. The full description has room for 5,000 characters. That is prime real estate. Use it wisely and add in a few latent semantic keywords and tags in your description.

And add a CTA at the bottom. For example “Subscribe to get YouTube Video Marketing Tips”! Or Follow me on Twitter!

Step 5 Fill in 3-5 tags. If you did your research, this part will be easy.

Step 6 Thumbnails. Always create a custom thumbnail. Competiton is fierce. You need to stand out. If you installed TubeBuddy, it has a built-in thumbnail generator. Be creative and remember the tips from above.

Step 7 In advanced settings, pick a category. As much information you can give YouTube will help with your rankings. You can also select your video language and recording date.

Step 8 Now is the time to switch from private to the public setting. You are optimized and ready to be found.

4. Boost Brand Awareness with Your Unique Banner

Youtube channel art (cover image) is the banner that is displayed at the top of your YouTube channel page.

You will increase your brand identity and give your page a unique look.

How to Add or Change YouTube Channel Art

Step 1: In the top right on your channel select: My channel (you must be logged into your account) The channel space will be blank if this is your first time here.

Step 2: You’ll see 2 buttons – Customize Channel and Creator Studio. Click on Customize Channel:

If this is your first time here, you’ll click on Add channel art. You can add existing photos or upload a new image.

It is slightly different if you have channel art uploaded already. If replacing your existing banner – hover your cursor over the top right corner on your cover until you see the edit icon. It will look like a small camera. Once you click on the icon, another menu will pop up that will include Upload photos, Your photos or Gallery.

Step 3: Choose and change your image. According to YouTube, the best channel art size is 2560 pixels wide by 1440 pixels tall.

Step 4: You’ll see a preview of how your image will appear. To make any changes, select adjust the crop.

Step 5: Click Select.

Step 6: Add your social media links to your banner.

Click on your about tab
Click on customize channel
Hover over the links section and click on the edit “pencil”
Click the +Add button
Enter the social media site and URL of the site you want to link to. You can add up to 5 sites.
Click Done

5. Grow Your YouTube Channel and Increase Watch Time

YouTube is judging you.

It gives preferential treatment to the videos that have greater amounts of watch time. Meaning their viewers are engaged and staying on the channel longer.

When your video ends, YouTube shows a quick list of recommended videos for the user to watch next.

Why not make sure they watch your video?

Syed Balkhi, a renowned marketer and founder of a youtube channel, List25, with over 2.3 million subscribers and over 560 million video views, suggests using well-crafted playlists.

Side note: your playlists should show what your channel is all about. And while naming your playlist you can keyword-optimize your lists for long tail keywords.

Back to Syed…

“A little-known secret about playlists is that you can trigger them from anywhere with a special URL.”

How do you create this special URL?

Most add related video cards at the end of the video.

Instead of just adding the video link, Balkhi recommends directing the user to a playlist instead.

To do this, all you have to do is add &list=ID at the end of the URL.

For example:

Your normal video URL looks like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uww_Aq74NUE

Random videos. Not attached to your playlist

You need to Modify it and add the playlist ID like so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uww_Aq74NUE&t=2s&index=1&list=PLNhZ1XQp25HllGo6Wo0V5WE5xYZhrQDXJ

Video attached to your playlist

You can shuffle your list in any order you want. Great when you’re creating a series.

With a boost in watch time, chances are in your favor…

YouTube will promote your channel through search and other recommended videos.

6. Increase Your Odds of Nailing the Sale

If you have a website, you can associate it to your YouTube channel.

Anytime viewers are on your channel, there is always the chance of them wandering to another video quickly. By contrast, once you take that viewer from your video directly to your website, you stand a higher chance of keeping them longer and gaining their trust. Which eventually leads to the sale.

Setting up an Associated Website is Worth its Weight in Gold

Step 1: You must join the YouTube partner program. (As of January 16, 2018, YouTube announced new eligibility requirements for the YouTube Partner Program. “Once a channel reaches 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1,000 subscribers it will be reviewed to join the program.”)

Step 2: Associate your website with your Google account

Step 3: Add a card (next tip) to your videos to link your website

Under Creator Studio… click on the tab: Channel

Channel will give you a drop-down menu with a setting named “Advanced”.

Click on Advanced. Here you’ll be able to add your associated website:

7. Secret Tip From Youtuber with 567 Million Video Views

How would you feel with over 567 million video views?

Pretty happy I would presume.

Think of your YouTube card as a Call to Action for your video. Cards will help viewers discover more of your content. Where it gets super exciting, you can add cards to your video at the exact spot your users are leaving.

One thing YouTube loves is longer watch times. The longer your viewers are hanging out … the more ad revenue YouTube can earn.

How do you know the exact point where users tend to abandon your video?

and why do you want this data?

…to place your “card”.

Here’s how…

Head over to your Video Analytics. Under Creator Studio, Click Analytics

Analyze your watch time. If you see your viewers dropping off 25% of the way through, you can do a couple of things:

Get rid of a bad intro
If you’re giving tips, give one of your best in the beginning to spike their interest
Place a card and have them move to other content or a playlist. Link to your other content that viewers will most likely be more interested in.

You can use cards to keep your viewers engaged. Since your goal should be to keep them engaged and reduce abandonment, place the card where you see them trailing.

A fun example is Slow Mo Guys (see the image below), they place a card to promote their related videos or playlists.

The tactic is effective to keep them watching or simply to subscribe to your channel.

See the card displayed below:

Slow Mo Guys Greatest…

Eric Sachs, SEO virtuoso and CEO @Sachs Marketing Group gives some great ideas on how to make your content more interactive. It allows you to create a two-way conversation with your viewers. Since YouTube discontinued their annotations tool (which did not work on mobile), it replaced it with end screen and cards because of the mobile-first approach.

8. Use Intros Sparingly – Get to the Point

Intros should be your way of saying hello quickly. And remember to get to the point.

The average human attention span has fallen through the years from 12 seconds to 8 seconds.

Some YouTubers believe your intro is where you hold a captive audience. But if you drag it on they will leave. This branding tactic could backfire.

Take the advice of Philip DeFranco a user who experimented with intros for years and has over 6 million subscribers.

He had an animated intro featuring his monkey logo: (which starts at the: 19-second mark)

Before – YouTube Marketing Tip:

But has opted for his infamous one-liner:

“Wassup, you beautiful bastards. Hope you’re having a fantastic …”

After – YouTube Marketing Tip:

9. Become an Expert Storyteller with Video

Everyone can relate to a story. With over 17 million views, this video will tug at your emotions. Telling stories will engage your viewers and make content more relatable.

Watch…

“Would you dare to question who you really are?”

They asked 67 people from all over the world to take a DNA test. It turns out they have much more in common with other nationalities than they thought.

You probably already know creating a decent video starts with informative and engaging content. Storytelling for your business is more concise and less of a sales pitch.

With the shift toward inbound marketing and use of video, you will become more aware and reliant on storytelling.

When it comes to your business, don’t tell me why your product is the best, show me through a story. It’s much better for your viewers to discover it on their own.

Here’s a great story…

Beachwood Plastic Surgery Brand Video

“A good rule of thumb is to show what you can and tell what you have to.”

Vidooly can help provide analytics and video intelligence so that you can focus on making content, not reports. It’s easy to use software can help you understand online video trends for all-around insights.

You can find out how many times a video has been shared on Twitter, Facebook, and popular social media platforms. Another cool feature, you’ll discover the trending videos from all categories of YouTube.

10. Create a Powerful End of Video Experience

In tip #7, YouTube users that want to add notes to their videos can use cards. (creating annotations is no longer available).

You can add end screens to create a powerful end-of-video-experience for your viewers. Both cards and end screens work well on mobile devices. This is important because nearly 70% of all YouTube videos are watched on mobile devices.

“According to YouTube’s documentation, End Screens can be incorporated anywhere within the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video and can include up to four elements. In addition to promoting a creator’s own videos and encouraging users to subscribe, the feature can also point viewers to other videos, playlists, or channels on YouTube, or can be used to promote non-YouTube content, like websites, merchandise for sale, or crowdfunding campaigns.

When a user hovers over an End Screen on the desktop or taps on them on their mobile device, the End Screens will then expand to display more information.”

How to Add an End Screen to Your YouTube Video

Step 1: From your Video Manager (located in your Creator Studio), Select Video

Step 2: Choose the video you want to add the End Screen and Click on Edit

Step 3: In the top tab bar, click End screen (The end screen tool currently only supports videos with an aspect ratio of approximately 16:9.)

Step 4: Add Element. You can add up to four elements to a video. At least one element must be a video or playlist. Select each element and fill in the required information, then click Create element.

YouTube Marketing Tip – Step 1 – to add elements to your video

YouTube Marketing Tip – Step 2 – to add elements to your video

Step 5: Click Save

You’re good to go!

11. Embed YouTube Video as Powerful SEO Growth Strategy

If your goal is to grow your traffic on YouTube, I would recommend utilizing YouTube as your embed tool over Wistia or Vimeo. Embedding using YouTube code will drive traffic to your channel instead of “giving” it to your other hosting platforms.

You can embed a video to your LinkedIn profile, email signature, website, etc. This will help boost your video’s traffic and your YouTube ranking. Also, embed YouTube videos on your blog and promote them to your social media audience. This will not only increase video views, it will increase your site’s page views.

And Google will give slightly more weight to your YouTube videos in search results. “In terms of owning Google SERP real estate, YouTube has become one of the most powerful tools in any SEO arsenal.”

Let’s take a look at how to embed a YouTube video in your blog posts.

Step 1: Go to the YouTube video you want to embed.

Step 2: Under the video, click SHARE

Click on SHARE under the video to get the embed code.

Step 3: Click EMBED

Click on EMBED to copy the code

Step 4: Copy the code

Step 5: Paste the embed code in the exact place you want the video to appear.

Here’s step by step if you are using WordPress.

Go to the post you want to add the video.
Click on Text.
Go to the section you want the video to appear.
Drop in the code.

No doubt your posts will become more dynamic and engaging.

Integrating YouTube videos in your content marketing can benefit your business greatly. You’ll engage your audience and receive a couple of SEO perks as well.

Here’s How to Use These YouTube Marketing Tips For Your Site

You’ve read about the 11 YouTube marketing tips. Now it’s time to implement them.

The first step?

Leave a comment to let me know which tip you’re going to try first.

Ready to create your first card or end screen?

Or maybe you want to re-evaluate your Intro’s like Philip DeMarco did?

Either way, leave a quick comment below right now.

The post 11 Proven YouTube Marketing Tips You Can Use Today appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

Video Marketing Statistics: Why Your Business Needs Video

admin — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 05:00:48 +0000

If you’re serious about content marketing, you need to incorporate video into your business strategy. Don’t take my word for it though. Take a look at these mind-blowing video marketing statistics that will have you creating a video today.

Why?

Because it’s effective.

Video marketing has been switched from dabbling in it to an essential strategy. Video can no longer be ignored. It is the future of content marketing.

Why video can no longer be ignored for content marketing…

Don’t have time to read the whole guide right now?

Let me send you a copy so you can read it when it’s convenient for you. Just let me know where to send it (takes 5 seconds):

Like the infographic? Share it:

Here’s my take on the video marketing statistics from the infographic:

Statistic #1

Videos are Shared 1,200% More Times Than Links and Text Combined

Video marketing is not new but it’s certainly grabbing the attention of many with the use of the internet and smartphones.

Think about it…

Human attention spans are less than that of a goldfish, highlighting the affects of an increasingly digitized lifestyle on the brain. A video is quick to the punch while striking an emotional bond. People want instant gratification and they get it with the visual and sound elements a video offers. Text — well, is text. Nothing really stimulating.

Not too long ago, it was the faceoff between visual content and text content.

Who won you might ask?

It was all about the visual presentation that mattered.

Visual information can be processed 60,000 times faster than text and is easier to remember.

The use of images was and is important for more than the obvious appealing reason. The use of whitespace on blogs to focus your visitors on your content, not your clutter. And using bullet lists to make your content more skimmable.

While this is still true today; we need all of those attributes, a great video will keep your readers entertained and on your page longer. It will also have them sharing your video on social. “Social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined”. Think of the increased engagement you will receive from 1 video.

Remember what I said, you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention and keep it.

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.

Statistic #2

80 Percent of Global Internet Consumption Will be Video Content by 2021

Cisco has spoken. In its most recent video marketing statistics, Visual Networking Index Forecast, “video will continue to dominate internet traffic with 80% of global internet consumption derived from video.”

The report goes on to say…

Video will represent 82% of all IP traffic in 2021, including consumer and business IP traffic, amounting to a million minutes of video transmitted through networks every second.
Specific video formats are poised for growth. Live video is expected to grow 15-fold, from 3% of internet video traffic to 13% by 2021.
Mobile video is growing faster than TV

What does that mean for the average business?

Video is taking content marketing by storm. “With online video quickly becoming a key means for people to satisfy their information and entertainment needs, small businesses that fail to include it in their internet marketing strategies will do so at their peril.”

For businesses, there are online strategies and more channels for their products to be found by their consumers. Businesses and marketers alike, that adapt to the growing trend of video, will best position themselves to keep their current audience engaged and generate new audiences.

From Hubspot, impact to marketers: “We’ve seen a lot of data pointing to growth in video. Everyone is watching it, which means most marketers will need to step out of their comfort zone and consider creating video content. As millennials, who officially are the biggest generational group in the United States, accumulate greater spending power over time, marketers will have to really tackle the video channel to best reach this new class of consumers. Those who test and perfect their video strategies now will have the best chance of success in the future.”

Statistic #3

Video Drives a 157% Increase in Organic Traffic From SERPs

About 25 percent of Google searches have at least one video in them, so you can also rank in the SERPs with your optimized YouTube video.

We already went over the fact that video content is eating up 80% of all internet traffic and moving fast.

Have you noticed the results you get from Google when you type in a “how-to” query?

You probably get a featured snippet.

“When a user asks a question in Google Search, we might show a search result in a special featured snippet block at the top of the search results page. This featured snippet block includes a summary of the answer, extracted from a webpage, plus a link to the page, the page title, and URL.”

It may be followed by other recommended sites or a video on the first page.

Or there may be a suggested clip that appears…

Sometimes not just a YouTube video, but a suggested clip for the video highlighting the exact time they want you to watch.

Let’s keep it simple…

In google search type in: How to tie a lace youtube. Here’s what you will most likely find:

Pretty cool!

Read more: Google tests “suggested clip” in search results where video jumps directly to the answer. And you can trigger a Google suggested clip video answer if you don’t want to wait and watch irrelevant parts of the video.

Statistic #4

Embedded Videos in Websites Can Increase Traffic by Up to 55%

I showed how compelling suggested clips are on the SERPs.

Let’s take a look at embedding a video on your website.

Embedding video into your website is an effective way of engaging visitors and making your brand stand out in a text-heavy internet world. Videos are easier to digest than text-heavy content.

Videos have the ability to deliver your message more effectively while educating and entertaining your consumers. They deliver information in a quick and easy manner.

Think of the options now available to you to embed a video into a web page.

You can grab a code from Youtube, Vimeo, and Wistia and upload to your site within seconds. Embed your video for a delivered return on investment. Including a video on your homepage can also increase conversion rates. (more of that in number 8)

Since Google owns YouTube, there is a significant increase in how videos affect your search engine rank. As digital marketing matures, it comes as no surprise that companies need to embrace video.

Customers who watch a video on a company’s website will be more trusting of the company and will be more likely to purchase the company’s product. Video Meets Web Design

Statistic #5

81% of People Have Been Convinced to Buy a Product or Service by Watching a Brand’s Video

If you’re still wondering what the best way to let your consumers know about your product, video marketing is the answer.

Wyzowl, the widely respected data source in the industry, just published findings for their 2018 “State of Video Marketing Statistics”. In it, they revealed, “8 out of 10 people reported that video has directly led to them buying a product or service”. It shows you just how much emphasis video has, as part of the sales journey.

Build a video map that will help you create a great video script. Each part of the “map” has a specific intent and will work to produce a smart video that will achieve your intended results.

Video holds huge potential for a brand. Video content promotes brand recall.

The fact remains, video marketing is easier for many users to remember than text-based content.

Statistic #6

44% of Consumers Prefer Learning About a Product via Watching a Video

Did you know consumers don’t like interacting with salespeople or reading a manual?

In fact, 44% of consumers prefer learning about a product by watching a video about it.

This is in comparison to a mere 4% that like reading a manual and 5% talking to someone over the phone. And like I stated above, 81 % have been persuaded to purchase a product or service by viewing a brand’s video.

What if your sales organization could have most of the convincing done before making a sales call? A video is a resource for your sales team.

Consumers watch product demos which is just as effective as seeing the product in person. Think about 360 product videos. It shows the different angles of a product. It will help cut down on returns because your customer has a better understanding of the product prior to purchase.

In the age of smartphones, transparency is key and more importantly, you need to be where your audience is.

A video is powerful. Combine video with your storytelling and you’ll reach your company goals.

Statistic #7

Using the Word, “Video” in an Email Subject Line Boosts Open Rates by 19%

And click-through rates by 65% and reduces unsubscribe rates by 26%.

“Video is a such a powerful communication medium that simply using it in an email subject line gains more positive results.”

Let’s face it…

Subject lines influence whether or not emails get opened.

What are the advantages of using video in emails?

“The fact that we spend 29% of our time online watching videos shows that it can be a powerful tool for marketing. So why not combine it with the number one tool for marketing ROI?

A video is a good way of explaining something complex, particularly for new product launches. It can express the idea of your marketing campaign in a more engaging way for your subscribers as it appeals to more senses and involves movement. And with an average attention span of fewer than 8 seconds, you can get more of your message across than anyone could read in that time.”

Statistic #8

8. Adding a Product Video on Your Landing Page Can Increase Conversions by 80%

The job of your landing page, if done correctly, is to tell your visitors exactly what you want them to do and why they should do it. Adding product video is valuable and specific enough to reach even one viewer.

If your landing page is text-heavy and cluttered, it’s probably not going to drive those desired conversions. Adding video can change that…

The benefits of using video on landing pages:

Videos increase the length of time people stay on your page, giving your brand message longer to sink in.
If you feature yourself or company employees in the video, the trust factor is raised significantly.
People are lazy and prefer to watch vs. read.

Your video will increase your brand awareness.

“A remarkable video on your landing page – one that resonates with your demographic and gets your business message communicated – can create a memorable experience. Videos can stimulate multiple sensory triggers – through both visual and auditory cues.”

A video will show your product. It will convert your visitor to the next stage of the buyer’s journey.

Statistic #9

9. Companies Who Use Videos in Their Marketing Grow Revenue 49% Faster Year-on-Year Than Those Who Don’t

You’ve probably heard the term WIIFM before – “What’s In It For Me”?!

This time it is ALL about you and your ROI.

According to Hubspot, 52% of marketers say video is the type of content with the best ROI.

Which is hands down the best because based on another study by Hubspot, video content is the preferred choice among consumers.

Followed by emails, social images and social videos and blog articles.

Why wouldn’t you see a faster rate of return on video?

It captivates your audience with sight and sound (2 of our 5 traditionally recognized senses), it’s responsive and emotionally stimulating and just “1 minute of well-crafted video content is worth 1.8 million words.” (Forrester)

Somewhat of an outlandish video marketing stat but definitely thought-provoking.

But wait there’s more…

Video Marketing Statistics From Other Infographics

Viewer’s who like a company’s video online are over 90% more likely to make a purchase from that company in the future. Users say that product videos are helpful in the decision process. [Infographicworld.com…]

66% of B2B organizations use video in some capacity in their marketing campaign, of which 73% report positive results to their ROI [Rendfx.com]

Enjoyment of video ads increase purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139% [Rendfx.com]

The average internet user spends 88% more time on a website with video than without. [Adeliestudios.com]

59% of senior executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topics on the same page, they prefer to watch the video. [DigitalInformationWorld.com…]

52% of marketers believe that video marketing is effective for Brand awareness, 45% lead generation, 42% online engagement [DigitalInformationWorld.com…]

Video Marketing Statistics From Google News

2x your traffic this year with Video SEO [Search engine Journal…]

The average person watches more than an hour and a half of online video content per day, with around 15% averaging more than three hours. [Business 2 Community…]

95% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. [Business 2 Community…]

97% of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. [Business 2 Community…]

81% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. [Business 2 Community…]

65% of businesses who don’t currently use video say they intend to start using it in 2018. (up from 34% in 2017) [Business 2 Community…]

Video Marketing Statistics From Google

Video Effectiveness – 76% say it helped them increase sales. 47% say it helped them reduce support queries. 76% say it helped them increase traffic. 80% of marketers say video has increased dwell time on their website [Hubspot.com]

64% of customers are more likely to buy a product online after watching a video about it. [Forbes…]

Videos represent more than 75% of mobile traffic [Cisco.com]

Visitors to your site will stay at least 2 minutes longer if you have video [ComScore]

Almost 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store [ThinkWithGoogle]

52% of marketers believe that video is effective for brand awareness [BlueCorona…]

Companies which use videos in their marketing grow revenue 49% faster year-on-year than those which don’t [Aberdeen Group]

Companies which use videos in their marketing enjoy 27% higher CTR and 34% higher web conversion rates than those which don’t.

96% of B2B organizations use video in some capacity in their marketing campaigns of which 73% report positive results to their ROI. [TubularInsights]

Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text. [Popvideo]

Among those surveyed, 81% saw an increase in sales and 53% said support calls were reduced. [OptinMonster]

76.5 percent of marketers and SMB owners that have used video marketing said that it had a direct impact on their business.[Small Business Trends]

Conclusion

I could go on and on. All the video marketing statistics say the same thing.

Brands that use video marketing grow their revenue faster. (aka make more sales).

When it gets right down to it…

A video is more engaging, more memorable and bottom line…

The most popular with your consumers than any other content formats.

My question to you:

How are you going to use video in your content marketing strategy today?

The numbers don’t lie.

Video is crucial for your business moving forward. What we have left now is the execution…

How can I help you get started?

The post Video Marketing Statistics: Why Your Business Needs Video appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

Corporate Video in 2022: The Definitive Guide

admin — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 05:00:42 +0000

Corporate Video in 2022: The Definitive Guide

It’s time to hit the record button.

70% of marketers say that video is responsible for more conversions than any other type of content. Corporate video production helps grow your business and helps your brand & organization thrive.

This guide has everything you need to know about creating corporate videos and getting laser-targeted eyeballs on them. So if you’re ready to elevate your business using corporate video, and reach your audience in a new way, you’re in the right place.

Keep reading…

Corporate video strategies create content and grow your business so your brand can thrive. Start producing corporate videos to tell your company’s story.

First, let me introduce myself.

I’m Mike Clum.

I started producing corporate videos when I was 18 years old.

The first video I produced was horrible. The client fired me, and we both agreed that I wouldn’t charge them for the service.

That’s when I decided to take video production seriously.

8 years later, I run a corporate video production company with 15 staff members who have produced over 500 corporate videos for organizations of all sizes and in all industries. We’ve been recognized as a top video Production Company on DesignRush. I’m going to show you exactly how a corporate video should be created (step-by-step).

My video below breaks down the 11 most important tips for making your corporate video a huge success:

Chapter 1

Corporate Video

Chapter 2

Preparing for the Investment

Chapter 3

Hiring or Building a Winning Crew

Chapter 4

Choosing a Format & Type

Chapter 5

Creating Messaging, Concept, & Script

Chapter 6

Planning & Pre-Production

Chapter 7

On the Shoot

Chapter 8

Editing Hacks

Chapter 9

How to Promote & Market

Chapter 10

Video Metrics for
Success

Chapter 1

Corporate Video: What it is and Why You Need to Create Them for Your Company

What you’ll get from this chapter: Designed for the beginner, you’ll have a full understanding with examples of what your corporate video can achieve from the most basic video to high-end scenes.

Return to Contents

What is “corporate video”?

The term corporate video encompasses any type of video that is created for and used by a corporation. It can stem from internal facing communications for announcements, culture, or training, or can be external facing as a marketing, recruiting, or advertising video.

Corporations make the investment into video because history has shown that these investments provide impactful ROI towards achieving just about any business goal.

The First Corporate Video Ever Made

The first “corporate video” was created in 1941, just 60 years after the invention of the motion picture. This video (which was actually a film at the time) was produced by the Bulova Watch company who spent $9 to have the short 15-second video placed on TV during the 1941 World Series.

While it reached only 4,000 people who had TV sets in the area at the time, this advertisement sparked what now is a multi-billion dollar corporate video industry.

Purpose of Your Corporate Video

The core purpose of the corporate video is to be an asset for the corporation in driving business value through effective communication and presentation. Ultimately, the goal really is to increase revenues or lower overall business costs by creating the right video that communicates something meaningful to the business audience it aims to reach.

By replacing traditional communication such as in-person verbal presentation or discussions, pamphlets, reading materials, or power point presentations; corporate video is an investment in ensuring a company’s most critical communications are done in the best way possible. These critical communications range the full spectrum of business processes but the list of corporate video use-cases may be longer than you think:

Marketing

Homepage Company Videos
Brand Videos
Content Marketing Videos
Testimonial Videos
Product Explainer Videos
Event Videos
Vlog / Webinar Videos
360 Videos
Social Media Videos
Trade Show Videos
Website Background Videos
3D Product Animation Videos
Annual Recap Videos
Company History Documentaries

Advertising

TV Commercials
Facebook Video Ads
Instagram Video Ads
Twitter Video
Display Network Ads
YouTube Pre-Roll Ads

Human Resources

Recruiting Videos
Orientation Videos
HR Training Videos
External Culture Videos
Internal Culture Videos
Event Recaps

Finance

Investor Relations
VC Fundraising Videos
Kickstarter Videos
Financial Results Announcements

Operations

Training Videos
Safety Video
FAQ Videos

Administrative

Internal Company Announcements
Office Lobby Loop

The industry, products or services, size, goals, culture, and overall makeup of an organization will determine what corporate video use will be best in providing maximum value. But throughout the history of corporate marketing, there hasn’t been a medium as powerful and potentially game-changing as video.

The right video, created in the right way, deployed at the right time and in the right places has the ability to completely transform an entire business. There have been countless videos over the past 60 years that have single-handedly transformed industries, saved hundreds of millions of dollars and changed the face of a business forever.

Examples of Earth-Shaking Corporate Videos that Changed these Businesses Forever

The Dollar Shave Club Commercial: This iconic advertisement with a budget of just $4,000 sparked a transformation of the entire razor industry, drove hundreds of millions in product sales, and created an entirely new genre and format of marketing videos.
Breathing Underwater: A law firm invested in a high-end, 35-minute narrative film that tells the story of a billion dollar lawsuit experienced through the eyes of one employee. This is an internal, corporate film used to train employees on proper conduct. A training film with an underwater scene and a cast and crew of 40. This video creates an unforgettable experience in communicating a story that if not otherwise communicated perfectly, would cost the firm millions.
Pebble Time Fundraiser Video: $20,000,000 was raised after the production and launch of this corporate fundraiser video deployed through Kickstarter. The simple and straightforward video uses clean cinematography, and a traditional host to explain the product and convey the message, and the result was life-changing.

So while all the examples above are anecdotes and most corporate videos do not succeed to their scale, the principles stand true.

If a company can generate $20 million in new sales from a video, there’s some video approach for your business that can generate $20,000, $200,000, or even $2 million or more.

So the answer to “why make a corporate video?”

Because it’s proven to be the most effective form of business media communication in history and has an unprecedented track record of success in providing ROI and helping businesses achieve the results they aim for. So the question isn’t “why corporate video” it’s “how do I make the right corporate video?”

Let’s dive into chapter 2 as we begin the first step in making the right corporate video, which is preparing for the investment.

Chapter 2

Preparing for Your Video Investment and Focusing on ROI

What you’ll get from this chapter: Understanding the financial aspect of video production, how to approach your investment from budgeting through ROI with equations to help guide you through your decision-making process.

Return to Contents

So you’re on board with the overall concept of the corporate video, but how do we translate this to making a serious business case for the investment?

Should you do it in-house for “free” or should you invest $1,000 or even $100,000? How do we justify the investment to the C-Suite or leader of your company? Do we make the investment in-house, through a production company, or through a marketing agency?

In chapter two, we’ll answer these questions and more.

The Business Case for Corporate Video / Calculating Estimated ROI

Making a business case for the investment in a corporate video all comes down to measuring the estimated ROI. While a video is a fun and exciting process, removing all emotion from the investment, the question comes down to how much revenue or cost savings will the video create for the business? Understanding this will be key in developing the business case for picking your budget.

Given the nature of video, being largely apart of crafting a subjective sales and marketing experience for your prospects, sometimes it can be difficult to measure the specific ROI of a single video, especially those used internally or for non-sales branding efforts. However, if you can accurately predict some element of the return on investment, you’ll be able to prepare a fitting investment scope and a business case for yourself, your marketing team, or your C-suite leaders.

There are a variety of resources for great statistics on video, but here are a few key video stats that especially stand out:

59% of executives agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video (MWP).
54% of senior executives share work-related videos with colleagues weekly (Tubular Insights)
Using the word ‘video’ in an email subject line boosts the open rates by 19% (Syndacast).
Almost 50% of internet users look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store (ThinkWithGoogle).
4 out of 5 consumers believe that demo videos are helpful (Animoto).
Online shoppers who view demo videos are 1.81x more likely to purchase than non-viewers (DMB Adobe).
People spend on average 2.6x more time on pages with video than without (Wistia).

Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users (VidYard).

There are two groups of equations, one that can calculate an estimate ROI for videos with trackable ROI, and the other for budgeting for videos with non-trackable ROI.

Trackable Video ROI Calculations:

Here are a few equations to give you rough ballparks for potential budgets and ROI on videos that have analytics and ROI directly related to the video.

Product Marketing Video

(eCommerce Product Sales x 0.44) x 0.05 = Video Budget

ROI = (eCommerce Product Sales x 0.44) / Video Budget

If you are an e-commerce retailer, using this equation can be helpful in estimating an investment in a product marketing video that will aim to drive and convert traffic. By taking the total sales from your product currently through that particular page, multiplying by 44%, (which is based off the study by mobilemarketer.com which states e-commerce product videos can increase sales by 144%) and then multiplying by .05% percent, which accounts for product gross margin, other marketing investments such as paid traffic.

For a product selling $500,000 through an e-commerce platform, the investment in a $7,000 corporate video, if done correctly, would output an ROI of 20X in gross sales.

Training Video Investment

(Trainer Hourly Rate x Reduced Amount of Hours Spent Training x 5) x .1 = Video Budget

ROI = (Trainer Hourly Rate x Reduced Amount of Amount of Hours Spent Training x 5) / Video Budget

This equation calculates a rough ROI of a training video investment based on the amount of time saved by internal or external training resources. By calculating the amount of reduced staff investment in training from the creation of the training video over a 5 year period, and multiplying by 10%, that will give you a video budget that is fitting for the investment.

The video budget in the case of a video that reduces a trainers time by 10 hours a week, paid $35/hr would be $9000, and this investment would yield an ROI of 10X.

B2B Company (Using Paid Search) Marketing Video

Landing Page Traffic x (Conversion Rate of Landing Page x 1.88) x Close Rate x Average Project Sale) x 0.05 = Video Budget

ROI = Landing Page Traffic x (Conversion Rate of Landing Page x 1.88) x Close Rate x Average Project Sale) / Video Budget

In the case of a B2B company utilizing paid traffic to a landing page, we can measure the rough ROI of a corporate marketing video using this formula. The study by EyeView states a video can increase conversion rates on a landing page by 80%, so following this hypothesis, we can measure the current traffic to the page, multiplying by the increased rate of conversion from video times the sales team close rate and the average project size. This will output the fitting budget for the video, and an ROI that matches that budget.

So in an instance of a landing page receiving 10,000 visits a month, with a current conversion rate of 1%, and an average lead close rate of 25% at a $10,000 average sale, the investment in a $23,500 corporate video, if produced correctly, would output an ROI of 20X in gross sales.

Using the above equations you can see if the proposed video budget and ROI is appealing or fitting to your current business situation.

Using these rough figures can be included in a pitch deck to investors or the C-Suite, or just used in conversation to sell the corporate video investment internally.

Assumed ROI Budget Calculations:

These next equations are for budgeting for corporate video projects that have assumed value and ROI. In these use-cases, the ROI is much more difficult to track than the above example use-cases, but these are good rules of thumb for calculating a starting point for preparing a corporate video budget.

Brand Video Investment

Total Annual Marketing Budget x .10 = Video Budget

If you are making a company brand overview or product brand overview, a good rule of thumb is to invest 5-10% of a single years annual marketing budget and planning on using the video over a 5-6 year period.

In the case of $100,000 annual marketing budget, a company might invest $10,000 into a brand overview video.

Event Experience Videos Investment

Total Event Budget x .075 = Video Budget

If you are producing a corporate event, a video might play a part of making the event a meaningful and memorable experience. These videos could kick-off the event, or be cut-away experience pieces to keep audiences engaged throughout the day or evening. In either case, a good rule of thumb is to invest 7.5% of the total event’s budget into producing the videos.

So if the overall budget for your annual corporate event is $250,000, it would be fitting to invest $18,750 for creating videos to utilize during the event.

Recruiting Video Investment

Annual Recruiting Budget x .15 = Video Budget

If you are producing a recruiting video, it can transform your ability to communicate the culture and opportunity of the positions at your company. A good rule of thumb, in this case, is to invest 15% of your annual recruiting budget in the one-time investment to the production of the recruiting video.

So if the overall budget for your annual recruiting efforts are $65,000 (including recruiting staff, software, and job advertising), it would be fitting to invest $9,750 for a recruiting video to last you 5 years.

Using the above equations you can prepare a general starting point for a video investment that already has perceived value and buy-in from your team. Of course, these equations output numbers don’t take into account all of your particular spends, your industry, and your specific creative needs – but they give good rules of thumbs for a fair investment starting point.

Getting C-Suite Approval

Once you have a video budget prepared or an estimated ROI, it’s time to get buy-in from the decision makers with budget authority. If you’re the owner of your business or an executive with a pre-determined and approved budget then you don’t have to worry about this.

But most do.

If it’s time to present to the corporate team, there are a few things you can do to get a “win” for the video.

Bring facts and figures with you into your presentation. Data-driven information will help you deliver your pitch with confidence. Show inspiring examples of other corporate videos, and show a clear plan for tracking success of the initiative.

With these things in place and a proposed budget set, you’re best prepared to get C-Suite approval. Here are a few other helpful tips to get a “yes” from the C-Suite:

4 Ways to Get a “Yes” from the C-Suite

How to Get C-suite Buy-in on Your New Sales Plan

5 Critical Tips to Selling to a C-Suite Buyer

Once you have the win, it’s time to bring on a team to help you.

CHAPTER 3

The Winning Process – Hiring or Building a Crew

What you’ll get from this chapter: Ready to bring the team to life? This chapter reveals the landscape of video production resources from company types to finding the right company and the elements you need to know before hiring your production team.

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The Types of Video Production Resources

Other than rare cases of small budget limits, or unique internal capabilities, it’s most likely you’ll bring in a professional team to help produce your corporate video. And when it comes to video production companies, there is never a one size fits all. There are production companies with different sizes, skillsets, and capabilities that you’ll have to weigh when deciding the best partner for you.

List of Company Types and What to Expect

Fiverr – is a global online marketplace offering tasks and services, beginning at $5 per job (hence their name) performed to upwards of $750. They are relatively inexpensive with a fast turn around time. Compared to the other company types, it is mostly freelancers that may not bring the unique messaging and creativity your company demands. But certainly, a good starting point if you have zero to no budget for online video marketing.

One/Two Man Team – No doubt less expensive than a larger production company. The investment will run from the $750 range to $5k. The team will probably have an extreme passion for what they do and will take it to the next level over the previous (Fiverr). The downside, it’s tough to find the right person. And good people are busy which can make their customer service somewhat lackluster.

Small Production Company (3-15 People) – Your investment will range from $5k- $25k. The good news, the more teammates brings on a diverse skill set with better business practices. The downside, it is more than an investment when weighed against 1/2 Man team and because of the number of people working, things tend to get busy. (which could affect quality)

Large Production Company (15-50 People) – In-house production company full of expertise, motion graphics, and cinematography will have your video second to none. It is a proven model to scale your video production. With a group this size, you’ll be able to crank out 10 videos a week if your company desires.

But with every advantage comes a disadvantage. Because some of these companies are established their culture may not have evolved. Meaning their business ran as usual for years and they may not be as cutting-edge as you would like them. Also, there tend to be 1-2 layers of management to go through to get the job done. And of course, your investment will be much higher ($10k- $100k).

Mid/Large Marketing Agency – These agency’s get it. They understand marketing and will bring that skill set to your corporate video. As with many experts, this comes with a price. Here you are looking at a minimum of $50k to upwards of half a million. The biggest downfall I see with larger marketing agency’s; besides cost, you may not be working with the people you initially met. Because of the dynamics of a larger type agency, sub-contracting is part of their business plan.

You have to ask the question, “Are they actually adding that much value to my video”?

Film Production – These companies often work with well-known and expensive talent. The cost is astronomical (a half million plus) but the asset you create – your video – will have incredible value for life. The investment is a larger risk because you have “more skin in the game” but again your ROI will be tenfold.

There are more people involved which means more complications and more roles to manage. At an enterprise level, it would benefit you to bring in a producer or production company to manage the daily ins and outs.

You decided on the type of company that meets your budget and needs. Now let’s start searching for that right pick.

Searching for a Company

Human nature will have you looking at all the companies and probably wanting the best of the best. Which might be a combination of two types. There are a few different steps you can take to get you started and streamline the process:

Go to Google and search “corporate video production”. Assemble a list of 10-15 companies
Ask your network. Who did they use? Create a list.
Call a company that created a video you are impressed with. Find 10 companies that you loved their video (you felt the emotion from) and ask for the vendor.

The 3 step process will generate enough candidates to begin your interviewing process.

Interviewing Your Candidates

It’s time to contact each. Set up your interview and remember they will be “working” for you. Essentially you want them as an extension of your team. During the process, you are eliminating those that are not a good fit and do not see your message.

There are great questions to ask no matter what niche you’re in. The questions are designed to see how candidates think on their feet, their personality and communication style.

14 Interview Questions that Reveal Everything

Negotiations and Getting Started

If this is your first time, several estimates are probably the only way you’ll know your project is priced right. No matter what your budget, there is someone/company to create a video for you.

Bottomline…

Ask the right questions during your initial meeting and you’ll discover if they are the right fit. Communicating your goals and painting a clear picture of success on both ends will eliminate frustration and lead to a great ROI on your video.

Nothing is a better indicator than going with your gut feeling.

A great video and production team will have insight into your audience, understand your concept and message and have a creative approach to achieving results. But they will also understand your budget.

Video production is a competitive space. Find a good fit and they’ll be flexible in their negotiations. You should be willing to meet somewhere in the middle where the partnership is mutually beneficial to both.

To aid in your negotiations, talk about giving them referrals. Think about how valuable word of mouth referrals are. Consumers trust referrals above all other avenues. Let them know future videos would be on the table for them.

We also find offering a written review speaks volumes and be flexible with the entire video process. You both have a lot at stake. In the end, look through a good handful of companies, be critical, but go with your gut. Once you’ve selected your partner move right into production with choosing the format and type of your video.

Chapter 4

Choosing a Format and Type of Video

What you’ll get from this chapter: 5 Types of format to start as a baseline for your video and why choose one over another for best results.

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Creating video content is one of the most powerful content marketing strategies your business should be involved with. “Study after study reveals that visual content marketing, including video, has an exponentially higher rate of consumption than written text alone.” Openvine pulled together more statistics on video you might find interesting.

One that stands out – Videos rank as one of the 3 most effective B2B tactics according to marketers surveyed.

With that in mind…

Before you choose a format and type, analyze your market. You want to stand out from your competitor’s, but it’s important to choose the video style that fits your brand and your pre-determined objectives.

Start with the goal of your video and do your research. Keep in mind the buyer’s journey is a 3 step process. Awareness: the buyer realizes they have a problem. Consideration/Evaluation – your buyer has defined their problem and starts looking for a solution. Decision/Purchase – They decided on the action they will take…their solution strategy.

Identify key pain points – Give your audience a bird’s eye view of what problems you can solve. Teach them how you’re going to solve their problem. It will help build brand awareness. Engage your audience while showing off how your product can alleviate their pain.
Identify cornerstone content – This is content that your audience needs to know and understand. It adds value to their lives. The goal of cornerstone content is to create a resource that’s substantially better than anything that currently exists on the web. It requires thoughtfulness and strategy.

When you do this 2 step process, you can easily reverse engineer around the pain points and give your visitors / potential customers exactly what they are searching for.

With your research complete, it’s time to choose the type of your video.

Choosing a Video Format

There are 5 format types of videos that can act as a starting point in the creation of your video. Each one comes with its own set of characteristics. I’ve displayed what they are by definition, why you would want to choose it, drawbacks and examples of each.

Docu-style

a. What this is: This style of filming uses title screens to visually narrate the documentary. Great for business to business as interviews can be pieced together. Most videos are filmed from 1 to 5 minutes. With this type of production, you can get extra B-roll (additional shots ) that can be used for future productions.

b. Why choose this style: Great for brand recognition. It has a natural, authentic and honest feeling. It is essential for a CEO that wants high visibility, especially if they have a striking personality.

c. Drawbacks: It’s typical and hard to make unique. This style is not the most creative way of shooting. You also risk the talent in the video is not comfortable in front of the camera and may not speak well. You may have to re-shoot a couple of times.

d. Examples:

Voiceover

a. What this is: A piece of narration not accompanied by an image of the speaker. You hire a professional to deliver the script with video layover.

b. Why choose this style: It is engaging and relevant and evokes emotion from the professional speaker. Voice-over can be used to “aid continuity in edited versions of films, in order for the audience to gain a better understanding of what has gone on between scenes.”

c. Drawbacks: Your video could come off stale and not engage with your audience. It’s also hard to find voice talent. If you decide on a voice-over type video, VoiceBunny is a reliable and efficient service to get high-quality voice-overs by professional voice actors.

d. Examples:

Typography

a. What this is: Written words on the screen displayed to communicate a message. It relies on the skill of the designer and is more than just making the words legible.

b. Why choose this style: This is a good choice if your audience is just watching and not listening. A great example is when you’re on Facebook and text is valuable because you can read it. You’re not looking or wanting to listen to a video.

c. Drawbacks: This type of video can be disengaging. It can come off “dry” and hard to communicate your message.

d. Examples:

Demo Reel

a. What this is: Video shots pieced together with music.

b. Why choose this style: There are no words which make this film straight forward and easy to communicate. It is a minimal approach where imagery is enough. You might find this type of video at tradeshows.

c. Drawbacks: Risky because you are not using words. You may have a problem clearly conveying your message.

d. Example:

Narrative

a. What this is: The most dynamic of all types. Think short film or play. You are acting out a pre-determined show. This video can be animated. With this type, you will elicit the use of characters.

b. Why choose this style: Most flexible of the formats. This video also gives the most opportunity to make something creative. You’ll see most viral videos are of the narrative nature. In consumer business, this one will garnish the most attention.

c. Drawbacks: Tough to come up with a unique creative. This film is much riskier compared to a Docu-style. Your audience may not fully understand the message and simply disconnect. And worse, it might not be memorable if not done correctly.

d. Examples:

Hope you enjoyed some of the video examples.

You can combine different formats. These are the 5 main format types. The idea is to have fun with it and to create something your audience will love.

One last note…

You need to understand there are two other types of video: animated and live action.

Animation is the art of drawing sketches and objects and then showcasing them in a series of frames, making it look like the images are moving. (designs and moving graphics)

On the contrary, live action video (photo and videos) is a recording of either still or moving objects. Live action videos can refer to both cinematography or videography that does not make use of animations. (source: Animated video vs Live Action video: Which one should you choose?)

Picking a Length

Here’s where the professionals get it right. It’s not the length of a video. The focus should be on the length of the engagement. If you can get your point and message across in 1-3 minutes that’s all you need. No reason to babble on.

It depends on how many twists and turns there are. If your content is not dynamic keep it shorter. If there is more content needed, a 10-minute video might be the most successful.

We know in today’s fast-paced, content-packed world, consumers’ attention spans are at an all-time low.

So, it follows that videos should be only as long as they absolutely need to be to get your point across. Animoto asked consumers what they viewed as the ideal length for watching specific types of videos.

All the stats in the world will not help your video if its BORING! The biggest deterrent will be if it’s not engaging and too long-winded.

The next chapter brings it all together with how to create your message with a great concept and script.

Chapter 5

How to Create Your Message, Concept, & Script

What you’ll get from this chapter: You’ll understand and pull together message relevancy and engagement to accomplish your video goal.

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Understanding & Creating your Messaging

Your message should be simple.

It should be a 1 sentence message starting with what you want to communicate and ending with what you want your audience to know.

How about this …

We’re a reliable and proven partner at creating a unique video that drives your business.

From there you build a script around your core message.

How to Create an Authentic Brand Story that Actually Improves Trust

Concept – Be Creative & Not Outlandish

Take your message and format and come up with a creative concept. This is where you work your idea into the creative thought that brings your video to life.

You may think you have everything in place from best camera guy, lights, location, and talent but you’d be fooled if you didn’t start with a winning concept. This is a collaborative effort to narrow your ideas down. Here’s where the cream of the crop rises to the top. You’ll discover the most unique, creative ideas that fit your needs.

You have to focus on the problem you are solving, brainstorm, and pick the best and final idea.

Coupling your great concept with great execution will have your video winning in no time. The concept should mirror your brand-fit appeal. Meaning; do you want to use comedy, emotional impact, introspect, playfulness or cuteness? Video can convey emotional tones in a way text alone can’t manage.

These are some processes you can go through to create great video ideas:

How to Come Up with Creative Video Concepts

6 Rules for an Effective Video Brainstorm

Steven Spielberg Interview: Coming Up With the Concept

You nailed your concept. Now is the time to map out your script.

Building a Video Map

Let’s talk about building a “map” and what it entails. There are 5 key components that aid in creating a great video script. Each has a specific intent and work in sync to produce a smart video that will achieve your intended results.

The Intro – Don’t underestimate the value of the intro. You have about 7 seconds to grab most viewers attention. Your intro will give viewers an idea of what to expect and entice them to want to listen to your content and message.

Setting the Story – The goal of this section is to let your intended audience know you get it. You understand their pain points and you are here to offer a solution. You paint a picture for them that establishes the right mood and reveals the characters and conflict.

Main Value Proposition – This is where you bring your powerful message. If you want your audience to gain any insight it is here. The focus is – how what you have will impact their lives. It’s how you make them feel. A good business solves a customer’s problems. It will transform them. Your video/story must understand where your viewer is now and where they want to be.

The Hook – Your initial hook lets the viewer know you’re talking to them. But here, think – what makes your company different? People want solutions, not companies. Your hook should set you apart from the competition.

The Ending – Tell your audience what to do next. Stories have a beginning, middle and an end. So wrap it up. Think about it: Have you ever listened to someone give a speech that just went on and on, without focus? Get to the point here. Give them an action to do.

Script & Storyboarding

Get specific at what you mapped out. Your script is built on your map.

Let’s back up a second and take a look at some quick definitions.

Definition from e-learning wiki, the storyboard is a series of sketches that communicate how to visually organize a narrative and a list of its contents. The script constitutes the verbal and behavioral actions taking place within the presentation, narrative, or story. They go hand in hand.

When writing a script, you can create it yourself or outsource to a copywriter. In both instances, you need to know your audience, write basically how you speak and stay focused. You have to make your point quickly before you lose your listener.

If writing a script yourself, Daily Writing Tips mentioned some important hacks to ensure your writing is the best it can be.

“Work out the time of day when you’re at your most creative. For many writers, this is first thing in the morning – before all the demands of the day jostle for attention. Others write well late at night. Don’t be afraid to experiment!”

There are pros and cons to doing both. ClockWise Productions had a few great thoughts on hiring a copywriter for video content. To sum it up…

Writing for video is a specialty skill.
The writer needs to understand you and your business.
They should have experience in your niche.
Interview several copywriters.
Remember it’s an outsourcing of skill, not time.
Even though outsourced, you still need to write a brief so they know were to go with their copy.
They will need your feedback to get the job done correctly.

Storyboards are used to create a story. It will show how every shot in a marketing video will be visually represented. Its purpose is also to define the concept and manage action shots before moving into the full-blown scripting. It will help outline each shot to see how the team (camera person, editor etc.) will create the video together. This process may help if you tend to think more visually.

The storyboard helps you establish scenes and shots and determine action and dialogue.

“A storyboard is a working document – a helpful way to quickly see how the parts of a video are assembled. Don’t worry about making your storyboard a work of art. Just ensure that it accurately reflects what you want to shoot in the video in a way that other people can understand it.” source: How to Create a Storyboard for Your Marketing Video

Storyboarding helps identify the steps you need to take to achieve your winning outcome.

It comes back to the set-up, the conflict, and the resolution. You’ll paint a picture of your customer’s world as is. This lets them know you understand their challenges and competition. Followed up with your product or service that can alleviate their real pain. And end with your product’s benefit for them.

Chapter 6

Planning and Pre Production

What you’ll get from this chapter: Effective steps to take to prepare for your shoot.

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Corporate Video Production Process That You Can Not Ignore

Ensuring the success of a video comes down to adequate planning. Planning and pre-production are just as important to success as production and post-production and sometimes take even longer than both processes combined. This stage of the process, if done correctly, will give the crew of the production everything they need to easily and efficiently bring the vision into reality.

Let’s get started…

5 Essential Steps in Your Video Planning and Pre-Production

1. Shot listing – Purpose, and Organization

The first step here is to create a shot list. The shot list is essentially a bare-bones checklist version of the storyboard for use during production. It should include everything from a numbered list of all shots necessary for capture to location, shot type, camera angle, camera movement, and a short description of each shot. Whether you have a forty person crew, or a one-man crew, the shot list will allow everyone involved to be on the same page, as well as helping to effectively communicate on set.

In order to create an effective shot list, it is important to familiarize yourself with the storyboard, and production schedule. Although it may be tempting to create the shot list in the same order as the storyboard, this is not always the best course of action. This is because the shots may be created in a different order than they play out on screen.

Shot lists should be created with an effort to guide the order of shots created in a time effective way, depending on the set, and the crew available at the time. For instance, if shot #1 is a wide shot of a character, and you know that a closeup is also needed, the close-up should probably be listed as shot #2, rather than shot #7 or #8. This may seem obvious, but pre-production should be as idiot-proof as possible.

It would be a major waste of time to shoot the wide shot, break down set for another shot or two, then build the set back for the closeup. Of course, if you are, for example, creating b-roll footage at a concert event, you will most likely not be able to create a shot list that works in order.

Shot lists are usually in table form, created in Microsoft Excel or a similar program. There are many online resources to help create a shot list.

2. Booking Done Right With Communication

Even with no prior knowledge in booking for a video production, a little bit of common sense can take you a long way. It is important to start on this process as early as possible, as to account for cancellations or other unexpected mishaps. Starting early also helps ensure that everyone you are booking will have ample time to prepare.

Freelancers do this for a living, and chances are they are already booked months in advance. Keeping everyone in the loop regarding planning is crucial. This includes the crew, the venues, the client, and anyone else involved.

Communication with people who work in the production industry is an art in itself. An entire novel could probably be written on this topic, but it can be done successfully if a few things are considered.

First off, make sure you are courteous and considerate. Make an effort to be over-accommodating as to guarantee good relations with your crew.
Secondly, balance is key. It can be tempting to try and micro-manage a production. This is, with ample planning, not necessary, as professionals should be hired with the expectation of having the expertise to get the job done right. When hiring, say, a Director of Photography, it is important that you choose a person who you can trust based on their previous work examples. After determining that you have expressed the vision thoroughly to the DP, it is crucial that they have a little room to breathe with their work. Although the vision must be initially communicated well, once they have been briefed, the professional you are hiring should be trusted with the work moving forward. They are, after all, a professional, and it is (most likely) not their first rodeo.
Next, being honest is important when communicating with industry professionals. If you are inexperienced in hiring a crew, make this clear from the start. Chances are, the professional you are hiring has worked with many people who are beginners. This will allow them to communicate with you more efficiently, and offer their expertise when they normally wouldn’t have, had they believed that you were a production veteran.
Finally, when speaking with your crew, don’t be afraid to stay true to your vision, while also leaving room for compromise. Instead of telling your crew how something must look, you may want to phrase the idea in the form of a question. For example, “I envision this scene as having a cool, relaxed tone. Do you think that would be possible here from a lighting standpoint?” Phrasing what you want like this, allows you to come off as much less demanding. Inviting this type of dialogue is a more positive method than the alternative, in which the crew member may feel hesitant to voice their opinion.

What Crew Do I Need?

Determining which crew should be used for your production is a two-step process comprised of what skills you’ll need, and then which people equipped with those skills are right for the job.

Determining what skills you’re looking for is something that gets easier as you gain more experience. Starting out, it’s possible to make this decision based on your budget, time frame, and your vision. As budgets get higher, and the vision for the end-product becomes more in-depth, the scale of the crew increases.

On the smaller side of the spectrum, a videography shoot where b-roll for a concert must be captured will most likely only require one or two camera operators who have been briefed by the producer. A higher budget can accommodate more crew members, like a sound recordist, gaffer, grip, production assistant, or more depending on the needs of the production. Adding crew members to a set adds value to the production because each person can concentrate more of their effort on a smaller part of the production, allowing for attention to be less divided overall, and let fewer mistakes slip through the cracks.

Big-budget Hollywood movies have so many people on set because it allows for every detail of the production to be accounted for, allowing for everyone to do a good job with the one or two roles they are assigned. Doing a little math to determine the balance between timeframe, hours allocated, budget, and the number of crew members is a key part of deciding what type of crew will be necessary. Of course, just because a freelancer has the skill you’re looking for, doesn’t mean they are right for the job.

Choosing which people to hire is half the battle. When looking through the portfolio of a freelancer, compare the work they have on display with the work that you are looking to create. The freelancers who have the most similar example work to your vision are the people who you should put on a shortlist.

Next, contact the freelancers and determine if they believe they could accomplish what you’re looking for under the budget you have and if they are available during the time of production. Remember to be courteous and considerate, being conscious that these are busy professionals who work on production for a living. Through a telephone conversation, video conferencing, or in-person meetups, try to determine the character of the professional you are looking to hire.

When putting together a crew for a production, it is a good idea to imagine that you are creating a temporary company. Everyone you hire will be working together for the duration of the production, so the character of the crew must be taken into account as well. Finally, when putting together your crew, it is important to consider the Project Management Triangle (pictured).

This diagram displays visually the concept in which a project can only have two out of three of the qualities: good, fast, and cheap. When determining the needs of your production, keep this concept in mind. Of course, we strive to have all three in production, but intrinsically one of these three options must be eliminated at least partially in order to gain the other two.

Negotiating Pay Rates

After determining your ideal crew, pay rates must be negotiated. Empathy is an important quality to hold when negotiating rates with freelancers. Try to be as over-accommodating as possible.

Describe the role you’d like them to play in your project and inquire as to their rate. If their rate falls within your budget, you’re ready to move forward. Try to get freelancers paid as quickly as possible after the project wraps. If their rate is too high, it is normal in the industry to negotiate their rate.

Negotiation, however, does not come free from compromise. If a freelancer’s day rate is, for instance, $800, but you only have $500 budgeted, try to offer some reciprocal benefits with your negotiation. For example, offering to pay the freelancer right away before the shoot begins is sometimes enough incentive for the freelancer to take the pay cut, as some productions may not have crew paid in full until even months after production wraps.

Another incentive to offer is the ability to use anything they capture for their personal reels or resumes. The more unique the project, the more useful this can seem to a freelancer. Above all, freelancers are most likely willing to work with your budget, as long as care is taken to deal in a considerate and non-condescending manner.

3. Location Scouting and Resources

Finding the right location can be a daunting task. Which location you choose will be dependent on your project, and your budget. Each type of corporate video will have unique location needs, but the right place can be determined by asking a few basic questions.

Does the project require a custom set, or can a pre-existing environment be used? If the budget is on the low side, using a custom set will most likely be impossible. However, if the project is simple, and the crew is small, a studio space may still be within scope. If it is determined that a pre-existing environment will be used as the set, location scouting comes into play. Even the smallest details must be taken into account when looking for a location.

If audio will be recorded at the location, ambient noise may be an issue. If ambient noise can be controlled or not plays a huge factor in some productions. If there are no AC outlets on the location, and power is needed for some of the equipment, will a generator fall into the budget? Will the generator cause a disruption to the recording of audio? All of these questions must be assessed, and every element is interconnected.

Weather also plays a huge role in an outdoor production. A location that looks great in June may not work if the production takes place six months later in December. If a location is found that is easily accessible, and can be rented or used for free, make the best effort to book or reserve the space with the necessary parties using as much clarity as possible as to what space will be used for and the time-frame of the project.

It is helpful to make a mock-up drawing of the location with all outlets and light sources labeled, and preemptively sketch out where the camera will be as well as artificial light sources, talent, and any other details. It is better to prepare a rough plan and discover potential pitfalls during pre-production than during production.

Do not be afraid to think outside the box in regards to location. An old abandoned warehouse could function as the perfect environment to shoot a country western, just as well as an office space can function to shoot interviews or an abstract music video scene. As long as the necessities of the shoot are covered, creativity plays a huge role in location scouting. The most important resource on set is control.

Having full control and access to a location is the most critical part of a successful shoot. A scene that takes place in a movie theater sounds simple enough, but it may involve renting out the entire movie theater for the day, which could be out of scope for many smaller to mid-size budgets.

4. Pre-Production Meeting Check Points

Before every production begins, it is standard to have a preproduction meeting with involved parties. This meeting functions as the last minute details check to make sure everyone is on the same page, as well as to make a few important decisions.

Before the meeting make sure you’ve reviewed the kickoff notes from the original meeting with the client. This way, you can have the details of the project fresh in your mind when you begin. During the meeting, it should be decided who will write the script, who will create the storyboard, and who will create the shot list.

Next, deadlines should be created for these items, and a comprehensive schedule for the rest of the pre-production process should be crafted. A comprehensive equipment list should be created as well. It is important to have the heads of each of these departments ready during this meeting so it is clear what is expected and when it should be completed.

5. Call Sheet – Purpose and the Right One for You

The call sheet is a one-page informational summary of each day of production. An ideal call sheet will include the title of the production, the names of everyone involved with their role and phone number, the schedule, a forecast of the weather, which meals are provided on set, a description of the sets, call times, notes for the director, addresses for locations, and even locations for the nearest hospitals.

You’ll need to send to everyone who is involved in that day of shooting. The call sheet is a go-to for answers regarding time and place, and contact for any question a crew member might have regarding the production. Like the shot-list, empty templates for call sheets can easily be found online for free download.

Not all call sheets are the same, however. On a very small scale shoot with only one crew member, in a half-day production where shooting will only take place indoors, certain elements may intrinsically become irrelevant. For instance, lunch usually isn’t provided on half-day shoots, and indoor shooting usually means that weather is irrelevant.

Each project is different, and while overkill is a good thing, care should be taken to make sure that each call sheet has the right amount of information directed at the correct audience.

CHAPTER 7

Time for the Shoot

What you’ll get from this chapter: Best practices and how to be the most productive and competent on the shoot.

Return to Contents

The first day of shooting marks the end of the pre-production phase and the beginning of production.

Production is intrinsically more hands-on. It is massively important to be over-prepared while getting ready for production. All gear must be tested beforehand, with batteries charged, media formatted, and backups available. Everyone involved should be briefed and confirmed for call times, and booking of locations or rentals should be triple-checked.

A good rule of thumb is to make a list of everything that needs to happen, then imagine each item going wrong for any reason. Be prepared for these pitfalls, and the production will be successful. In reality, a lot of these problems will happen and it is the mark of an experienced crew to be able to handle these matters accordingly. Most likely if you are the one hiring the crew, a lot of these preparations will already have been made by the freelancers. It is important to remember, however, that as the producer, anything that goes wrong is your responsibility.

After confirming that everyone involved is prepared for the shoot, it’s time to get started…

On the first day of production, arrive as early as possible on set. A rushed production is terrible for on set morale and productivity. As soon as problems arise on set, an early arrival will help to alleviate them as efficiently as possible.

For full-day shoots with mid to large-size crews, it is important to keep everyone fed. A hungry crew is a distracted and cranky crew that is eager for their next break. Make sure breakfast and lunch are served, and coffee and water are provided. It is not only a good idea to keep your crew hydrated, but is also ethically imperative and ensures the safety of everyone on set.

Staying positive is hugely important to a successful shoot. Video production is illustrious for running over-time. With long hours and a tired crew, it is important to keep morale high throughout the entire production. Remember to be courteous and considerate throughout, and to expect the unexpected. Through production’s very nature, problems will almost always arise. Not only should they be expected, but they should be viewed as obstacles that need to be creatively solved.

Confidence and optimism in the face of unforeseen circumstances will resonate with the rest of the crew, allowing for smooth and timely operations. Remember, freelancers are artists, and their creativity must be nurtured on set, even through the most stressful of situations.

While doing all you can do to aid the process, it is important to stay out of the way of the crew, and let the production unfold. If pre-production is done correctly, production should play out like a machine. Each person’s role will complement the next, and problems will be solved as the day goes on. It is important that the crew is not micromanaged. The time for explaining the vision of the production is over. This is why pre-production is crucial. With everyone referencing the call sheet and shot list, and keeping the vision in mind and being prepared for any pitfalls, the whole day can go smoothly.

With many productions, there is only one chance to get things right. This could be because the crew is only booked for one day, the venue is only reserved for a few hours, or the event only happens once. This is why when you are on set, you must do whatever it takes to create a successful shoot.

Whether this means going to the store in the middle of the day to purchase a new light because yours caught fire, or using a creative method of capturing audio when an unforeseen hail storm starts berating the tin roof, creative solutions are the scaffolding holding up any production. To be as prepared as possible for these issues, bring more equipment than you imagine you will need. Make sure your set is saturated with quick fix items like gaff tape, zip ties, extra batteries, tripod heads, simple tools, etc. These items will play an incidental role in solving small issues that may arise, preventing even bigger problems on set.

CHAPTER 8

Editing Hacks to Keep Viewers Engaged

What you’ll get from this chapter: Tips in editing to output for the best video to accomplish your video goal.

Return to Contents

Most videos lose viewership over time. If there’s something you want your viewers to see, it’s a good idea to place it in one of the first shots.

There are a few tricks of the trade to help keep your viewer’s stay engaged. One is picking the right music. It is one of the most powerful stimulants for creating an emotional bond with your audience.

Vidyard gives some valuable tips for choosing music for your next video. The top 5 were:

Consider the role of music. Should the music support or drive the messaging?
Use intro and outro music as “bookends”. It will help set the tone and hold your message together.
Base your choice on reference music.
Know your budget. A music budget can vary widely depending on creating originally featured music or paying for a license.
Consider hiring a composer when there are many mood changes in your video.

As mentioned in chapter 5, finding a type/style for your next video is critical as well. I discussed formats such as docu-style, voiceover, typography, demo reel, and narrative.

There are also many different corporate videos ranging from training videos, branding videos and promotional videos for new product lines or services.

Imagine this

Imagine what it would be like to use video marketing to grow your company revenue 49% faster than organizations without video. (Aberdeen Group)

Digging deeper, you’ll see your video efforts covering the entire span of your customer’s lifecycle – from awareness, consideration and decision stages of the buyer’s journey. Each piece individually geared toward your targeted audience with a set goal or initiative.

Video editing is a process.

Using the storyboard as a foundation, you can start to make selections. You essentially can get your “first cut”. Usable footage is kept while the bad takes can be put aside. The first go around will lead you to the revisions.

Decisions will be made as to who you want to be included and what to look for to remove. Things you don’t want in your video is redundant messaging statements. The last thing you want– your viewers leaving because they are inundated with the same message screaming – “Enough already” and clicking away.

Also, watch for any jumpy cuts or too slow moving pieces. Both set up for failure.

When it comes to your content, avoid spelling errors like the plague. It just speaks volumes about your professionalism. (or lack of)

Evaluate your video with the three-point check every video requires…

Audio
Transcription
Visual

Your best bet when creating video is to get through the rough and final cut. And then walk away.

You will do yourself a huge favor to step away for a few days. When you come back, it will be easier to see the needed final tweaks and changes.

CHAPTER 9

How to Promote & Market Your Corporate Video

What you’ll get from this chapter: How to optimize your video for search, which video hosting platforms to use and finally where to promote your video.

Return to Contents

Laying Out Your Plan (Video Marketing Checklist)

Cisco, a worldwide technology leader, has predicted that 80% of all internet traffic will be video content by 2019.

You get it!

You took the time and money to create a phenomenal video.

You decided on the format and type, you created the perfect message, and you knew your audience.

You are on the winning side and it’s time to significantly increase the ROI of your marketing videos.

What’s next?

You need to place that video in front of as many eyeballs that you can, but you need a strategic and tactical plan.

Video Creative Packaging Will Sell Themselves Easily

As consumers, we love product packaging. It becomes personal and is critical to your overall marketing strategy.

Video packaging is no different. In order to stand out, you need an innovative title and the perfect thumbnail design. The two together is the first visual impression your consumers get and will impact their buying choices and most of all whether they view your video or not.

The Creator Academy reports that “90% of the best performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails.”

You miss the best title and thumbnail design, you miss the opportunity. Creating the videos is part 1. Part 2 (and a very critical part) is driving views to your video to convert sales.

Think of it as a mini-ad, both creative and enticing.

You now have favorable circumstances to have your video work for you around the clock. Where your videos are placed is almost as important as the content itself – in fact, the two go hand-in-hand.

Think of the variety of places to accentuate your video. An email is a great place for this.

When your customers receive your email, they can visually see an image (visual screenshot of your video). Helps solidify your brand and impression. I’ll talk more about why not to embed your video in your email later on this page…

How to Optimize Your Video for Search and Impact Your Rankings

Let’s face it…

Your goal is to have your video appear in the organic search results (Google) and video search engines (YouTube).

But it’s not as easy as cut a video, upload the video to a platform and the views pour in. You have to be SEO savvy and with a little technical know-how, outsmart your competitor.

Ready? Start with research, title, and tags.

You can be in control of your keyword research, your title, and tags.

Here’s what I mean…

Video Keyword Research – “Keyword research for videos is completely different than for text-based blog posts.

Why?

Two reasons:

Reason #1: Most of your views come from YouTube suggesting your video to their users.

(Not from search engines)

Yes, you should optimize your videos for YouTube and Google search. But most people only get around 15-25% of their video traffic from search.

Reason #2: People use Google and YouTube in completely different ways.” (source)

Here’s where most people get lazy or they don’t know, what they don’t know.

Proven – Video Title Most Important Piece of Content

Your video title needs to include your target keyword and you want to maximize your click-through rate. Don’t use clickbait titles though. You’ll only aggravate your potential customer and if you’re uploading to Youtube – it will become the death of your video. You’ll get buried in the search results.

Based on your topic and keyword research, place the keyword in your title. Have the keyword at the beginning of your title, if it reads naturally. The title of your video will become the title tag and the description becomes the meta description tag.

From an SEO standpoint, the title of your YouTube video is the most important piece of content on the page.

When people search for videos, they will be enticed by its title. It is important to consider the intent of the user’s search as well. Research conducted by Backlinko, found videos that contain an exact match keyword in their video title appear to have a slight edge over videos that don’t.

Lastly, recommendations are to keep your title under 60 characters so it does not get cut off in the results pages.

Let Your Audience Know What They Will Watch with a Powerful Video Description

When uploading a video to Youtube, you will be asked to create a title, description, and tags. Fullscreen Media suggests your video description should provide a detailed overview of the video’s content—not only help viewers understand what they’ll be watching, but also because it plays a huge role in search engine optimization (SEO).

For SEO purposes, keep your main keyword as close to the beginning of the description. Also, include LSI keywords (semantically related to each other) in your overall explanation. It is also a best practice to include other links to your content. Some examples include; your website, social media profiles, a subscribe link etc.

Creating a phenomenal video is tough enough. Creating a great video that drives views takes time and resources. Tags are another way to get your video in front of your intended audience.

Video Tags Will Achieve Better Results

YouTube allows you to add a list of tags to new or existing YouTube videos. Many experts agree that YouTube tags play a critical role in YouTube video optimization. Here is a quote from Google Help about YouTube tags: “Tags are descriptive keywords you can add to your video to help people find your content”.

Video SEO is important and tools can help achieve your goals.

Keyword Tool is one of the best YouTube keyword tool alternatives. It uses YouTube autocomplete feature to generate highly relevant long-tail keywords about a particular topic. YouTube autocomplete, just as Google autocomplete, was created to make the user experience better. It helps users to find videos faster by recommending appropriate keywords when they start typing in their search query.

Add 3-5 tags that relate to your video. Make sure one of the tags is your target keyword.

Brian Dean, founder of Backlinko suggests other tools to use in his Video SEO: the Definitive Guide. All are geared to help you rank your videos on YouTube and Google.

Video Platforms: YouTube vs. Vimeo vs. Wistia vs. Sprout Video & Why

What is your main goal in your video?

Are you after more views, improved ranking in search indexes, or social shares?

Smart Insights agrees it’s better to post your video to sites like Facebook and YouTube than on your own site if you’re looking for the views and rankings. “Video hosting sites also facilitate the sharing of videos on social media, which will ultimately be the biggest factor in your video marketing.”

“The most important consideration for brands when creating and publishing videos,” says Lux Narayan, CEO of Unmetric, a social analytics platform “is to look to data to make the most informed decisions on the right content and channel.”

What about the right video hosting platform?

I think you’ll agree you want your video everywhere.

I think you’ll also agree YouTube is the best for google search. After all, Google bought the site in November 2006 for $1.65 billion; YouTube now operates as one of Google’s subsidiaries.

Is YouTube the best for video content marketing? Is there a marketing advantage to using one over the other?

The easy answer…

It depends. There are pros and cons of four video hosting options. The Weidert group pulled together a comparison for the group.

YouTube

Advantages:

1.3 billion people.
search engine robust
users can create channels and playlists
advertising options

Disadvantages:

Cluttered interface
a high number of advertisements

Vimeo

Advantages:

cleaner aesthetic appeal
higher quality
no limit on the length of video being uploaded
a more professional crowd – great if your focus is B2B outreach

Disadvantages:

viral potential much lower – 715 million views per month
you’ll need the paid version if you are uploading frequently

Wistia

Advantages:

robust analytics
great for lead generation, allowing CTA’s, contact forms etc.
easily integrated with other marketing software
customizable video player (change the color of the play button)
clean – no clutter of ads

Disadvantage:

subscriber base pales in comparison to YouTube or Vimeo

Sprout Video

Advantages:

great service with great features
offers heat maps, graphics, and detailed analytics
customizable HTML5 player
create responsive video websites
multiple video privacy settings

Disadvantage:

Usability is good but might be slightly difficult for the novice or first-time users.

[source]

Which is right video hosting platform for you?

In my humble opinion, I think YT is not really designed for business use as much. Although it is a free service and gets ranked in search.

Vimeo is used for high-end production but comes with its challenges – – not as user-friendly.

Wistia is a paid service that does not perform well in search but is professional looking with the advanced analytics.

Sprout Video provides business video hosting solutions that are powerful and affordable.

As you look into the 4 choices currently available, it’s not uncommon to host videos on multiple platforms, utilizing each of their unique functions.

Embed Your Video for a Delivered Return on Investment

I talked about the three video hosting platforms – Wistia, YouTube, and Vimeo; the good, the bad and the ugly. (okay, really not a whole lot of ugly)

Let’s discuss where you can embed your video for maximum ROI. You had the inspiration to create video content. Don’t let it fall by the wayside.

Promoting content is just as important as creating content.

Use it in Your Email Signature for Extra Exposure

Adding video to your email signature can make it more appealing. It’s easy and quick and will boost your brand’s identity. And it doesn’t hurt to simultaneously promote your video.

Insert your image (the thumbnail you created) and link to the video.

The same process can be done to add video to your email campaign. (share your new video with your subscribers).

Vidyard explains why they don’t embed a video directly into an email. “If you include embedded video, most email browsers won’t necessarily display it properly. It will work sometimes, but it’s definitely a gamble.”

The workaround is taking the screenshot of the video screen, play button and all. Add the screenshot to your email and link directly to your video. (whether that is a YT link or a stand-alone sharing page).

Home Page Advantage

Watching video gives your audience the answer they want fast. Including a home page video on your website (embedding it) will keep visitors on your site longer. Which is great for SEO.

Consumers like video, use video and will remember you because of the video. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.

Dwell on this stat…

Including a video on your homepage can increase conversion rates by 20% or more.

The Rise of Video Marketing on Social Media

Social video has exploded and I see no reason for a slow down.

Video has become important on every platform and channel. Don’t take my word for it.

Take a look at these statistics …

Source: https://highq.com/2017-the-year-of-video-marketing/

Can you see the potential for your business with the use of videos on social media?

500 million people are watching Facebook videos every day
85% of Facebook video is watched without sound
Snapchatters watch 10 billion videos a day
82% Twitter users watch video content on Twitter

Without a doubt, we’ve seen a surge in video as a content marketing format. Looking at the stats above, if you don’t have a plan in place to use video on your social network sites, you’re missing out on a tremendous opportunity to reach your audience.

Online Directories Still Viable to List Your Business

In the competitive market, we are in today, businesses need to be everywhere. One often overlooked place are online directories. Your business should be prominently listed in multiple online directories.

There are dozens of places to add your business information. Local SEO guide lists the best local business directories for SEO. You can include a link to your video which may be placed on your “home page”.

Video as a Sales Tool – You Can No Longer Ignore

Use video as a valuable tool for your sales department.

How happy will your salespeople be if you help them do their job better?

If your already existing video; can help increase their conversion rate, do you think that would make them happy?

It’s been said consumers have the attention span of a goldfish — actually lower than a goldfish at 8 seconds. Based on data, these same consumers are anywhere from 64-85% more likely to purchase your product after watching a video. That’s one marketing force you can not ignore.

Your sales team should have video easily accessible on their laptop or iPad. This gives them a slight advantage in the field.

Read a great case study of how “Linda got past the gate and secured a huge deal“, using just her Ipad.

Sales are all about building relationships and video helps establish that human connection.

Displays are Big, Beautiful Visuals – Use Them

Did you ever have to wait in an office lobby?

Both small businesses and corporate offices can benefit by displaying video in their lobby. It’s a great way to build trust, engage and welcome your visitors.

Trade shows are another place to display your company’s video.

Let’s face it…

Trade shows are crowded, loud and highly competitive. Let the video do the talking.

At trade shows you have less than the 8 seconds to grab a prospect’s attention – only around 5 seconds as they pass your booth. If you have some eye-catching visual with your brand colors, you’ll have a shot at them remembering you.

Use this time to capture their attention and attract your now motivated prospect.

Best tips for tradeshow video:

create urgency
focus on your known audience
make it easy to read
have a clear and precise message
have your best product shots included

And while talking trade show videos.

Don’t forget to capture the moment on film. Listen to some leading experts explain why any business should have a video made at their stand — and why video is such a powerful marketing tool.

Paid Ads Can Be Effective (if you do it right)

Every business should use some form of paid ads for their video marketing. Two of the more popular strategies are YouTube pre-roll and of course Facebook advertising.

YouTube pre-roll advertising allows you to “roll” any of your YT videos before your viewers watch a video. Also known as in-stream advertising using Google Adwords.

If you’re not sure what pre-roll ads are, think of the last time you searched on YT and found a video you wanted to watch. And suddenly there was an ad or a commercial you had to watch first. After the clock countdowns 5 seconds, you can hit the “Skip Ad” button.

The goal behind these ads is to raise awareness and intrigue your prospect. Down the road, you can think of the sale but not before you’ve introduced your prospect to your brand or positioned yourself in your niche.

Because we can always retarget your viewer after they visited your website.

Facebook Advertising – Efficient Way to Advertise Online

You produced a creative video, now is the time to leverage the power of Facebook to drive profitable business results.

We believe so much in the power of Facebook advertising, we dedicated an entire page to it on our site.

We also wrote a step-by-step guide on the Facebook Sales Funnel. In the guide, we walk you through every step of the funnel, not only detailing out what to do, but we show you real campaign examples of ads that have produced significant ROI in late 2017.

45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or Youtube videos a week.

Native videos on Facebook have 10 times higher reach compared to YouTube links.

Imagine now if you have a marketing budget planned and you drive awareness and sales with your videos.

Social media “giant” Gary Vaynerchuk spoke at the 2017 SXSW Conference and concurs “Facebook video is the best ad buy for your money right now”. Facebook ads help you target a very specific audience. He also compares the FB video right now to what Google Adwords were in the early 2000s.

And today you can build your ad on your specific objective – –

Want to drive traffic to your website, blog post or video? Build brand awareness? Increase Conversions?

Your objectives can generate interest in your product or service, get potential customers familiar with your brand and encourage those who already know your business to purchase.

Budgeting for Video Advertising

You see it all the time…

How much do Facebook Ads cost? And most will tell you “it depends”. Not an easy question to honestly answer.

Ad Espresso compiled The Complete Resource for Understanding Facebook Ads cost. “There’s a lot that goes into understanding Facebook Ads cost; everything from your audience to your bidding plan to ranking Facebook gives you directly affects and influences how much you’re going to pay.”

They analyzed over 100 million dollars of ad spend so it’s worth the read.

If it gets a little overwhelming, we can help set you in the right direction. It is possible to reduce your ad spend without sacrificing the quality or success of your ads and campaign. It comes down to split testing, keeping your ads fresh, selecting the best image and staying focused on one specific objective.

But it all starts with one small spend to get you going and setting a monthly budget.

CHAPTER 10

How to Measure Your Corporate Video Success – Video Metrics

What you’ll get from this chapter: How to measure your video’s performance, which metrics measure which goal and taking that knowledge and enhancing and republishing your video.

Return to Contents

Qualitative and Quantitative Measurements- You Need Both

Measuring and analyzing the performance of your videos is important. You want to continually improve the results of your video marketing efforts.

How do you ask?

One way is getting qualitative feedback…

Qualitative (‘qual’) research is often used for exploring. It helps researchers gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research.

Qualitative data collection methods vary using unstructured or semi-structured techniques. Common methods include focus groups, individual interviews, observation or immersion, and diary studies. The sample size is typically small, and respondents are selected to fulfill a given quota.

The other measurement (data) is through:

Quantitative (‘quant’) research used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data that can be transformed into usable statistics. It is used to quantify attitudes, opinions, behaviors, and other defined variables, and generalize results from a larger sample population. Quantitative research uses measurable data to formulate facts and uncover patterns in research.

“In user research, quantitative data tells you what users did, and qualitative data helps you learn why they did it.”
If you’re spending your time and money creating a video, you need to spend time tracking your results. There are different means to analyzing your video depending on where your video is hosted.

Youtube and Facebook have their own set of Insights to review. Both provide insights as to the number of views, demographics and how viewers found your videos. Another great resource is the average watch time and average view duration.

This information will show you exactly where your audience is falling off (or better, watching). And what type of video performs best for your audience.

Before you start any of this…

You need to define your video goals. Are you looking for brand awareness? engagement? Or are you analyzing your results strictly by conversions?

It is important to stick to one or two goals at most.

While most marketers become obsessed with “view count” (which is important) there are many others that may be more relevant.

source: Video Marketing

Gauging your success depends on the goal you set. You need to have a clear vision of what you want your video to achieve.

If you were after x amount of social shares and your audience shared your video x amount of times, this is a good indicator of how relevant your content is with your target audience.

“If a viewer watches your video and takes the time to share it with their network, you probably created a great piece of content. Social shares are also important because the more times your video is shared, the more it’ll be viewed. If your goal is to reach a lot of people, a social share is a good metric to track.”

Some may argue analyzing your video metrics is the most important part of your video process —

7 Key Video Metrics to Measure the Success of Your Content

How to understand what your analytics are really telling you and measure the impact and effectiveness of your next video

Which Metrics Measure Which Goals?

source: The Wistia Guide to Video Metrics

Making sense of all the metrics can be complicated. Test one thing at a time. And as mentioned before, don’t dismiss the qualitative measures.

We are in a sense “marketing scientists”. And if we stick to the scientific method of only testing/changing one factor at a time, we can draw conclusions.

The best video marketing mix will be the combination of both your intuition backed up with data.

Using both measures, you can take that power and knowledge and enhance and republish your video better than ever.

Now It’s Your Turn

70% of B2B marketers think that video is more effective than any other form of content when converting qualified leads. And as a business, your lead quality, sales, and higher conversion rates should top your list as extremely important metrics.

Now I want to turn it over to you:

Are you going to create a corporate video in 2018?

The verdicts in…

Global consumer internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer internet traffic (source: SmallBiz Trends)

Video boosts sales, as well as recognition of a brand. There is a lot of data that shows video is part of digital marketing that can no longer be ignored. It is proven to be the best way of reaching your target audience.

I know it can be overwhelming. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be alone in the process. Video marketing can seem daunting in the beginning. But don’t dismiss its results. Whether you start filming in-house or talk to a media production company–get started.

The future of video marketing and consumption is ON.

Is your company ready?

The post Corporate Video in 2022: The Definitive Guide appeared first on Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative.

Cleveland Video Production Company | Clum Creative

Top 73 Video Production Companies in U.S.

What Makes a Great Video Production Company?

1. 12 Point Productions – Burlingame, CA

2. 212 Degrees Fahrenheit – Irvine, CA

3. Artie Media, LLC – Hingham, MA

4. Bayside Entertainment – Seattle, WA

5. Beverly Boy Productions – West Palm Beach, FL

6. Blue Barn Creative – San Diego, CA

7. Bluemoon Filmworks – Hialeah, FL

8. Bottle Rocket Media – Chicago, IL

9. Brandefy – Santa Monica, CA

10. BTS TV Media – San Diego, CA

11. Charles River Media Group – Newton, MA

12. Chicago Visual – Arlington Heights, IL

13. Contract Cre8ive – Lubbock, TX

14. Cowan Agency – San Francisco, CA

15. Crystal Pyramid Productions – San Diego, CA

16. Demo Duck – Chicago, IL

17. Digital Cut Productions – Fort Lauderdale, FL

18. Explainify – Fayetteville, AR

19. Ferrari Productions – San Diego, CA

20. GenM Creative – Oklahoma City, OK

21. GoodBrother – Brooklyn, NY

22. Guy Bauer – Chicago, IL

23. Hepburn Creative – San Diego, CA

24. Highway Media – Canton, MI

25. Indigo Productions – New York, NY

26. Insight Creative Group – Oklahoma City, OK

27. JMaverick Studios – Valley Village, CA

28. Kasra Design – Anaheim, CA

29. Kworq – New York, NY

30. LAI Video – Washington, DC

31. Left Productions – Los Angeles, CA

32. Lemonlight – Marina del Ray, CA

33. Linear Creative – Cleveland, OH

34. LocalEyes – Denver, CO

35. M-1 Studios – Chicago, IL

36. Max Curious Productions – New York, NY

37. Melty Cone Video – Brooklyn, NY

38. Mishnoon – Austin, TX

39. MultiVision Digital – New York, NY

40. NewPace Productions – Ardmore, PA

41. Nice Shirt Media – Ypsilanti, MI

42. Open Window Productions – St. Paul, MN

43. Optimum Productions – Alpharetta, GA

44. PatrickOrtman, Inc. – Los Angeles, CA

45. Pop Video – Houston, TX

46. Raffertyweiss Media – Silver Spring, MD

47. Real Integrated – Troy, MI

48. Remedy Films – Buford, GA

49. Rex Production & Post – Portland, OR

50. Rip Media Group – Los Angeles, CA

51. Rocket House Pictures – Denver, CO

52. Scenic Road – Chicago, IL

53. Slate and Main – St.Paul, MN

54. Sound & Vision Media – Revere, MA

55. Sparkhouse – Irvine, CA

56. Spiracle Media – Charlotte, NC

57. Spot on Media, Inc – Glendale, CA

58. Storyboard Films – Minneapolis, MN

59. Storyfarm – Baltimore, MD

60. SubVRsive – Austin, TX

61. Telideo – Denver, CO

62. The DVI Group – Atlanta, GA

63. Top Notch Cinema – Astoria, NY

64. Traction Video – San Diego, CA

65. Twelve12 – Irvine, CA

66. Veracitycolab – Aliso Viejo, CA

67. Vero Beach Marketing – Vero Beach, FL

68. Vibrant Media Productions – Winter Park, FL

69. Vizoodeo – Denver, CO

70. Welcome Productions – Boston, MA

71. Ydraw – Saint George, UT

72. Zane Productions – Los Angeles, CA

73. Z-Channel Films – Denver, CO

Now it’s your turn…

Video Production Pricing Guide: Everything You Need To Know

First, A Couple Things You Should Consider

Business Goals

59. S toryfarm – Baltimore, MD