It’s no secret that videos are consumers’ favorite type of content to see from a brand. In fact, according to Flick Fusion COO Tim James in his recent post, 5 Pre-Production Steps for Better Videos, 87% of marketing professionals use videos as a marketing tool.
And nowadays with the nCoV19 pandemic, video communication is all the more important.
Making the decision to use video as part of your marketing strategy is one thing. Putting your ideas into motion – pun intended – is another. And even once the decision is made, many people find themselves wondering where to start.
So where is the best place to begin?
In this article, we offer three key pre-production tips for anyone about to embark on a new video marketing campaign.
3 Key Video Pre-Production Tips to Help it Suck Less
Planning and preparation in the film industry are referred to as pre-production. Here are three pre-production tips for every video marketing campaign.
Begin with the End
Every video should have a purpose – an objective. Determining what that purpose is from the start will help you reach the ultimate goal. One video, for instance, may have the purpose of soliciting a response to the call to action, or CTA. The goal is to connect with a viewer and make them feel comfortable with the idea of doing business with you.
Bottom Line: Before you begin, discuss what you want to achieve with each video, both short and long term.
Know Your Audience
Use the data available through your CRM or other data collection to get a good idea of the audience you want to attract. Where do they live? How old are they? What kind of cars or content are they already engaging with? Answering these questions will help you develop the right tone for a video marketing campaign that will appeal to them directly.
Bottom Line: Learn about the audience you want and tailor your videos to be appealing to them.
Overshoot
Even if you are planning to make only a short video, say under 5-minutes, plan on shooting at least twice the footage. And don’t be shy about it. Take video shoots, for example from your front desk to the service department and beyond. For example, get footage of your dealership lot on a gorgeous day and grab mini-interviews with members of staff and customers as well. Simply put, get as much footage as possible, even for the smallest project. Doing so will give you a sufficient amount of material from which you can use for the videos you plan to make, and likely others you didn’t have in mind, as well.
Bottom Line: develop a robust library of video from across all departments which can be used in videos and social media engagement.
Step Zero – Embrace the Suck
But even before these ideas are executed, there is one reality you must face. We call it ‘Embracing the Suck.’
In a recent conversation with video marketing specialist Terry Lancaster says, “Your first video is going to suck. I promise it’s going to suck. I guarantee you it’s going to suck. I bet money it’s going to suck. Guess what? Do it anyway.”
The reason why, Terry explains, is because your second video is going to suck less, and your third one less than that. “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly,” proclaims Lancaster.
Terry Lancaster is a seasoned entrepreneur, TedX speaker, and author of the self improvement books Better [Buy on Amazon] and Unstuck [Buy on Amazon].
In addition to his work as a motivational speaker and author, Terry knows what it takes to create quality content. He currently hosts the Get Ya Some Radio Show which is broadcast both as a podcast and video stream.
As someone who creates content on a regular basis, he has shared plenty of tips via his podcast and appearances. His number one tip is simple and to the point: Embrace the Suck.
Be Prepared and Jump in
While there is no way to avoid the suck of your first videos, there is something you can do to help them suck less – Planning. Being prepared before you hit the record button will help ease your way into a more effective video production effort.
If you’re reading and researching about video marketing, then it’s something you should already be doing. Setting clear goals and embracing the freedom to fail will help get you going on the right foot and stay motivated as you learn from your own mistakes, as well as the mistakes of others.
Research different types of videos to consider, making it easier to find something that fits more naturally with your style. Make the most of how to videos as well as online courses to help ensure your marketing strategy fits in with your style, your goals and your plans for the future.
Video is no longer the wave of the future in marketing. It’s the norm of today.
