The trend for using video for marketing continues on an upward trajectory. The Digital Marketing Institute reported that in 2017 63% of companies used video in marketing. In 2018 this is expected to increase to 81% of companies.
We can expect to see more websites with video on their home pages. With a matter of seconds to capture a visitor’s attention, video is quicker and easier to digest than text. Once you’ve successfully grabbed their interest they are more likely to stay and look around your site.
It’s not just the home page where we’ll see an increase in videos. The versatility means video is effective and very popular for customer testimonials, tutorials and product demonstrations. Video is great for driving traffic to your website (SEO) and keeping the watcher entertained.
Getting the best bang for your buck from video production
Once you decide to create a video, we suggest you think a little wider than perhaps your initial plan. There are some efficiencies which make the production of video more cost effective.
These efficiencies are slightly different depending on whether you are creating a live action video or an animated one. Let’s look at both options.
Live action video efficiencies
- If you are paying for a day of filming, make sure you use every minute of it. Have content planned for other videos (perhaps a video testimonial from a happy customer), so that the crew can capture this once they’ve finished shooting the main video. This avoids the expense of asking them back. You don’t need to have the footage edited straight away, it can be kept on file to be used at a later date.
- Purchase a multiple use license for the soundtrack so that you can apply it to all your videos
- Try to keep locations to a minimum. That way you are not paying for time to set up and de-rig, travel time and fuel
- Invest time beforehand in planning, production schedules and storyboarding. When the crew arrives, they can get straight into filming, rather than dealing with issues or spend time setting up. All this should be done before-hand.
Animated video efficiencies
- Keep the same animation style across several edits. You can then re-use many of the graphical assets.
- Record all the voiceovers at the same time. You’ll then only pay one studio fee and get a slight discount on artist fees.
- License a soundtrack for multiple use and apply it to all your videos.
- Ensure a rigorous process of storyboarding occurs to avoid any issues further down the line.
Our final point for gaining the best bang for your buck applies to both live action video and animated video.
- Make sure all decision makers are involved from the outset. Good communication means that everyone is kept informed and no one needs to repeat themselves, but also it means that the project doesn’t go too far without having approval form those that need to give it.
We hope this article has given you a few ideas about how you can get the most from your video marketing budget, but if you really want to know how to create amazing, professional video using every penny in the most effective way, we’d love to talk to you.
