Thinking about creating a video to market your business but not sure where to begin? Robert Grossman of Focus Creative provides some basic tips for businesses on video creation.

Video seems to be gaining the most traction in the world of Internet marketing. More and more businesses are using videos to promote their products and services. And at the same time, more prospects are looking for videos rather than static pages. They’d rather watch than read.

Videos give you one of the most creative ways to present your company and your product. You can truly bring your information to life, but there are a few required steps in order to get viewership and create results.

The Building Blocks

Purpose: Before you hire your video production team or even envision what the storyboard for your video may look like, you first have to define your purpose. If your only reason for creating a video is because your competitors and everyone else seems to be doing it, save your money. It’s the worst reason… and that’s true with all of your marketing efforts. The “Me Too” approach rarely delivers results.

Define what it is you’re actually selling, and this isn’t limited to just a product or service. You may be selling a perspective, a change of attitude or simply an awareness of your company. Whatever it is, you have to be very clear on your purpose. If you can’t really define what your video is selling, you haven’t yet defined its purpose. Without a purpose, you’ll have a very difficult time getting people to watch your video.

Call to Action: Once you define your purpose, the next step in your planning is to determine your call to action: Very simply, what do you want viewers to do once they watch your video? This seems very basic, but it’s surprising how many businesses fail to hone in on a specific call to action. It’s either unclear or unstated. Don’t leave your viewers hanging and wondering what to do next. Sure, they may figure it out, but why leave that to chance?

Be very specific. Tell them what you want them to do: Call this number or visit this website. And then repeat it. Think of any infomercial you’ve ever seen. “That number again is….” Information is not repeated simply to make the commercial longer. After all, time is a premium. The call to action is repeated because repeating it increases the odds that it will work.

Budget: Part of the initial planning must be to determine your budget for the project. There is so much variation in video production that you’ll be wasting time and spinning your wheels if you attempt to take the next steps without really knowing how much you have or are willing to invest. Creating a video is similar to building a custom home. Depending on the size, fixtures, materials used etc… the cost of building a home will have a significant range. Video is no different. There are companies that have figured out how to cookie cut videos (track homes) and companies who will create a custom video just for you. Get your production team involved. An experienced team will know where it’s best to use your budget and what you can do without to make the biggest impact with a smaller budget.
By following these simple basics, you can get started creating a quality video that will enhance your business.

Like what you’ve read? Follow Scott Public Relations on Twitter and sign up for the Einsight RSS feed!