It’s not a bad question to ask: is hiring a professional for video production a good use of resources? The answer, in its simplest form, is not black and white. Hiring the right Kelowna video production company can be a huge asset; hiring the wrong people can leave you with a big bill and not much to show for it. That doesn’t sound worth it to me.
That reality moves the needle a little bit, and that’s what I want to address in this article. Video should be a transformational addition to your company, project, or organization, and you should know how the right professional can get you a great return on investment in spades.
1. Quality, quality, quality.
You often hear statistics like, “viewers decide if they want to watch a video based on the first 3-5 seconds”. It’s true, and it’s inarguable: your first impression is a “make it or break it” moment for your potential audience.
How do you get something that guarantees your audience’s attention immediately? Quality. Quality, quality, quality. Does the video start with a shaky shot? It shouldn’t. Are things poorly lit? People are going to notice. Is the audio poorly mixed and the music too loud? That’s a video people will click away from quickly.
The right Kelowna video production company knows the tricks of the trade, and are well-versed in the art of making you look good. Lighting, editing, audio, cameras, and comprehensive knowledge of how these things work is paramount. The production team you choose to hire should be able to prove they can nail the first 5 seconds of your video. This is achieved by the quality of the presentation, and by the effectiveness of the “hook”.
Your video is competing for people’s precious attention, whether you view it that way or not. You have to be better than the competition. Your viewers know the difference between “good” and “bad”, and that’s because they’ve been trained to expect quality.
2. Your video has to feel “familiar”
I know, I know, that seems awfully vague.
How are people consuming video content online? Think of Netflix or Hulu, for a second. What shows and documentaries are people watching? What material is capturing the audience’s imagination and attention in the broad world? Hint: they’re watching high quality, professional content.
This extends to online, consumable content: the most popular channels on YouTube are basically entire video production studios unto themselves. People are used to watching high-grade content. Our brains are already trained to believe something is worth watching if it looks up to snuff. Your video has to look familiar.
A “familiar” looking video wins you trust. If you look professional and present well, you earn respect for your business, product, or organization.
On to my final thought…
3. Clear messaging is essential
There are ways to “do-it-yourself” if you’re really clever. You can find lights, cameras, and tutorials all on the internet, and some people are able to present the product correctly in-house. But most of these videos are missing something absolutely critical to making a good video: clear messaging.
You have two minutes to get people to understand what your video is about. If you have a knowledgeable editor, it could be as short as 90 seconds (and that’s a good thing). You don’t need to have all the information presented in the video–that’s not what people are watching for. You have to distill your message down into something that is clear and concise–when the video ends, your viewer should be able to tell you exactly what they learned from watching it.
If they can’t learn what you’re all about from a 90-second video, it’s because the video has failed them. You need razor-sharp communication and storytelling skills, and not every video professional knows how to engage a viewer with clear messaging.
If you’re looking for the “right” video professional to hire, take a look at their portfolio. Watch a 90 second video they made–even if it’s not a topic that interests you–and see if you understood the topic better by the end of it. If the video looks good, and you come out of it with a good understanding of the brand/organization/business, then you’ve found the right person for the job.
Professionals have experience telling stories. I was a video journalist for many years prior to starting my own company, and I’ve told over 1000 stories in my career through video. I know what information and dialogue to include in my edits, and I know what parts I need to edit out. After all this time, it’s intuitive.
When I go through the filming and editing process, I do so by imagining that I am the viewer. I put on the glasses of the intended audience, and make decisions based on what they–as potential clients, investors, or business partners–need to know about the topic.
Closing thoughts
People will often tell me, “Oh, my goodness! You edited out a lot of the content, but what was left told the story of our company so accurately!”
Good video content has to be distilled down to something clear and concise. Something that doesn’t take up too much time, but uses the time it takes wisely.
As I learned from my time working in the TV News world: “get people out before they realize they’re not interested”. Knowing how to effectively use video to your benefit almost always requires a professional touch.
Do your research.
Find the right Kelowna video production company to tell your story.
It’s worth it.
