Are you one of those people that gets caught up scrolling through your Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok feed and somehow ends up watching far too many videos? Have you noticed the number of sponsored ads popping up as you scroll? And although you don’t need the products or services, you watch them anyway? Yeah, you are not alone. It’s a thing, an addiction, that we all love to be a part of. According to Wordstream, people watch an average of 16 hours of video a week, which is a 52% increase in the last two years!
The time is now! No need to ponder any longer, the video is in, and your content should be part of the mix. But before you get started on your video journey, here are some things to consider and, of course, ask yourself.
Let’s get to it… 7 questions to ask before creating a video.
1. What Is The Purpose?
Yes, this seems obvious, but far too many brands have no clue about the purpose of their videos. They just want one. Well, everything needs to have an identifiable purpose, and I hate to tell ya, video is no exception. Your purpose could be profound or shallow, but either way, determining that purpose will determine the direction and ways you get your point across. Let’s consider the purpose of a few videos that have defined their purpose in a great way. The new Puma commercials introduce the #shemovesyou initiative.
The video displays various female athletes, musicians, and artists that all have the credibility and means to encourage viewers to be powerful. The entire commercial motivates and encourages Puma’s purchase to be viewed in the same light.
The documentary promo for Fake Famous on HBO does a great job of capturing your attention with color, personality, and a Hollywood mood quite promptly.
Both examples want you to feel a certain way, and the environment, talent, voice, and presentation all conclude the desired emotion. Both have a purpose. Puma wants to get you motivated to purchase the Puma brand, and Fake Famous wants the viewer to be so interested in the promo video that they get excited to take a moment to search for exactly where it will be broadcasted and when!
This video produced by Bottle Rocket Media about the Chicago Public School Annual Budget did a great job using motion graphics within an explainer video to detail components that are not necessarily compelling to everyone’s budgets. Not many of us really want to watch a video on budgeting or how it’s done, but doing so in video form is a great way to deliver sometimes uninteresting, complex information in a fascinating way.
Whatever you decide for your purpose, just make sure it makes sense and is easy to deliver in video form. Next up…
2. Who Is Your Target Audience?
It’s not about what you want but about your target audience. Your audience will determine the engagement, likes, shares, and purchases, so you want to appeal to them. The answer to this question should be known by everyone on your team, and it’s never too late to communicate it, whether it be the marketing, sales team, or both. The conversation is meant to determine the story and persona of your decided target. Having this in place will make it extremely easy to transition into your marketing efforts, your marketing spend on Google or Facebook, and if you decide to pursue influencer marketing, knowing your persona will help you decide on the type of influencers to seek out.
Example persona for a new running shoe with arch support:
Diane is a 32-year-old Executive Assistant for a Real Estate Developer making $65,000 a year. Diane works from 8 am-6:30 pm daily. She takes public transportation to work, which means she walks from her home every day to the bus. She doesn’t mind the walk considering she enjoys being active. To give herself some personal time, she wakes up early at 6 am every day and runs in her neighborhood for 30 mins. She has noticed that the run that once used to be easy leaves her back aching. Her best friend mentioned during their daily call that she might need some new shoes. Diane considers her friend right and starts researching the best running shoes.
Diane seems like the perfect candidate for the new running show coming out, and there are many other Diane’s out there that have the same story or related story. When you have your target audience down, it is much easier to plan the best way to create a video and how because you are looking at the video from the perspective of your target persona and not through your own lenses. Remember, it’s not always about you!
3. Will This Video Be Used For a Campaign?
Now that you know your video’s purpose and target audience, what do you plan to do with this video? Will it be a part of an upcoming marketing campaign? Are you looking to release it during a launch or an event? These are all important questions to ask yourself so you can establish the following:
- Timeline
- Video length
- Video tone and look
Knowing the above will help simplify the scope and video creation process for you and your video production team.
Learn ways to elevate your brand with video and select the best video type to choose for your brand.
4. Where Will Your Video Be Shot?
Setting matters. When you are prepared to create a video, you know your target audience and the purpose of your video; it is important to ensure the setting and environment your video will be shot in represents all of the above. Documentaries are typically shot in the natural environment of the topic, while interviews can be done in a studio with a solid background. You want to make sure the lighting is right, the setting makes sense for your purpose, and the entire visual represents exactly what you want to convey.
5. Who Will Approve Your Video?
This question may seem obvious, but critique and feedback are pivotal in the video creation process. The person(s) to approve the video should know the message the best and should be detail-oriented and critical about ensuring the purpose is being accomplished within the video structure.
6. What Is Your Video Budget?
Videos can get extremely creative and have all the bells and whistles to stand out from your competition. All the excitement you desire may not be within your budget, so it is important to be realistic about what you want and what you are willing to spend. Just know, just like with everything else, an experienced video production team will be higher in pricing but more professional, productive, and able to handle all your needs. We’ve all heard the saying, “you get what you pay for.”
7. How Will You Measure Results?
When you spend money on a video project, no matter the budget, you are likely looking to see some results. The question is how you will be measuring your desired results. Considering this question should be a part of the video planning process. Before your video is completed, think about your selected campaign strategy for your video and contemplate what would make the most sense when measuring your video’s success. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you measuring views?
- Are you measuring clicks?
- Are you measuring the length of time your audience views the video?
- Are you measuring conversions?
- Are you measuring leads?
After responding to the above, it is time to pick your main priority. There can be a secondary priority to measure as well, but know the point of measuring results is to ensure your spending and the creativity within the video are working. If it is, continue using your video for your campaign, and if it is not working, you may want to go back to the drawing board and reconsider the audience, tone, messaging, and content you deliver.
So are you ready to get started? Are you ready to get to the part where you share your video and everyone is so impressed and coming to you for video advice? You are almost there! Check us out and know, we want you to make the most informed decision as you choose the team that fits your video vision best. When you are ready for your next video production project, we are here for you.