Whether you are an established business or a startup, adding video to your marketing mix makes perfect sense. After all, the global digital video viewership is likely to reach nearly 3.5 billion by 2023.
Given the increase in demand for video consumption, it is not surprising to see brands turning to video marketing. In 2021, 81% of marketers used pre-produced videos as a digital consumer engagement tactic, while 13% said they were planning to do so.
Although essential, commercial video production is often easier said than done. If you fail to execute it correctly, it could backfire, causing confusion and misunderstanding of your particular brand. That’s why it is crucial to keep a few things in mind when making a video for branding. In this post, we will discuss a few ways to avoid failure when making a commercial video.
Let’s check out the key points that you must not forget.
- Understand Your Target Audience
First things first – the success of your commercial video production rests on identifying and defining your target audience. This allows you to target your efforts and resources on a segment that is more likely to convert into your customers.
The easiest way to start is to ask some prodding questions, such as:
- Who are your existing customers?
- What qualities do they have in common?
- What are their pain points?
- Who benefits most from your product or service?
- Why do they want to choose your brand (over your competitors)?
Answering these questions will help you create a marketing persona. That, in turn, will help you create content that resonates with your target audience. This framework will help you get the most out of your commercial video production.
- Research Your Competitors
The next step in commercial video production is researching your competitors. This is probably the best way to know what works. Here’s what you can do to observe your competitors closely.
- Sign up for their email list
- Follow them on social media
- Check out their advertisements
When checking out your competition, take a note of their video marketing content. Understand how it resonates with their target audience. Find out why they are getting more likes and shares? While you should never copy their video content, identifying what works and then doing it better can work wonders.
- Define Your Video Marketing Goals
The third critical step is setting your goals. It’s hard to know what to include in your video content if you don’t have goals to meet. Your marketing goals will lay down the foundation of your video production.
Usually, when creating a commercial video for branding, marketers want to:
- Increase conversions
- Create engagement
- Generate awareness
- Increase followers (outreach)
As your goals need to be definitive, make sure to include numbers. For example, you can set a goal to get 10,000 more followers for your brand in three months. Just make sure your goals are realistic.
- Decide What to Include in Your Video
Take a look at your target audience, competitors, and marketing goals. This trifecta will help you figure out what goes into your video.
- First, your video for branding must consider the pain points your target audience faces, along with what makes them tick.
- Second, check out what your competitors are doing, and try to do it better. This is the best way to engage your target audience.
- And third, adhere to your marketing goals. For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, focus on that. Don’t try to be salesy in a video intended to increase brand awareness.
- Tell a Story
This is perhaps the most critical element of commercial video production. Everybody loves a good story. It can reel your target audience in, prompting them to take the desired action.
Let’s say you are making a video for branding. Instead of simply introducing your company, why not tell a story. For instance, you can talk about the difference your business is making in the local community. Or you can tell your target audience how your brand has impacted your existing customers.
This video by Reckon shows how to tell a story. It features a few entrepreneurs who talk about their challenges with doing accounting. They are discussing real pain points and how Reckon helped them lead a more productive life as entrepreneurs. That’s what makes the video more relatable to Reckon’s target audience.
- Focus On the First Few Seconds
While telling a story is critical, you don’t have a lot of time to bring it to life. Facebook recently revealed that the average attention span on the platform for video content is just about 2 seconds, 2.5 seconds on desktop, and 1.7 seconds on mobile. Two seconds may not seem like a lot, but the resulting impact on your branding is significant.
In other words, you have only a few seconds to bring your story to life. Pay more attention to the first few seconds during your commercial video production. Be sure to explain what the target audience will see and that what they are about to watch is worth the wait.
- Stick to Your Brand Voice
Brand voice matters!
Every brand video you make is an extension of your brand identity. As a result, you have to be consistent across all your video marketing campaigns. A video that feels off-brand will cause more harm than good to your overall brand voice.
Brand voice is nothing but a distinct personality your business develops when communicating with your customers. It helps you stand out from the clutter.
Not sure what your brand voice is?
Pull out every type of content, from videos to blog posts, and check it for consistency. It could be a common vocabulary, a phrase, or a personality trait. That’s your brand voice and it needs to go into your video.
- Feature Your Brand Logo
Apart from your brand voice, your commercial video production also needs to feature your logo. It is the first thing your target audience will see as soon as the video starts. This creates an instant connection with your viewers.
However, you have to keep a few things in mind when adding a logo to your video. First of all, keep your logo subtle yet noticeable. Usually, the lower right corner is the place where a logo goes. But as subtitles can often mask your logo, placing it in either of the upper corners is much better. Whether upper left corner or upper right corner, keep it in the same place across all your videos.
- Stay Within Your Budget
Sure, commercial video production costs money. But you don’t have to break the bank. You can find a video marketing agency that’ll do the job for a reasonable price. So, understand how much you are willing to spend and define your budget first.
Reaching out to more than one agency can help. With two-three estimates on your table, you can plan your expenses well in advance.
Also, remember that commercial video production isn’t a one-time deal. You will need to promote your advertisement on different platforms, which costs money. Make sure to set aside a part of your budget for such expenses. And most importantly, continue updating your budget as your business grows.
- Hire a Professional
Although DIY commercial video production is not unheard of, it is highly discouraged. Hiring a professional video marketing agency is, on the other hand, more practical and economical.
Unlike your in-house marketing team, a video marketing agency brings a lot of experience and knowledge. Plus, they have the right tools, including video and sound equipment. This increases the likelihood of obtaining high-quality content.
Moreover, hiring an agency is more cost-effective than DIY simply because you can save a ton of money on trial and error. So, if you want commercial video production for your brand, consider hiring a professional.
Parting Words
In this increasingly digitalized world, video content has to be a part of your marketing mix. It’s one of the best ways to generate brand awareness, build a loyal customer base, and increase your outreach. But commercial video production requires careful planning. Hopefully, these ten tips will help you ace your next video marketing campaign.
Crew Pictures is a full-service video marketing agency. We provide everything from full-service creatives to handpicked specialists for your video production. Get in touch with us today to know how we can help your brand grow!