LOOKING FOR A VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY
IN Stoke on Trent?

Is The Art in The Cinematography, or in The Editing?

With the advances in motion graphics, kinetic text, and modern video titling, the lines between live action video production and post-production have become blurred. Video stock and commercial licensing has also given access to fantastic footage. Footage that you would never be able film on-site in your office, cafe, or workshop. That lies heavily in the project management and production editing department as opposed to the “lights, camera, action” department.

Add the need to grab attention, and there’s barely enough time to make an impact. Even great cinematic video content can dwindle before the dredded finger swipe scrolls you out of the timeline forever.

Meaning that while great content is essential, whether it’s filmed with you or accessed under license is less relevant. As long as your Video Editor does a solid job you're on solid ground.

It also means the Marketing department comes before the Production department.

That’s the result you’re looking for, whether you’re in Stoke on Trent or Kathmandu.

Here’s what you need to do:

Sole trader, SME, or big Corp, you need to nail your strategy first.

If your business doesn’t officially have a marketing department, or video marketing isn’t your strong point, don’t panic, we can walk you through everything.

Here’s the headlines of what you need to lay out.

1. Goals: Define the Goal of your video
2. Audience: Identify your ideal customer in Stoke on Trent (or another location)
3. Content: Use a content style based on a specific step of your marketing cycle
4. Distribution: Decide where the video is going to be used
5. Metrics: Know how to measure your success
6. Optimisation: Understand how to improve your ROI
7. Production: Produce the video that suits your purpose
8. Conclusion: Making the leap from Project Hopeful to Project Leader

Note:

• Steps 1 to 3 are a must before entering into Production
• Steps 4 to 6 can cycle in progress, before and after Step 7

Bottom Line: Don't make a video just for the sake of making a video.

Looking For Some Ideas?

Let's think about about where you can best target your audience to make the biggest impact in your business.

• Starting out and need to build awareness
• People are intent on buying, but aren't quite closing the sales, or
• Need to build up customer loyalty for repeat purchases and want to to give something special as post-purchase support.

Attracting Viewers and Motivating Actions

From the moment viewers meet your Brand, to the moment they recommend you to others, you have the opportunity to create "Touch" points that build Authority and Confidence.

Here's a list of opportunitites that are waiting for you to grasp them.

The language you use in your video has to address a specific problem because you can provide a solution to it.

If you can identify one specific client, with one specific problem, and offer one specific solution, then your chances of success are much higher. You can identify where to find them on specific websites, at specific types of events, or in specific facebook audiences.

We call this a Customer Avatar.

You could well have several of these, but taking just one ideal client and creating a video that talks directly to them alone should be a priority. Talking to everyone will water down you message.

3. Using Content Specific to each Marketing Cycle Stage

At different parts of the Marketing Cycle your ideal audience has different mindsets.

From Awareness, through Evaluation, Decision...yada, yada, yada...your customer makes assessments using different parts of their brain.

It's semi-intentional because it's just human nature. As a result it can make your job more difficult if you don't know about which part their using. Luckily there's a science to it, therefore a solution exists.

In plain English, you need different styles of video to:

• Wooing a customer who has never heard of you by creating need
• Tipping the purchase-making decision by exploiting benefits
• Supporting post-purchase by increasing loyalty bonuses

You couldn't, and definitely shouldn't, try to do the whole caboodle in one shot.

Creating Scripts Specific to  the Cycle

The language you use and the style of video you produce needs to take into account the targeted step in the cycle.

Having:

• Created your Video Strategy, and
• Indentified your Customer Avatar

you can pen them a text that appeals to their present needs.

4. Deciding Where Your Video is Going to be Used

The format(s) your video will be produced in often depends on where the video will be showed. This used to be simple. Most platforms used a 16:9 ratio, commonly known as Wide-screen. But with mobile viewing beginning to take the lead the formats were forced to adapt.

How Mobile Viewing Can Affect Video Formats

In the early days of YouTube turning your phone to view a video in fullscreen was te obvious option. Then the social media giants began to jump onboard and all hell broke loose. Socialites began filming on their phone, consequently holding it vertical. Turning your phone was pointless.

Somewhere along the way Facebook decided a happy medium was to introduce Square video. The format meant it didn't matter which way around your phone was so the viewer experience remained the same. Problem solved!

Well, their problem at least...kinda.

Let's pretend you want to get the most bang for your buck by showing your video in as many places as possible.

Creating a 16:9 ratio is the obvious place to start. But when you want to use the same video in a social media Ad Campaign, you can't simple clip the sides and make it vertical or square. You'll loose content, text, and accordingly the impact you want your video to make. That means it may make sense to invest in multiple edits of a video to cover your intended uses.

Bottom Line: Target specific video formats before production

Here's a list of potential places you can use your video.

Once you've decided on your target formats you may want to consider using automated distribution tools. Above all, automated distribution tools will enable you to collect and measure the metrics required to control therefore helping optimise your video content.

Source: Thinkwithgoogle

6. Understand How to Improve Your R.O.I.

It's time to refine the content, language, or Calls to Action that will swing the balance in your favour.

Depending on where you decided to focus in your Marketing Cycle you can take several steps. For instance, in the same place, or working up and down your sales funnel.

• Refine the stage you're working on
• Attract more of the same type of clients into the top of your funnel
• Play the Loyalty Card with existing buyers at the bottom of your funnel

This involves re-analysing your first five steps and hence reviewing the best course of action.

This could be defining another Customer Avatar and attacting Look-a-Like customers.

It could mean changing the Call to Action thereby getting the audience into a new product range.

Maybe re-purposing existing content regularly saving yourself a wedge of money.

The good news is that video is already returns the best ROI for any type of campaign.

The initial cost may be higher, but it:

1. Demands more attention
2. Explains more directly
3. Draws on emotions
4. Connects person-to-person

Try pulling people away from any screen and you get a feeling of the power of video.

7. How to Produce a Video That Suits Your Purpose

You've been working hard. You started with a Strategy, you found your Ideal Customer Avatar, and targeted a specific Script to part of your Marketing Cycle.

You have enough to go into Production, so what happens next?

Video Production Steps

We have 6-Stage Online Project Management System to give you excellent visibility.

As a client you and your team have password protected access to review the project status, 24/7. You can review your script, content, soundtrack, and new edit releases as and when it suits your agenda.

You've witnessed first hand parts of the first 3 stages. We call them:

1. Discovery
2. Definition, and
3. Script

The next three are Soundtrack, Storyboard, and Production.

4. Soundtrack: Laying out music, voiceovers, sound effects and anything else we come with together.
5. Storyboard: A representation of the different scenes, texts, transitions, live action, animations, etc, that will go into your video.
6. Production: When all the hard work comes to fruition. Editing and Review cycle.

Throughout the process we hold online reviews together. Every time new content is posted you will receive a notification and we can arrange a review. You can also access the content to hold your own internal review with your team.

During Stage 6 we cycle new revisions of your Production video and review/re-edit until you are 100% happy with the outcome.

The majority of business don't have the means to employ a full-time Marketing Department. Furthermore, they don't need one. They just need support from dedicated services for occasional projects.

While it's great to work with a someone just around the corner, we don't always have the skills on our doorstep. Even when we do, we won't necessarily have full visibility on the project and have complete clarity on what's being produced for us.

In a global economy, and by embracing the internet, you can now build solid working relationships that best suit your business; whatever town you're in, and whatever town your services are in.

To work with a UK business that understands your Video Production needs, your Marketing Strategy needs, and your Business Goals, get in touch with us today.