Video Production Do’s & Don’t’s

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Today, video content gets far more visibility than links and photos, generating 69% of all internet traffic. Many brands have taken a nosedive into this new marketing technique, which generates sales, encourages consumer interaction and engagement, many other benefits. Video platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram Reels make it super easy to engage your viewer with video content, and the tried and true platform YouTube is also a great option.

But how do you know you’re doing it right? Creating engaging video content is not easy, and many companies can find themselves making simple mistakes that will cause their video to fall flat. In order to help you avoid these same mistakes, let’s take a look at a few do’s and don’t’s of video production.

Do:

Be Original

Don’t take the easy route by reposting somebody else’s idea (even if you add a caption, the appropriate tags, or contact the owner in advance). Your video should be original and creative while still aligning your marketing and sales goals to the content. It should have in-depth research on what kinds of video content are popular among your target audience and which ones succeed in your industry. You should always double-check to be sure that another business has not already covered the exact same topic.

Get to the Point

Typically, the first three seconds of your video are the deciding factor in whether your potential viewer will watch your video or if they will move on. It is crucial that your content is engaging and visual from the very beginning. You have to give your audience a reason to watch your video rather than moving on to the next one.

Leverage B-Roll

B-roll footage is secondary footage shot outside of the primary (A-roll) footage. It is often spliced with the A-roll footage to create dramatic tension or bolster the story. For example, if you’re shooting an interview with a fireman, you may include B-roll footage of the fire station, him driving the firetruck, etc. B-roll footage is a very useful tool that allows you to cover up cuts with footage that compliments your narrative. If you don’t film it yourself, there are many helpful websites that allow you to use stock footage. However, it is essential that you keep all of the footage, B-rolls included, within the same setting to keep it consistent.

Use the Right Music

As mentioned in our previous blog, good music can either make or break a video. Many consumers will find themselves watching a video simply because they like the song, so a good soundtrack is a great way to catch your viewers’ attention. Many platforms, such as Tik Tok and Instagram Reels, will allow you to use whatever songs are on their registrar, which often includes all of the most popular songs. However, if you’re posting your video on YouTube or want to publish it to your website, be careful about copyright, which we will cover below.

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Include a Call to Action

Your video must tell your audience what you want them to do after watching it. You have your viewers’ full attention, so utilize it wisely by directing them to their next action. Whether you’re trying to pull them into sales funnels or ask them to share your video to generate brand recognition, keep your message short and concise. In addition to a call to action, it’s also a good idea to provide resources to sustain your video content, such as an eBook, FAQ sheet, etc.

Know Your Target Audience

Before you begin drafting your storyboard, you need to be sure that you have a deep understanding of your target audience. Take a close look at your website traffic and the “Audience Insights” on social media. This will allow you to have a solid understanding of what type of audiences are engaging with your content. By doing this, you can then begin to develop a Buyer Persona, a semi-fictional representation of your ideal customer based on the research you conducted. Doing so ensures that you produce video content that will keep your audience engaged and interested while also driving conversions.

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Don’t: 

Include Too Much Information

Keep it simple! Your video should have one clear message and one to two call-to-actions. Sharing too much information in one video will cause your audience to become confused and bored with your video. Keep in mind that video views generally drop off after about 3-5 minutes of viewing. Find one problem that your target audience shares and create a video surrounding that problem. If there’s another problem you’d like to cover, simply make another video about it instead of trying to cram too much information into a single video. You can also “gate” the additional content by asking viewers to sign up or subscribe to continue watching and access additional resources.

Sell Aggressively in Your Video

Your call the action should be the only line in your video where you specifically tell your audience what you want them to do. The rest of your video should be personalized to attract and engage your target audience. A video that sells aggressively will not only fall short but could damage a brand’s reputation.

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Rush Production

Take your time getting it right. The production of a video is the most crucial step, and rushing it can cause your message to fall flat. Video productions are a huge investment, so they’re worth the extra time that needs to be taken. Scriptwriting, rehearsal, equipment setup, editing – all of these things take time to get right. Production usually runs as follows:

  • Market Research (Who do you want your video to speak to? How will you reach them?)
  • Concept Creation (Brainstorming, team collaboration, scriptwriting)
  • Tech Set Up
  • First Run
  • Edits/Revisions
  • Publication

Use Copyrighted Music

If you read our previous article, copyrighted music is an easy way to land yourself in a dangerous legal situation. It’s true that the right sound can truly capture your target audience’s attention. But, you must remember to use royalty-free music in order to avoid getting your video taken down or owing big bucks to music production giants. If you wish to learn more about royalty-free music, read our previous article here.

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