Video marketing. Science for small business

Nowadays, nothing in the world of marketing can convey information so dynamically as a combination of motion, sound and colourful graphics. While a picture is said to cost 1000 words, one minute of video is estimated at 1.8 million words. Because of our low concentration (only 8 seconds), the commercial was determined to be 600% more effective than print advertising and direct mail – combined.

It’s not surprising at all that looking into the future of marketing, the video remains in the first place and is used by 93% of marketers in their campaigns.

1. Price. Ask about the price offers, they will be different for each company. Too low a price, as a rule, does not guarantee high quality of the product.
2. ShowReel / Portfolio. Check their performance and see if their capabilities match what you are looking for.
3. Deadlines. If you plan to do, for example, a cycle of clips one a week, the deadline for the finished video is an important element to consider. Between planning, production, post-production and receiving the video online, knowing the exact timing is important to keep your content consistent. The viewer should not wait for the next release.

Perhaps your budget does not allow you to hire a large video production company and you have decided to create your own video product.

Here are a few tips to consider when starting out:

1. Pre-production – decide what you need and work out the most detailed script (plan for what you want to shoot).
2. Equipment – you can shoot a marketing video on an amateur camera or iPhone to convey the essence of your company’s offer.  If appearance and sound are crucial for you – try renting.
3. Video editing – there is a huge amount of software that can be used to create the final version of your video. For example Adobe Premiere or Final Cut Pro (for MacOS users).
4. Upload – when you get the finished video, there are often difficulties with file sizes and formats.
5. File size – sometimes a file may be too large to be viewed on the Internet. If so, try conversion software to make the file smaller while maintaining the same quality in sound and resolution.
6. Format – in most programs the format can be selected in the settings. For example, Adobe Premiere has built-in YouTube and Vimeo settings for optimization.

• Be brief: even for the perfect video, it’s hard to hold our attention for a long time. Videos lasting up to 1 minute hold the attention of 80% of viewers, while 2-3 minute videos hold 60% of the audience.
• Make sure your customers can find you: just because you caught their attention does not mean you mentioned how to get to your location. Specify your phone number, website and email address in the video or on the page where you post the video.
• Distribution: the video may not become viral, but take the time to share it yourself. Email your video to people you know, post it on social networking sites and video services.