Video isn’t exactly a new concept for businesses. It’s been used for advertising and promotional purposes for decades. It’s no secret that video is more engaging than text or photographs, and can help to drive a message home by appealing to its audience’s emotions through auditory and visual content.
But video is becoming more widespread in this vastly evolving digital world. It is no longer reserved for companies with large advertising and production budgets. It’s quickly becoming as common as an image thanks to social and web platforms that encourage companies to use video as a more effective way to reach followers or visitors. The encouragement should come as no surprise, as “video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined” on social media according to Bright Cove.
Video can be used in a variety of ways, making it perhaps the most valuable asset to any company. It can be used to tell a story about your company and its employees (i.e. an “About Us” video). It can be used to explain a product or service you offer through an explainer video or tutorial. It can highlight a cool event your company attended or hosted, or can give a behind the scenes look into a live event taking place. And, as mentioned, video can be used for advertising purposes, which have been made more affordable with platforms like YouTube.
Where is Video Being Delivered and Watched?
There are a slew of delivery options for video as many traditional marketing outlets have adapted to host video playback. Having a YouTube channel is becoming as necessary and common as having a Facebook page. And Facebook is ferociously chipping away at YouTube’s dominance over video with Mark Zuckerberg stating that “we are at the beginning Golden Age of online video” during a recent press conference that unveiled Facebook’s shift towards an emphasis on video.
Video is being shared across all social media platforms, and is even being delivered directly to inboxes via email marketing. Last but certainly not least, plenty of website platforms make it easy to host video on your website.
According to an infographic by HighQ posted on HubSpot titled “2015: the Year of Video Marketing,” 55% of people said they watch a video online every day. 59% of senior executives said that they’d prefer to watch a video on a subject versus simply reading the text if both were on the same page. 85% of businesses believed video marketing was either somewhat successful or very successful.
No Video Means a Competitive Disadvantage
The point I’m getting at here is that video and video advertising/marketing is no longer an option or competitive advantage for businesses. It is simply a competitive disadvantage if your company isn’t creating video content.
For software companies, not having software tutorials could lead to user frustration and could cause them to switch to a competitor with better support. For real estate companies, not having video of your properties will prevent house hunters from fully visualizing the property and thus leading them to shop around on other websites with better virtual walkthroughs.
For businesses of all size in all industries, not having video means your potential customers or clients won’t have a chance to get to know you, your company and its culture, or the products and services you offer before making a decision on whether or not to contact your business. Video provides an open window into your operations and helps build trust.
Video is Great, But How Do You Make a Video?
For places like social media, short video snippets taken from someone’s smartphone may suffice to keep viewers engaged on a daily basis. However, in order to build a sustainable following or captivate a visitor on your website, your company will need videos with higher production values.
According to Bright Cove, “62% of consumers are more likely to have a negative perception of a brand that published a poor quality video.”
This presents a problem for small businesses as film equipment is a large investment and requires a highly skilled team to know how to work everything. What doesn’t help is that many video production companies charge extremely high rates to cover their overhead and skilled labor costs. This puts businesses in an awkward position as they know they need video, but they seemingly can’t afford the time or money it takes to produce a decent product.
The Solution: Scalable, Affordable Video Projects
There is a solution – there are video production companies like Davies Media Design (located in Denver, CO) that provide affordable options for small businesses to help them create the videos they need without breaking the bank. At Davies Media Design, our video options are scalable – so we can create a professional video of any length with or without professional sound and with one or multiple high definition cameras. This allows companies to have tailored projects suited to their needs and the platforms where they will be delivering their content.
For example, a company can shoot a 1 minute “About Us” interview session for their website with 2 cameras and professional external audio. For a separate project, they could then shoot a 30 second product advertisement for YouTube with 1 camera and professional external audio. A third project could be a 15 minute skit with 1 camera and no audio that shows the product in use and incorporates a touch of humor for a social media post.
This may seem like a hard sell, but it has been proven time and again that companies with video succeed far more than those that don’t. According to Aberdeen, companies that utilize video grow revenue 49% faster than those that don’t. This means that by not making an investment in video now, your company is losing out on future revenue gains, better interactions from your online communities, and a more positive perception of your brand from viewers.
Need a Denver video production company? Contact Davies Media Design today to discuss your project and receive pricing information, or visit our Video Production page.
