Video is everywhere. It’s one of the most effective ways to communicate today. Producing a video can be as simple as holding up your smartphone and tapping the record button, but before you go the DIY route, it’s best to examine the downsides.
But, before we get to why hire a pro?, let’s consider how video could help your business. Beyond traditional advertising, depending on the kind of business you run, you could use video to…
· Introduce a new product or service
· Educate your customers about the products and services you provide
· Create a series of How To videos for your customer base
· Inform your customers about changes to your business rules, regulations, and laws
· Compare and contrast an old or outmoded way vs. a newer or more sophisticated practice
· Create a compelling argument for your products or services
So, why not do it yourself? Well, here are a few things to think about before you press record…
Although the technology of video production has improved substantially in the past few years, the skills necessary to effectively create narratives and produce professional-quality video remains the domain of those trained to do so. In other words, don’t try this at home.
Besides having professional camera, audio, lighting and editing equipment (and the skills to use them), which is vastly different than consumer quality gear, professional video producers and production companies understand how to ask the right questions of you and your staff in order to draft a proposal that economically and effectively address your audience.
Then they have the experience to write outlines and scripts, cast professional talent and hire skill artisans to craft the most effective messages to produce live action and animation designed to give you the most bang for your buck.
All too often, businesses have taken the cost-cutting route only to find their results are underwhelming and need to be redone from scratch.
Some of the skills employed in producing a professional video include:
· Videography with a professional video camera that costs thousands of dollars and requires trained individuals to operate
· Lighting is a technical art form that requires a scientific knowledge of how light travels, color temperatures, color filtration and a vast and arcane understanding of physics.
· Audio recording with expensive and sophisticated microphones and recorders that yield superior sonic quality
· Professional makeup artists enabling those on camera to look their very best
· An editor who knows how to tell a story efficiently and can fix exposure and color issues to make the finished product look top notch
Highly skilled individuals can also guide you in the myriad ways of distributing and marketing the content you create. From SEO to social media, mobile content, and content marketing, YouTube, Wistia, Vimeo and other video distribution platforms, professional producers have the expertise and knowledge to give your content an edge.
Give yourself the edge. Hire a pro.