Our Work With You
Stage 1 – Discovery & Strategy
The inception point for our work is invariably at the point at which you have decided to commission a video, or would like to explore what options are available in this area.
In an ideal scenario, your decision has been the result of a strategic marketing approach, sector research, the planning of your digital content strategy, identification of audience, message and appropriate channels. However, this is sometimes not the case, and before we get down to the brass tacks of shooting and editing, we talk to you about all these things to understand where the video work is being positioned and what its aims are.
This means discussing your business background, existing marketing efforts, your level of social media engagement, existing use of content and content platforms, tools for measuring ROI, and much more. What may begin as either a very focused brief, or a more nebulous awareness of the need to ‘do video’, must evolve into an action plan that may encompass one or more of:
- Company overview video
- Series of videos explaining specific products or services
- Case studies or Client testimonials
- PR or event-led content for awareness or newsworthiness
- Seminar or speaking engagements
- Informational video series e.g. tips and guides
- Reworking of existing content into a video context
This examination of your video strategy – designed to connect with your customers and show credibility and consistency – ensures proper targeting and best use of your resources.
We also work on how and where you are going to leverage this video content. If the right video is created at the right price for the right reason, then it is the use of the right marketing channels that will give you the greatest opportunity for giving a sales return. This may mean that work needs to be done in these channels to allow your video to be harnessed properly.
Only when we all know What, How, Why and Where, do we move to the actual content creation.
Stage 2 – Content Creation
Our core business is video production – shooting and editing – but this is not in itself the magic bullet to more sales. As outlined elsewhere, proper planning and marketing of the video are very important in making video work for your business.
The production process starts with the video concept, working through storyboarding and scriptwriting. Sometimes these elements are more precisely drawn, on other occasions (e.g. shooting a live seminar) the key work takes place in the edit.
When the form of the video is known, the ingredients of shoot location (e.g. suitability for brand image, sound recording, hire cost), delivery method (e.g. to camera, off camera, on-screen interview), production values (budget), timescales and shoot duration are discussed.
This preparatory work can involve liaising with your marketing department or consultant, image consultant, presentation coach, copywriter, or PR advisor. Where these influencers are not available to you, we use the benefit of our expertise, and our knowledge of you and your business, to guide you.
When it comes to the shoot, we work as efficiently as possible whilst making the process as smooth and easy as we can. At the end of the shoot it is important that you are happy that we have achieved your aims, before we call it a day. The process is inevitably organic to some degree, as we work through details and unexpected obstacles. We use as few people behind the camera as possible, to make things cost-effective and efficient.
The edit process incorporates additional static content and branding, in conjunction with the brief and the storyboarding, to arrive at a draft edit for your review. We then revise until the final edit is approved.
The review process usually takes place by iterative online file transfer, although collaborative editing sessions can be useful where a high degree of creativity is involved or options are multifarious. We can edit in our studio or using a laptop whilst at your premises or a neutral location.
The above notwithstanding, video content does not have to be generated from our cameras. You may shoot material yourself, have an existing library of footage, use animations or screen captures, or still images with voiceover. All these still produce ‘videos’ that offer engagement, and they can be an economical approach to broadening your portfolio, but they all need to be put in front of your customers, and this is a key area in which we offer help and advice.
Stage 3 – Implementation
Your desire in creating video content is to drive either awareness, sales, or loyalty, and the sooner this activity begins, the better.
It is also logical that if you want to place your videos in front of your customers, it should exploit as many potential touch points as possible, appropriate and practical.
This means looking at online – and also offline – destinations for your video files. Ideally, the analysis of ‘Where are we going to host our video and/or what are we going to do with it?’ should be part of the planning process and not start when the video product is finished.
Online video hosting platforms are numerous, as are other business profile pages, and if the tools are free then there is potential for them to generate search engine results and clickthrough to your website.
When we have understood your business and which channels could work best for you, we will look at the most cost-effective ways to build an overall online presence designed to generate a return.
The key site to look at is YouTube, due to its integration with Google. Despite the astronomical statistics regarding its usage, YouTube is seldom harnessed properly to get business messages and brands in front of potential consumers. It may be seen as a science akin to SEO, but one which can be more cost effective and generate longer lasting returns.
YouTube channel optimisation, and all that it can entail, is an area in which you can truly benefit from talking to us. Whether you are already operating in this space, know you need to be, or are skeptical, the case is compelling and we would be delighted to talk to you about it.