DIY vs. Professional Video Production: A Brief Guide
It's a tough spot to
be in: You know you need a video, but man... does video production cost a lot!
That's when you ask
THE question: Maybe we could just DIY the video?
That's a question
asked at marketing agencies and marketing departments all over the
country—every day.
Unfortunately, there's
no easy answer.
But... I'd like to
give you some guidance—and maybe help make your decision a
little easier.
Now, because I'm own a video
production company specializing in marketing videos, you might
assume I'd suggest you hire a pro.
Not so fast!
DIY marketing videos
have their place. In this
article, I'll give you the (figurative) Cliff's Notes version of what you'd
find in Lights, Camera, Impact.
You Should Probably Do It Yourself If...
Yours is a small organization
Are you a small
business or organization? No fancy coffee machine. Sarah is the only one with a
decent desk chair. No marketing budget to speak of.
If this fits the
description of your company, feel free to DIY your video.
The reason is
simple... you probably can't afford to hire a pro to produce it for you.
You have a highly informal company culture
Is your company
culture a bit kitschy? Ping pong table in the office. Everyone wears T-shirts
and flip-flops. Most important... your customers know that about your business.
You're probably a
candidate to DIY your marketing videos.
Producing a video
yourself will likely only lend to your kitschy reputation: The amateur nature
of the video will be seen as fun and endearing.
Your videos are for social posts
If you're just
producing short videos for social channels (e.g.,
Instagram) or doing a Facebook Live, it's totally fine to DIY those.
Your audiences in both
cases aren't expecting a big production. You can get away with mistakes. As a
matter of fact, many viewers will appreciate the raw, authentic-looking
production.
There are plenty of
social videos that deserve a more polished production, but something 30-seconds
or less, or a live video, are in the DIY marketing video category.
But You Should Hire a Video Pro If...
You don't fall into
those categories.
In that case, you
should seriously consider hiring a pro.
- An About Us video for your
website? Hire a pro.
- A product or service video
you're planning for a landing page? Hire
a pro.
- A testimonial you're planning
to use to close a sale? Hire a pro.
There are some good
reasons for choosing professional video production.
Produce video better and faster
The first reason is
that a video pro will produce a better video than you, and will probably do it
in less time.
Video pros have dedicated
their working lives to mastering their craft, just as you have with whatever
you do for a living.
Protect your reputation
Maybe most
important... your reputation is on the line.
Once a CMO at a
billion-dollar corporation asked, "How can I sell my CEO on this when I
know she's going to ask, 'Can't we just shoot this on one of our
iPhones?"
I picked up one of her
business cards off her desk and said, "Wow, this is a really nice business
card. I'm sure you just went down to Office Depot and bought the DIY Avery
business cards, right?"
If you have an
established business with a good reputation, why would you produce a subpar DIY
video for all your potential customers to see?
A bad marketing video
makes the entire company look bad. Don't DIY a video and risk tarnishing the
reputation you worked so hard to build.
If You Decide You're Going to DIY Video...
OK, you're going to
DIY your video. The last thing I want you doing is flying blind.
Let's give you some
practical advice—some tidbits that will improve your project.
Let the robots do it
Maybe the best and
least time consuming piece of advice is to find an AI business that can do it
for you. There are some online options available to you to make it
simple: Lumen5 is one, Raw
Shorts is another.
You upload some photos
or video, add text, and let the algorithm do the rest.
Don't sweat the camera too much
If you're going to
shoot the video yourself, the camera is the least of your worries. The one in
your pocket is fine. Yes, you can use your smartphone. It's better than the
cameras I was using professionally 10 years ago.
Just a couple of
simple tips:
- First, if you're shooting a
person on-camera (or yourself), think about how you shoot a selfie to take
a flattering photo. You want the lens to be eye-height or slightly higher.
Kim Kardashian knows what she's doing.
- Second, make sure you're not
including too much headroom. You want the top of the head almost butting
up against the top of the screen.
Audio is worth investing in
The best way to
recognize an amateur video from a pro video doesn't have anything to do with
how the video looks. It's all about how the video sounds.
It's worth investing
in a microphone. Even a cheap $20 mic is better than the one built into your
camera or phone.
Lighting will give you away
The second easiest way
to spot an amateur video is the lighting. If you don't have a separate video
light attached to your camera or on a stand, get creative. The brighter the
room the better.
If you're lighting an
interview subject, grab a lamp and put it as close to that person as possible
without seeing it in the frame. Or stick the interviewee in a window, but not
with their back to it; that will put them in silhouette. Instead, make sure the
outside light is shining in their face.
Focus on story and emotion
Don't just spout out
stats. Video isn't about facts and figures. Video is about emotion.
Do your best to tell a
story that's going to tap some sort of emotion. Leave your viewers feeling good
about the business.
Wrapping Up
Video is an incredible
marketing tool. You can use it to communicate a message, tap emotions, and
build trust.
Following the video
guidelines and tips in this article will put you on the path to creating better
corporate and marketing videos.
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If you need help with your email, web site, video, or other presentation to promote your company, product, or service, please give me a call at 440-519-1500 or email me at john@x2media.us
Until next month. . . .remember. "you don't get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression." Always make it a good one!!
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