Five Things To Look For in a Video Production Company

You Need Video Marketing

Choosing a video production company for your next (or maybe your first) video marketing project can be tough. There are hundreds to choose from, and they all claim to be “The Best.” And they probably are: one may be “The Best” at producing dog food commercials; another may be “The Best” at producing video tutorials on a specific smartphone. But how do you choose “The Best” for you?

The one thing you know for sure is you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to using videos to market your business. Studies show nearly 80 percent of people watch videos online every week—and more than half watch videos online every day. That number is only expected to get bigger. Experts believe by 2017, almost 70 percent of people will be watching online videos every day. Plus online video accounts for 50 percent of all mobile traffic. With numbers like that, leaving video out of your marketing strategy is just plain negligent.

Choosing The Right Video Production Company

All right, so you know your customers are online, and they’re there looking for video. Now you need to figure out how to produce a video and how to choose a video production company. We know there are a lot of them out there and like us, there are some that do incredible work. (Yes, that was a shameless plug.)

Unfortunately, there are an equal amount that do not.

I can hear the confused desperation in your voice already: “But how will I know which ones are the great ones and which are the lousy ones?”

That’s what we’ll help you figure out.

Research Video Marketing Services

As is the case with virtually every service provider you choose in life, your first priority is finding the right fit for you. If you’re afraid of the dentist, you don’t choose one who won’t acknowledge your fear, and you don’t choose a daycare where you won’t feel your child is safe.

The same holds true for choosing the right video production company. You want to work with people who understand your brand, your values and your vision. There is no one size fits all, so shop around. Contact more than one video production company and consider these five elements when you do:

Experience: A video production company that has only been in business for a month may not have the experience you need to create a stand-out marketing video. Of course, if the business and new but the team is experienced, you may have struck gold: There may be an opportunity to negotiate a better price if the business wants to use your video to build its portfolio. Find out how long the people involved in producing your video have been creating videos and how many videos they’ve produced. Who, specifically, will be producing yours and does their culture fit with your brand? Always ask to see their portfolio. Always. You’ll either like what you see or you won’t, and that’s plays a big part in figuring out whether or not the company is the right one for you.

Technical expertise: It’s hard to judge a person’s technical expertise when you have none yourself, that’s true. But there are always ways to judge a company’s technical skills even if you don’t have the first clue about the ins and outs of video production: Do the videos in their portfolio look professional? Do they have good sound quality? Are they capable of live action videos (like a commercial you’d see on TV) or are they limited to animated videos? Some companies, like ours, offer green screen video that combines both live action and digital elements. If that’s the case, are the elements seamless? Nothing looks cheaper (and less professional) than a green screen hack job.

Creativity: The last think you want from a video production company is a cookie-cutter video. Your company is unique and you deserve a video to match. This is where viewing a company’s portfolio is really important. If every video they show you looks similar, there’s a good chance the video they create for you will look the same, too. Your goal is to stand out, not to blend in with the masses, so look for a video production company that demonstrates it tries to create truly unique videos for each of its clients. You could even ask the company to pitch you a few ideas first to see for yourself if they have what it takes to come up with an original idea for you.

Affordability: Before we preach to you that “you get what you pay for,” let’s be realistic for a minute. If the company you’re looking at charges $15,000 for a video and you only have $5,000 to work with, they’re not the company for you. Now here it comes: You absolutely get what you pay for. The video production company that charges $15,000 may have superior equipment (that produces superior quality videos) that justifies a higher price tag. So here’s our advice when it comes to pricing a video production company: Get more than one quote, but don’t choose based on price alone. Consider the other factors we’ve pointed out here. If the cheapest company doesn’t match your business culture, produces low-quality videos and offers zero creativity, your video will earn you no return on investment. Isn’t ROI the whole point of video marketing?

Happy customers: You know what they say: The best advertising is done by satisfied customers. Research every video production company you’re interviewing: Check out reviews; ask for references. Find out what it was that other people liked (or didn’t) about working with them.

Videos That Sell

The goal of any video marketing campaign is to drum up new business. Xtreme Media offers a full-range of video production services and the creativity you need to get noticed. If you’re in the Denver area, we also offer a green screen studio for truly amazing video effects. We’d love to tell you more about it. Call us at 303-339-0961.

We’d also love to hear your tips on video marketing. Leave yours in the comment section below and be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn where we frequently offer advice on marketing your brand to get noticed.