The One Video Every Company Needs (and How to Make it!)

As content production becomes increasingly important for communicating your company’s value, many businesses are beginning to implement video into their strategy. There are a ton of places where video can add value to your business (including 3 I wrote about in this article), but you might be asking yourself, “Where’s the best place to start?” A universally important video that your business should tackle early on is a 2-5 minute branded “About Us” piece that shares your story. There are three reasons why adding this video to your website is better than just the copy and photos alone:

-By seeing interview footage, your customers get a better sense of your personality and can see that you know what you’re talking about, which increases your trustworthiness.

-Customers will have spent more time on your website engaging with your brand, which means that they’ll remember you instead of your competitors.

-Between the additional time spent on your website and the native presence of videos, your ranking will improve on search engines.

Now that you know what you’re after (and why you’re after it), let’s go over the 3 stages of production and what to expect when shooting an About Us video:

Pre-Production:

In Pre-Production, we figure out the details of your shoot. This style of video is extremely templated, featuring an interview with your founder, CEO, or another key figure in your company Our goal in pre-production is to determine your message and work backwards to either form a script, or, if you want a more unscripted feel, a series of questions to ask the interviewee. A few examples might include:

-What products or services do you provide?

-What inspired your founder to start this business?

-What do you take pride in?

-Why should a customer choose you over your competitors?

-Can you tell a story about a particular job where your experience was crucial?

-What do you love about the work you do?

-What does your company aspire towards?

-Where is your company headed?

The audio from the script or interview forms the narrative backbone of the video. While we’ll see the speaker or speakers a few times throughout the finished product, most of the dialogue will be covered by visual accompaniments, called “B-Roll”. B Roll can typically include beauty shots of products, behind-the-scenes or on-the-job footage, office tours, or drone shots of your facility. Motion graphics can also be used to convey complex technical ideas or data. If the video is scripted we determine these visuals in pre-production. If we’re shooting interviews, we typically recommend knocking out the dialogue first, then condensing the interviews down to the best sound bites before returning to shoot B Roll based on those sound bites. It’s a little bit more of a process, but this style of video comes off as more authentic and less rigid.

Production:

Production will vary depending on the number of interviewees, the scope of the B-Roll, and number of other parties involved. You can expect to spend anywhere from a day to several days shooting. In general, the more time we spend shooting, the higher the quality of footage (and the pickier we can be about which shots to include). Budgeting 2 hours for an interview instead of 1 will give your producer more time to stage and light the area. Shooting B roll at 2 separate locations over 8 hours instead of 1 location over 2 hours means a greater variety of visuals and more options to work with. The scope of production is usually determined before a project outline is presented, but it’s not out of the question for details to shift during pre-production.

Post-Production:

With all of the raw footage in hand, your producer can now move on to the editing stage. The interview will be condensed to its most salient points and the most relevant B-Roll will be chosen to tell your story. This is a process of drafting and revising, so don’t be afraid to speak up if you need details changed. Music, fonts, and visuals should all be considered in addition to the overall message of your video.

A branded video can take the “About Us” section of your website into the 21st century and give your customers a better look at who you are. Ready to get shooting? Click here to schedule a free consultation with Lightly Salted Production!

Content Creation for Blue Collar Businesses

In recent years, blue collar companies have turned to digital marketing to grow their businesses. Websites and social media are a great place to publish photos and videos of your work, which can have multiple benefits. You’re building familiarity by showing your customers your face and personality. By showing your job process, you also set expectations. Home remodeling? Expect dust! HVAC installation? Expect a couple of hours without AC! Content also engages your customers to keep your name top-of-mind, and signals to Google that your site is full of rich, useful information, which improves SEO.

So, are you a blue collar worker looking to improve your online marketing? The best way to authentically present yourself is by documenting while on the job. The easiest way to get professional-looking content is to hire a content creator to join you on your next job, but you can get started on your own if you’re feeling scrappy. A $20 tripod and your phone are plenty to get started. Here are some ideas for content you can easily make yourself:

Timelapses

Set up your shot on your work area, then get to it! This is a great way to show a whole day’s work in just 10-15 seconds. To show as much as possible, set your phone up in the corner of the room that's opposite from where you'll be working.

Photography

Consumers love photos before/after photos that show them exactly how you transformed their space. Additionally, professional headshots on your website help establish familiarity and trust.

Vertical Video

Tik Tok has become wildly popular, to the point where Instagram has poached their in-app video editing feature to create Reels. In 2022, Instagram prioritizes Reels over other types of content. You’ll want to shoot all of this content vertically, so it takes up as much of a phone screen as possible when people are scrolling. Break the work you do into steps and show off a step with each shot.

Brand Video

A video on your website's "About Us" page lets people learn the history of your business and what services you provide. Even just hearing you talk about your work helps reassure people that you know what you’re doing.

Documenting your work while doing your work can be a pain, but the content you make tells the story that younger consumers want to hear. It’s that story that will get them to pick up the phone or shoot you an email. If you’re interested in partnering with a content producer to take digital marketing off your hands, click here to schedule a free consultation with us!

3 ways that video can grow your business

As the internet has matured, the demand for content has spread like wildfire. Businesses have leveraged photos & copy to educate and present themselves to customers for decades, and video content is becoming utilized more frequently as an enhancement for digital marketing. Below are 3 approaches to video that you can utilize to flesh out your online presence and grow your business.

Branding- One thing that makes every business unique is the story of how they came to be. A 3-7 minute, documentary-style video showcasing your leadership, your origins and your purpose is an excellent center point for your website’s “About Us” section. This is a great way to build rapport with prospective customers. Instead of just seeing company headshots, your customers can get a better sense of your personality and what your business stands for.

Substitution for an in-person experience- The pandemic put a major dent in on-site visits and in-store purchases. Institutions had to postpone or cancel tours of new spaces. Consumers spent even more time on their phones, which meant that they spent more time consuming content. By creating product demos and virtual tours, you can reach your customers or patrons from anywhere.

Social Media- This is an obvious one, but absolutely worth mentioning. Social media channels have become the most convenient way for customers to window shop. Videos are a great way to show demos, announce a new product, or go behind the scenes. There are a ton of formats and styles that you can use for social media, so context is important. If you’re an independent contractor installing HVAC units or doing home remodeling, consider making a behind-the-scenes video at your next job, so your customers know what to expect when they hire you. If your business sells products, your best bet is a little more straightforward- make videos that showcase your product!

Interested in video production, but not sure where to start? Visit our contact page to request a free consultation with Lightly Salted Production. We'd love to hear from you!