Everyone has a literal super computer with a high end camera in their pocket... or in their hand right now. Since the barrier to entry into creating content has become so low, let's explore the importance of quality video over and find out if any video is better than using no video at all.
Any video will do...
When ever I speak to a potential business partner, they are usually really excited about the idea of working with my company to produce high quality video, but the conversation always leads us to talking about budget. This is usually where the conversation gets less exciting and not just for the client. I hate talking money. I'd rather talk about the goal and how what we do can help the client get there.
At this point I often hear the following:
"Wow. That's expensive."
"I just want a simple video."
"Can't I just use my phone?"
Now I have a lot to say about all of these, but I will boil it down to this: If you truly want to achieve the goal we set out or overcome the challenge you are facing, and you think video marketing can help, DO NOT BE CHEAP! There is a saying that I could google but instead I will botch it and summarize: "Good shit ain't cheap, Cheap shit ain't good!"
Let's focus on the last objection in the above list. "Can't I just use my phone?" You sure the heck can, but why haven't you? There are plenty of new smartphones with killer cameras on them and in the spirit of this blog post, you may not even need a killer camera. But there is a huge difference between a well thought out and properly executed video project and a random video you took. They both have their place in the scheme of content creation, but what is the goal??? This will be the over-arching theme of this post.
What's the plan? What's the goal?
So, why haven't you used that $1,000 iphone to produce your own content? What's stopping you? Most likely, you are suffering from what i call "Perfection Infection" (I just thought of that!). You either don't know where to start or are so caught up in the idea that the content has to be perfect, that you never actually hit record.
"Don't let perfection get in the way of progress. Just hit record."
Sean Cannell of ThinkMedia says "Don't let perfection get in the way of progress. Just hit record." He should know, His YouTube channel has almost 3 million subscribers and He makes a healthy living teaching content creation strategies to normies like us.
The idea is to just start recording and fine tune the quality as you go along. But bringing the conversation back to the title of this post, when do you know when a video you are about to post is not worthy of hitting the upload button? I guess it depends on the situation but let's talk about businesses looking to promote their brand to the wider public.
Why the video you just took should be deleted...
In the context of you foregoing using a professional video production company such as #SeymourMacProductions and just producing a video or video content on your own, here are a few things to consider before hitting upload. You may even want to delete the video and never let it see the light of day.
How does the video represent your company?
Does this video make your company look professional or amateur? Let's forget about the technical aspects of quality video for a minute. When someone watches this video, what will their impression of you and your company be? If this video has a negative impact on your brand, DELETE IT! Not every piece of video content is worth posting for your potential clients to see. If it doesn't advance your brand in a positive way, maybe try something different. If there are various OSHA violations happening in the video, maybe it would be better the grab some hard hats, safety glasses and harnesses before hitting record on the next video.
What's the quality of the video & audio?
Not always as important as the previous item, but the quality of the video and the audio can have a major impact on whether or not someone will watch your content and if the platform will even promote it. Although, I don't think on-site walkthroughs that are posted to your Instagram story need to be professionally produced, if we can't see anything or hear what your saying, we won't pay it any mind. The audio is often the more important piece to creating a powerful video and something DIY'ers will often overlook. Your videographer is wearing many hats: video, audio, lighting, scripting, editing and maybe even a hard hat!
What's the goal of your video?
Not all video projects have the same goal in mind. Some aim to attract a specific type of client, others to attract qualified workers and some are used to build trust in the brand. It's important to have the end goal in mind before starting any project. The quality might be there, your company might look good, but if it's not directed effectively, it will still be a waste of time and money.
In Conclusion
Sometimes any video is better than nothing. If you are looking to build trust and awareness in your brand, then it's time to start using video marketing to help that goal. Sometimes no video is better than any video, especially if its grainy, sounds like crap and your workers are hanging off a truss with no safety harness. Be mindful of whats going on in your video content but don't over think it.
And if/when you realize it's all too much work for you to handle while operating your booming business, call me!
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