Seven steps to creating an engaging corporate video
In this month’s blog, Humanoid’s Creative Director Chris Gandy shares his personal insight on how to create an engaging corporate video you’ll be proud to put your company’s name to.
Over the years, corporate videos haven’t always had the best reputation. That’s because, let’s admit it, we’ve all watched a really bad one in our time (not naming any names of course!). When businesses first started dabbling in video, corporate videos were one of the first formats to break onto our screens. Inevitably, technology wasn’t what it is today and there weren’t the specialist video marketing agencies around to give a helping hand either.
The result? Lots of cheesy background music, cringe-worthy interviews and tacky special effects. I think it’s safe to say, some of the early video productions from the nineties and noughties need to stay well and truly archived!
But done right, an engaging corporate video can be one of, if not THE most powerful selling tool for your business. It just needs to be carefully planned from start to finish and really well executed. So, with this in mind, here’s my step-by-step guide to creating your business’ very own masterpiece.
STEP 1: Plan for success
Before commissioning a video production agency, you need to ask yourself: “why does my business need a corporate video?”. This might seem like an obvious question but it’s an important one nevertheless.
Choosing to make a video shouldn’t be done on a whim. Just like other digital channels such as social media or email, corporate videos need to be fully integrated into your marketing plan, with crystal-clear objectives detailing:
- Who your video is aimed at
- What your video is going to be about
- When you need your finished video for
- Where you plan to use it
- How you will measure your video’s success
This is a really useful exercise and trust me, it’ll pay dividends in the end. Don’t forget to also keep a record of all your answers as these form the basis of a brief you can share with your video production agency when they start.
STEP 2: Review your marketing budget
Once you’re confident with your plan, you then need to think about what you’re willing to spend on your corporate video. And I don’t just mean the obvious production costs. There are also promotional costs to think about such as paid-for social media campaigns that you might want to do to help increase your video’s reach once it’s finished.
So, what should you be budgeting for production? Well it’s difficult for me to put an exact figure on it because every business is so different, but as a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t budget anything less than a four-figure sum if you want to create an engaging corporate video. Of course, there are cheaper “quick fix” solutions out there but you definitely get what you pay for. Remember a corporate video not only represents your business; it represents your brand name too. If it’s poorly executed, it can do a lot more harm than good.
STEP 3: Research & appoint your video production agency
There’s a wide range of video production companies to choose from and just like designers and photographers, each one will have their own unique style that you may or may not like. Any reputable video agency should have a portfolio on their website so take a look to see if you think their experience is a relevant fit for your business.
Cost might be a deciding factor at this stage but it’s equally important to find an agency you can put your trust in to represent your brand professionally on a shoot. An engaging corporate video often features interviews with some of your most influential stakeholders, including key clients, so you need to have the confidence your agency is capable.
STEP 4: Agree the creative vision for your video
Once you’ve appointed your video production partner, it’s time to start getting creative and as Creative Director at Humanoid, it probably comes as no surprise that this is my favourite part of the entire process.
Your chosen agency will normally request a “kick off” meeting in which they’ll ask to meet with you to learn more about your business, discuss what you’re looking to achieve from your video and brainstorm potential ideas for content. Most important of all, they’ll talk to you about your brand as this will help steer creative decisions such as which voiceover to hire, post-production graphic & music styles and even to some degree, the choice of interviewees. Often, you’ll only have a couple of minutes to convey your entire business to audiences so every last detail of your corporate video is crucial for helping to tell your brand’s story.
STEP 5: It’s showtime
Once the overarching vision for your corporate video is set, storyboarding, scriptwriting and location scouting, all led by the video production agency, will quickly follow in anticipation of the big day itself – the shoot!
It’s so important you or any other stakeholders taking part in the filming are prepared to dedicate the time needed to make your video a success and work with the crew to ensure everything is perfect on the day. On shoots where the video production is not made the priority the results often suffer. In contrast, clients who dedicate the time and resources we recommend inevitably end up with a better video.
STEP 6: Stay true to your creative vision
When it gets to the review stage, I’ve seen some clients lose sight of their original vision which is always really sad to see. Because corporate videos are so high profile within an organisation, compromises often get made due to internal politics or pressure from the top that then damages or dilutes the overall message. As well as delaying your finished video, there’s also additional cost that might be incurred due to extra filming or post-production amends not included in your original quote from your video production agency.
To avoid this happening in your business, make sure you involve any decision makers from the start and get sign off on the key messages and script before production begins. Remember, videos are a subjective thing and everyone will have an opinion if you ask them. Decide who gets the final say and stick to your guns!
STEP 7: Last but certainly not least…
Once your corporate video is finished, it’s time to get it out there for the whole world to see. After all, you’ve invested time and money in making it so it’s important to make sure you maximise return on your investment.
There are lots of clever paid-for distribution systems available now which your video production agency can manage on your behalf, including social media advertising. Don’t forget the simple things you can do to get your new video seen too, such as adding it onto your website, playing it at any sales presentations & events you’re attending or even just showing it on a TV in your company’s reception.
Personally, what I love most about corporate videos is that they really are the gift that keeps on giving. They can be cut up and edited back together in so many different ways and, supplemented with any unused footage, can be used to target new audiences with tailored messaging really cost effectively.
