You’ve heard the expression that, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. It’s as true today as it was when it was first coined. However, you can’t limit yourself to promoting your company with visual static ads – video promotion is essential. If you think that promotional video production for Toronto area businesses is limited only to those with pockets deep enough to afford traditional TV advertising, think again. Video promotion can be done online, offering greater reach, higher targeting and significantly lower costs than traditional TV advertising. Of course, there are a few things you need to know about good promotional video production in Toronto.
It Starts with Strategy
Making a video for the sake of making a video is never the right path for a company hoping to harness the power and potential of online video marketing. Long before you contemplate lighting, location, or camera types, you need to have a strategy in place for promotional video production in Toronto. What should that strategy include? It must do the following:
Objectives/Goals – What’s the objectives of your video? What’s the goal here? What do you want viewers to do? Are you building brand recognition, authority and authenticity? Are you driving leads to a website? Are you trying to build sales? Know your objective, key message and your Unique Selling Point (USP)
Your Target Market – Who is your target market? Who comprises your audience? This will inform the creation of the video as well as your message. You’d make a different video if you were trying to reach an audience comprised of seniors than you would if you were marketing to Gen Y.
Online Locations – The location for filming your video is important, but it’s also important that you choose the right online locations. Will you be posting the video to YouTube? What about Vimeo? Will you be posting it to your website or blog? Will you share it on social networks? Each location requires customization and different steps, but also offers different benefits. A digital marketing strategy is very important in order to utilize your video to its maximum potential and reach.
Tracking – How will you track the success and impact of your video? You need to know more than the number of daily views. You need to determine exactly how much impact your video has on your overall success. This will give you the basis for tweaking future video campaigns.
Promotional Video Production for Toronto Companies
If you’ll be creating your own promotional video, there are several technical aspects you’ll need to consider in the creation process. First and foremost, make sure you have someone on staff capable of operating the camera, setting up the location and more. If you don’t have an experienced videographer on staff, don’t worry. You can hire quality video production services in Toronto to take care of the entire video shoot and much more.
If you’ll be taking care of your video production in house, you’ll need to consider the following:
Lighting – Lighting is an incredibly important component of a successful video. The right lighting both illuminates the speaker and draws in your audience, but it shouldn’t be glaringly bright or too dim. Generally you’ll need a back light, a key light and a fill light for studio work. If you’ll be shooting outdoors, you’ll need lights and reflectors to diffuse and direct sunlight.
Set Creation – Even if you’re only making a 30-second spot, or going for an informal look, you’ll have a set. It might be little more than a desk with a few items in the background, but there will be a set present, and it needs to be constructed for maximum value. It should enhance and compliment your video, not distract the audience or decrease value.
Camera – Making a video requires a camera, but there are dozens, perhaps hundreds of different models out there. Do you need a camcorder? Would it be better to use a DSLR? Do you have the budget to purchase a camera for no other purpose than video creation? How long will it take you or your staff member to learn how to use the camera effectively? Camera angles and frame composition are also very important
Sound – You need the right microphone(s) to fit both your video’s style and your shooting location. Do you have the budget to purchase the necessary microphones to capture professional audio? Good quality sound recording is always essential.
Audio and Video Production – Recording your video is only the start of the process. You’ll need to edit and produce the video, add in text elements, graphics, credits, and much more. You’ll also need to handle sound editing and production.
Promotional video production for Toronto area companies is more complex than you might assume. Video production is an organic process and requires a significant amount of time, and a dedicated budget, even if you’ll be doing it in house. The better option is to choose a top quality option from amongst the available video production services in Toronto – letting a pro handle the recording, editing and promotion ensures that you get a high quality video, and that you save time and money as well.
