D.I.Y. Video Promotions; How Successful Do You Want To Be with Your Video?

These days, it’s tempting to grab a friend or relative and say “Hey! Do you mind holding this camera for me while I say a few words and/or demonstrate something? It’s equally tempting to hire some person that does wedding videos part-time because it might be “cheap” and easy.

• How do you want the world to see you?  Professional or cheap?

Well, we are here to say that you may want to reconsider the D.I.Y. (Do it Yourself) “on the cheap” approach. No, not just because we want your business, but because there is much more that goes into a video then simply shooting, editing, and throwing it up on Youtube.  In contemplating this, you might want to ask yourself one question…..

• How important is your business, product, or skill to you?

When producing a video, there are aspects like pre-production, scripting, marketing approach, product branding, titles, casting, great lighting, clear audio, location scouting and/or building, and video release strategies that must be looked at and scrutinized. Remember, people judge you and your business in a variety of ways, but one of the biggest ways with video is as follows:  “That looks like a professional presentation” versus “That looks like something my kid made!” (and there are a plethora of the latter on the web!)

• Remember, you gotta spend money to make money, that’s the way that advertising works 

A video is made once, and can be used over and over again. In short, if you DO NOT have a professional looking video on your website, you should seriously consider it! Streaming video and online promotion are here to stay!

Helpful links:

Here is a helpful link to marketing yourself online (provided by CNN money.) Not surprisingly, it includes both podcasting (with voice) and video.: http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/04/magazines/fsb/online.marketing.fsb/index.htm

Here is a past video we produced that demonstrates a simple way to make testimonials work with a marketing message. At a whopping 5 minutes, this is about the longest we would recommend for a video that uses only testimonials.

So How Do I Make My Promotional Video A Success?

Ah, the age old question, the golden chalice, the treasure at the bottom of….well, you get the point. We have been bringing in Telly Awards for the past few years for finding unique ways of presenting you, the subject, in interesting ways.

#1 – If you entertain them, they will come!  Make your subject matter seem like a documentary, a funny episode, a music video, a fun invitation to a fun time!

#2 – Get shorty! No not the movie, the video. Keep it short! Web attention spans are short. We know you want to tell them a BUNCH about yourself and your service, but save that for later. For now, wow them with your best, and keep it around 2-3 minutes if you can.

#3 – Pass on the cheese! We know that flashy graphics and fast moving images can look fun, but keep the images tasteful and most of all, PROFESSIONAL! Use great lighting, sound, and content. After all, if the video doesn’t look good, you won’t look good!

Here is a fun promotional video for a children’s entertainment business that won a Bronze Telly in 2009. This was a LOAD of fun to make, and the children LOVE it! What’s more, so did the clients’ pocketbook!  (it was very successful for him.)

2010 Telly Award Winner, Sirenharp Music video

We’re proud of this video, which has seen thousands of hits to date on Youtube, and has received a 2010 Telly award mid-last year. Check it out! Soon to come: production tips and info for fellow video enthusiasts. Thank you for your support!

Triple Spiral Productions Professional Video Services for the SF Bay Area

Hello to you!

If you came across this blog you are wondering what in the blazes we do! We’re here to serve all your professional video production needs for Northern California and beyond. Our services include Director of Photography, pre-production, post production, editing and output, greenscreen, and steadicam just for starters. Have a look at one of our latest videos and enjoy! You can get more info at http://www.triplespiralproductions.com .  Subscribe and we will keep you informed as to all the latest happenings in the film/video world, as well as our latest works. Thank you for visiting!