How To Tell When Your Business Needs Professional Video Production

Can You Benefit From Professional Video Production? 

Today, almost everyone has the tools to produce a video using readily available technology; however, not everyone has the skills, knowledge, or equipment needed for professional video production. Unlike videos created by amateurs, professional video production companies have the time, experience, and resources to create consistently high-quality videos — the kind that gives advertising campaigns the boost they need to meet business goals.

The quality and content of your videos directly impacts the success of your video marketing campaign. Successful video campaigns center on creating high-caliber videos without losing focus of the overarching video marketing strategy, company branding and values, and current trends throughout the entire process. Losing focus on any of these elements can lead to lower production quality, which can undermine the goal of video marketing.

If you aren’t seeing the results you expected when you integrated video into your marketing campaign, it may be because of the quality of your videos. To achieve these goals, you may want to consider using professional video production. Because video is their main focus, professional video marketing companies are better equipped to help you bring your marketing to the next level — while allowing you to step back and focus on other aspects of your marketing strategy, as well as other areas of your business.

When to Avoid Professional Video Production 

Smaller businesses or companies that are just getting into video marketing might be better off using a DIY approach for a while. If you have zero budget for video marketing, then your best option is to do it yourself (in-house video production).

DIY has some advantages, including: 

• By doing it yourself, you’ll learn how to make videos, which can be a great skill to have at your disposal.
• Developing your own videos will lead to a better understanding of marketing, specifically how video marketing works.
• You’ll have flexibility to put videos together on short notice, since you won’t be reliant on another company’s timeline. This can be helpful if a new trend arises, or you have an unexpected message to convey.
• As you put a video marketing strategy together, you’ll find yourself learning more about your business, brand, industry, and customers.
• What you learn can help you monitor the performance of a professional video production firm when you do decide to hire one. 
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However, it’s important to note that outsourcing your video production can also save you money when it comes to hiring associates, purchasing equipment, and losing time to the learning curve. There’s no one right answer for whether professional video marketing is the right choice for you, so consider all of your options.

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Recognizing Your Need for Professional Video Production 

When you hire professionals, you’ll see an increased caliber of videos, greater consistency throughout all your content, and time saved compared to producing videos in house. How do you know when it’s time to bring in external support for your video development? If you’re finding that you aren’t seeing the desired results, or you simply want to step up your marketing game, it may be time for you to take that next step. Keep reading to learn more about the specific red flags that indicate the need for professional video production.

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You Need Professional Video Production If You’re Embarrassed By Your Videos 

You want to feel proud of the content you’re putting out there, so if you're feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable when sharing your videos, you should consider seeking assistance.

Subpar videos may have some of these characteristics:

• Your video may be shaky or out of focus.
• A lack of plot or a plot that meanders, which will make it harder for people to engage with the message you’re sharing.
• Overly long videos that do not hold the attention of the viewer.
• Poor audio quality, which is one of the most common reasons viewers move on from a video.
• Sub-par graphics or cheesy animations that take away from the professional feel of your video.‍

While some DIY videos are highly successful, poor quality is generally a losing proposition for marketing videos. Struggling with any of these elements of video production will shortchange the success from your video marketing strategy. It’s essential that you’re maintaining a high level of quality throughout all your content.

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You’re Spending Too Much Time on Video Creation and Not Enough Time on Your Business 

Time spent on producing corporate videos is time taken away from running or growing your business. And while it’s your goal, successful video marketing can actually cause new problems. You’ll have even more business coming in, but less time to take advantage of it. To keep the new business that video marketing generates, you’ll need to find ways to manage your time more efficiently.

Once you’ve started having success with your own DIY video marketing, and you know how to take advantage of the leads and prospects it brings in, you can outsource this work by hiring a professional video marketing agency. Because you did your video marketing in-house for a period, you’ll have a better understanding of the work you’re hiring them to complete.

By delegating this work to an external company, you’ll still improve your profits while freeing up your own time to focus on your business and customers — setting you up for success in both your marketing strategy and your overarching business goals.

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You Need Professional Video Production if Your Videos Have Poor Engagement and Conversion 

Ultimately, the purpose of video marketing is to increase sales and profits. Videos that under-perform not only don’t help but can actually hurt your business. Not only have they wasted your time and money, but they can leave a negative impression on your audience and make it even harder to see success on social media. Videos that have poor engagement are seen by fewer people; if engagement is low enough, they might not be seen at all — unless you pay to promote them, adding to your costs.

While you shouldn’t make decisions based on one or two videos over a short period of time, consistent underperformance of your videos suggests that professional video production could help your business. Don’t waste your time and money on videos that don’t lead to results. Instead, consider making the investment in high-quality videos that will lead to increased views, engagement and ultimately, higher sales and conversion rates.

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Consider Professional Video Production if You’re Spending Too Much on Labor Making Your Own 

Creating video marketing content takes a great deal of time and effort. To produce a successful video, you need to focus on writing a script and planning for production (scouting locations, lining up talent, etc.), and filming and recording video and audio. And you can’t forget post-production, which includes editing, color grading, sound design, and motion graphics. From concept to distribution, the production of a video can take days or even weeks of time from several employees.

If these employees are already on your payroll, video production takes them from their normal jobs. And, if you hire employees specifically for video marketing, you’re adding payroll expenses. Spending too much time or money on video production can negate the benefits of video marketing. Avoid these costs by working with a professional firm that can help you set an approachable budget and get you even more video content for the cost of doing it in-house.

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You Need Professional Video Production if You Don’t Know What To Do Next 

If you’re unsure about next steps, you should seek professional guidance to help you better understand how to make the most of video marketing. A professional video marketing agency can help you with:

• Strategy. A video marketing agency will show you the best way to approach video marketing to achieve your personalized goals.
• Format. The experts have experience and knowledge about which type of content will succeed on each platform. 
• Promotion and distribution. Professionals have a strong understanding of how to get videos in front of their target audience.

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Video marketing must be intentional and consistent to pay off. Fortunately, professional agencies ensure you don’t need to be an expert to see the results of an impactful video marketing campaign. If you don’t know where to start, or what actions to take after you’ve done some video marketing yourself, professional production can really benefit you.

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Taking the Next Step With Professional Video Production 

To successfully engage with digital-savvy consumers, video marketing is an absolute must. However, attempting to produce videos in-house without the skills or resources to do so can lead to more harm than good. Fortunately, successful video marketing isn’t limited to those with the resources to create videos in-house. If this is true for you, then you should consider outsourcing your video creation. By hiring a professional agency, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the reach and impact of video production. 

Regardless of which aspect of video marketing you need support with, Charter & Co. is here to help. With a history of successful brand partnerships, we have the expertise and experience to allow you to achieve results through effective video marketing.