How to make good corporate video
I'm going to start off with a confession
I’m not going to talk you through any of the technicalities of creating video content in this blog post. Instead I’m going to start with the fundamentals to every successful corporate video; the planning, or pre-production stage.
Whilst it does take some skill and experience to consistently produce good corporate video - things which do both take a certain amount of time and practise - don’t despair, because it’s not all bad news. The good news is that there are a number of really simple things you can weave into every corporate video plan or roadmap which will help you to make good decisions around each and every video project that you’re working. So buckle up, it’s about to get all informative in here.
What sets a great corporate video apart from the rest is having an outstandingly good brief. It really is that simple.
However don’t assume your client (or boss) is necessarily going to just drop the perfect brief on your lap every time you start a new job. Oh no my friend, its up to you to take responsibility to acquire all the information you need up front, in order to really fill that brief out with all the juicy stuff that you need. In order to do that you’re going to have to develop a list of really simple, open questions that will provide the foundation for every single stylistic and content decision you’re going to make for you project. Here are some pretty handy little questions I recommend you consider including in the briefing stage of every project:
1 ~ Who is your target audience?
The more specific you can be here the better. Hopefully your client (or boss) already has a very clear idea about who they are talking to. If not, then it’s really worth encouraging them to spend a good amount of time defining this person because once you know who they are you know what they like and respond well to, and therefore what’s most likely going to work.
2 ~ What are you saying to them?
Outline the value or the key message you want to get across. In my experience if the answer to this question doesn’t make sense to a six year old then it’s too complicated. You need to KISS (or 'keep it simple, stupid’) and you’ll be good to go!
3 ~ Where will you be saying it?
Platform preferences will have an impact on a lot of stylistic and technical decisions. If you’re not sure about the answer to this, then refer back to question one and do some research. Find out where that audience spends most of their time, because that’s where your video needs to be too.
4 ~ How will you be saying it?
Consider whether you’ll be relying on interviews, voice over, a presenter or motion graphics to convey the necessary information. Again, referring back to ‘who' and ‘where' will help you make a good decision as to ‘how'. Also, ask your client if they’ve already seen any examples of video they like. Having your client share sources of inspiration will help to give you an idea of what their expectation is, and also to offer them up with some alternatives if you’re not convinced their choices are necessarily going to be all that effective.
5 ~ Why are you saying it?
What effect do you want the video to have? This is a biggie and it can look very different from one video to the next; from driving traffic to a website, raising a business profile, brand awareness, selling products, sharing positive news. Every video has a purpose and a call to action which will no doubt help to determine a lot of creative decisions. Know what the purpose of your corporate video is and keep it singular, don’t try throwing lots of outcomes in there because you’ll be setting yourself up for a big fat flop if you do.
Planning is indescribably important to the success of every single piece of corporate video production. If you can get really clear, well thought out answers to these five questions then you’re in a fantastic position to start making well informed decisions around the creative approach, style, techniques etc that will help to ensure you create the most effective possible corporate video for your project.
We’ve set up a free supportive WhatsApp group. It’s a safe space to ask questions and share advice between small business and third sectors employees who’re looking for support in creating great video content. You’re welcome to come and join in the conversation anytime.
