Budgeting Video for a Small to Medium Busieness
As we go into 2018, it’s critical for your small to medium size business to have both web and social media presence, even if your company’s not doing online orders. Square one: Make sure your site is mobile-friendly, and has content worthy of sharing. Square two: Video. Video content makes up 64% of all internet traffic these days, so when it comes to promoting your business, you must have video content to stay in the game. YouTube users alone watch a half a billion hours of video content a day., Almost half of all website click-throughs to text and image posts are “bounces” with no engagement. Video content’s different. It’s the fastest way to make an impression, and it’s 1200% more likely to be shared than text and image content.
Need video presence? The cheapest route is to take out your iPhone and shoot yourself! If you’ve already got lots of friends on Facebook, you’re comfortable with video, and you’ve got the guts, try! Going live on Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms puts you right at the top of the stack, even with zero budget, especially if you’re America’s next supermodel.
If you’re the CEO of a small to medium size business, or an individual in a job where your personal branding is a key element, you’ll want a lot more control than an iPhone selfie video. That means a video crew, professional camera and sound equipment, and someone who can understand your needs and put together the right production package. A typical branding package for a small to medium size business client should run somewhere between $2,000 and $6,000, but you might be able to get a skilled pro with the right "kit" to bring your the cost down below $1,750 if you're in a position to barter some services he might need from you, and you're willing to help with things the production crew needs. The key is to convince the Producer you can take care of his workflow concerns. You’ve got a great story. The producer’s there to help you share it, but he needs to be able to count on everybody on his team, including the client. These are the keys to getting a great deal on a video production:
Make sure the producer understands your needs.
Filmmaking’s supposed to be fun. Don’t be a buzzkill. Seriously, if you’re sweatin’ the small stuff, it’s gonna show through in the finished product.
Know your talking points ahead of the interview.
Shoot everything at one location.
Substitute still photos for shots that would require a new setup at a different shooting location.
Cast wisely. Make arrangements for actors and locations early.
Supply your own hair and makeup artist.
Look at royalty free music options.
Remember that film industry adage: "If you're early, you're on time. If you're on time, you're late. If you're late, your're fired." Daylight hours run out quicker than you expect on a one day shoot.
The most important place for the video to show up? Your website’s landing page. Square one is to make a little “Biz-Doc” that tells what is both your story and the company’s story. Once you get the story “in the can,” think about intros and outros for social media posts, and get them done while the “talking head” interview’s lighting and sound is still set up, and if there’s any time left, turn the camera operator loose on the location so he can get plenty of “b-roll” footage. Then have fun. Filmmaking’s supposed to be fun. If you’re sweatin’ the small stuff and being a buzzkill, it’s gonna show through in the finished product. Let the producer sweat the small stuff for you, and enjoy your 15 minutes of fame.