At shortstories, the organisations we work with have varying levels of experience of using video.
Some are first-timers; like nervous fledglings summoning up the courage to take the plunge and others are flying high, soaring on the thermals provided by a long-term and successful video strategy.
Most companies are in between with differing degrees of video experience.
In this article, we look at those ranges of experience.
What are the common questions different companies tend to have and what happens when they move on to the next stage?
Which kind of organisation are you part of? What questions do you have about video?
Companies that are starting to use video tend to be on the smaller side but may have been established for many years and have got on perfectly well without needing one.
They have reached a point though where they realise they are now the odd ones out - and they are beginning to feel it.
Maybe their marketing team has raised the subject and it sounds like a good idea because everyone else seems to be doing it.
When they make contact with a production company like shortstories, they are often unclear themselves about what they need a video for.
The impulse to have one may be greater than the awareness of why they need one.
The video production company should have a method in place to draw out and identify the specific requirement from the client.
Another common feature of an organisation at this stage is they are fearful that video will feel like a money pit.
The idea of commissioning a crew, studios, cameras, actors, directors and editors is concerning.
Understandably, ‘How much does a film cost?’ is the question they ask very early on. They just want some inkling. (We have written a separate article on this specific question here: ‘How much does a film cost?’)
If the company is considering commissioning video for the right reasons, they will also be asking ‘What will be my Return On Investment?’
This is crucial. It helps a company to decide the budget level for a project and sometimes the schedule as well - the foundations of any video project.
Companies that have used video a few times before but are not yet serial users are in a very exciting stage.
Their earlier forays into video for business have resolved their first-time nerves; their initial trepidation about the process has gone.
They have been through the stages of pre-production, production and post-production and now have a sense of what these terms mean.
They have become more comfortable with knowing when their input is required and when they can rely on the video production company to advance the project.
Earlier video(s) have brought a sense of occasion and excitement to their organisation; they have heard colleagues discuss them in watercooler moments and the boss has sent company-wide emails saying how much she has enjoyed watching them.
Clients have congratulated them on the videos and new leads and business opportunities have emerged.
Their video projects have brought a sense of pride to the company and they are hungry for more.
They look to secure more budget for the next one.
The momentum this generates means it is crucially important to remain cool-headed and ask some direct questions:
Companies that have been able to measure the ROI on their past investment in video now have formal work processes, personnel and a line in their annual budget in place.
They have gained an understanding of when a video project needs a larger budget, and when one can achieve its objectives at a more modest investment level.
Video is not the new and exciting thing it once was to them. It now just makes good business sense.
They know it is the best way to tell the story of some aspects of their product/service/business.
They are aware that a standalone video is not the be-all and end-all, but that it needs to be placed on the right platform with the necessary marketing resources in place to bring it to the attention of the target audience.
For larger companies, they often have multiple projects on the go at the same time.
Their systems mean it’s a well-oiled machine and they have refined their ways of measuring ROI which is specific to their organisation and their overall business plan and strategy.
In our experience, companies never regret investing in video.
More likely they catch the bug and develop an appetite to make more.
A good example of this is one of our clients DCM - Dynamic Crowd Measurement
They have developed a sense of how video can help them promote aspects of their product, and to date have commissioned 16 different videos.
They have realised it is cost effective and a great way to create new opportunities.
We have worked for them on numerous types of projects in recent times and look forward to working with them in the future.
As experience grows, companies typically start to use their head more as well as their heart and can make cool-headed decisions about how best to allocate budget to maximise the chances of gaining a desirable return.
This results in a streamlined and cost-effective approach to creating and using their video assets.
See how we do it: send us an email to hello@shortstories.media if you would like to discuss your next film project.
