How to Plan a Video for Small Businesses
Video features are one of the best ways to reach an audience because it is catches they eye and helps a small business tell their story. However, planning and creating a video can be complex and seem daunting at times.
“Plan your work and work your plan.”
This article will outline how to plan a video shoot for your small business so that you can stop worrying about the variables and focus more on executing your idea.
Why Do You Need a Video?
Planning a video shoot should always be preceded by a “why?”
Shooting a video, “just because” can be a significant waste of money, time, and effort because the end result will have minimal direction and use-cases. Some good reasons to create a video may be:
- Perhaps your business isn’t selling enough products/services so you need to increase sales with promotional content;
- Leads might not understand what your business offers so you need to educate your audience and increase brand recognition; or
- Maybe you find that your leads tend to have cold feet so you need to share success stories and case studies that will strengthen credibility and customer loyalty.
Whatever your “why” is, it is always a good idea to clearly identify what the problem is that you are trying to solve. From there, you can start to build a plan by addressing your “How.”
How can a Video Help You Achieve Your Why?
Following “Why?” your business should decide on the “how”. Now that you have highlighted the reason for taking on a video project, the next step in planning a successful video shoot is deciding how you can solve your “why”, which often leads to a discussion about what type of video will help you achieve your goal.
There are a lot of different types of approaches to videography, each with their own pros and cons, so it is important to look at each of your options and decide which one fits the bill the best.
Some of the top video types to consider when shooting a video project are:
- Video features: a video that highlights the features and benefits of a product or service with the intent of selling to the viewer;
- Educational videos: a video that is dedicated towards educating viewers in medium-long form modules, lessons, and more;
- Testimonial videos: a video that captures promotes a business through testimonials with the intent of gaining credibility and loyalty with viewers; and
- Explainer videos: an animated or motion graphic video that is responsible for catching a viewers attention and explaining a business’s elevator pitch in short form.
Although, it is a good idea to choose a key intent for your video and select a video type that can help you achieve that goal, it is also a good idea to consider multiple use-cases. Because a really valuable video for small businesses can be a considerable expense, it is a good idea to think about how to reuse video content to fit multiple goals.
This is where professional videographers excel because they are masters at leveraging video editing services for optimal usage that allows clients to get the most bang for their buck. Videographers can also help your business by identifying and providing the video equipment that you’ll need to set up, capture, and edit your “how.”
When will Your Video Take Place?
Planning a time and day for your video shoot is one of those things that is honestly just common sense but often given less thought than it should be. Dates are a tricky thing, especially if your shoot is dependent on an outdoor location because weather can be unpredictable as well as other “acts of god” that will throw a wrench in your plans.
This is why video professionals will often recommend having a well documented itinerary for the shoot day that highlights when every person should be present for their duties, what they will be doing, and offer some cushions for time by having people show up earlier than needed and scheduling an end time that is later than necessary ( these itineraries are commonly referred to as call sheets).
It is also a common practice to have a suitable back up day planned, just in case there are complications that require a move.
Where will Your Video be Captured?
Choosing a location for your video production can prove difficult, however, there are a few tips to keep in mind when sifting through options. First, it is important to identify what the product is that you want to feature, what the video script will outline; for example, sport products will likely need a field, court, or rink location, while beauty products are likely to need a beauty studio.
It is important to note that when picking a location, you will need to find places that suit the “hidden” requirements of a shoot. How will you draw power for the equipment? Will there be natural light or will you need artificial light? Is your location noisy and going to cause audio issues?
All of these variables are important and often overlooked when planning a video feature, “out of sight, out of mind.” This is why working with professional videographers is beneficial for video projects because they are well adjusted to thinking about all of the hidden risks and variables associated with choosing a location.
Who Will be Involved in Your Video Shoot?
Depending on what kind of video feature you are looking to shoot, you will need to organize all of the people that will be involved in your production to make sure that the shoot day goes as smooth as possible.
For example, if a business is looking to shoot a product of service video feature, they will likely need to organize models to act out the product’s features. The video project will also most likely require professional hair, makeup, and wardrobe staff to ensure that the actors are presentable on camera.
Video professionals are always recommended for big video projects and the average shoot will require at least two camera operators to ensure there is more than enough high-quality footage to be used in the post-production practice. Hiring a video production staff is also recommended because professional videographers know how to leverage the top video trends for great content and also how to shoot content for multiple uses so that business owners get the most out of video for small businesses.
Video for Small Businesses
Video production is a great way to achieve your businesses “why’s” by offering engaging and personable content that your clients will love and planning is a key step in that process. To learn more about video for small businesses, check out our articles on top video tips and tricks.
Ready to get started with video? We’d love to chat! Contact our team today to get in touch with a professional videographer today.
