There’s a lot that’s involved in producing a high-quality, informative corporate video and it is often the tiny, seemingly-insignificant touches that make your video stand out to leave a lasting impression; the correct use of wording, the colour correcting, the subtle choice of music. However, as video producers, we’ve seen our fair share of compromised corporate videos, but, fear not! I’ve listed seven ways to avoid disaster when producing your corporate video. Enjoy!
1. Forgetting the Importance of the Script
From the start of a video, remember what captures your attention to the video. It’s usually an implicit promise to be taken on an informative and/or entertaining journey; whether it’s a ‘how to’ video, or a news update, or a funny YouTube sketch. This journey comes as a result of the script; the pre-planned set of text which dictates the journey for the next minute or so…
You know your product or service best, so most would assume that you’re the best person to put together a corporate video script for your corporate video. However, this may actually skew your video, especially if it is being pushed out to the average layperson. Whilst you’re probably the best person for the initial brainstorm of ideas for your corporate video, I’d advise having someone else write the script. You’re also too close to the product or service and it may also be that edifying your brand is not your area of expertise. Hire a writer and allow them to work their magic.
2. Overloading the Video with Information
Simply from your own experience with watching videos, you’ll understand that our attention span is pretty short. Don’t confuse the viewer with an overload of information – much of which is likely to be pointless. It is also likely to make the video feel overcrowded and confusing, thus leading to them to simply exiting the video! Keep it short, simple, and succinct, that way, your viewer is likely to come back for more information having recognised that your corporate video was digestible, and actually fun to watch.
3. Making the Video Too Long
As I mentioned earlier, our attention spans are short, and research has shown that due to the increase in stimulus we are exposed to on a daily basis, our attention span is actually on the decline. So, what does this mean? Again, keep it short and sweet. The time you have to reel in viewer is limited so be mindful of your viewer. Also, viewing time varies depending on the platform or channel you are using; for Facebook, 2 minutes is the average viewing time before a viewer clicks out, on Instagram, 30-60 seconds (general video posts are limited to one minute) and YouTube, up to five minutes. Tailor your corporate video and content accordingly.
4. Choosing the Wrong Music
I understand producing a corporate video is exciting, it’s an opportunity to be the director of your own mini film and to get the creativity flowing, but stay on brand. Don’t go all out with the music. Think of it this way, the music should complement your corporate video and its message, not distract from it. The viewer should almost not even be consciously aware of the music – that is how subtle your music choice should be.
5. Making Animation Too Fast or Too Slow
This one should explain itself. Animation is a great way of making a corporate video digestible and easy to watch, however if the animated corporate video is too fast, viewers cannot keep up and become disinterested. Similarly, if the animation is too slow, then viewers are likely to get bored.
The best way to overcome this is to create the video at a normal speed, and ask a new viewer to review it. This way you’re getting feedback from someone who has seen the video with a fresh pair of eyes.
6. Not Having a Clear Goal
This is probably the most important thing to overcome. What is the goal of your corporate video? Is it to increase brand awareness? To get a return on investment? If it’s to increase brand awareness, ensure your video is focused around who you are as a company, and if it’s to increase ROI, centre the corporate video around what you can offer the viewer with your service and/or product. Whilst this seems obvious written down, it often gets overlooked in pre-production planning, often making the message of the video confusing and conflicting. Be clear of your goal from the start and work from there.
6. Using the Incorrect Voice-Over Actor
Voiceover actors are sometimes not the most cost-effective, but factor it into your budget as a voiceover artist can make or break a video. Trust me. It is their voice that will be guiding the viewer through the video so they should know the correct pitch, which words to emphasise etc. and if you’re choosing just anyone to deliver the voiceover, it’s likely they won’t know the important of any of these elements. A voiceover artist will also have the correct, high-quality equipment to ensure their voice and delivery comes across as smooth as possible. When choosing a voiceover actor for your corporate video, ensure you choose someone with a voice that will suit the tone of your brand. At the end of the day, you don’t want the M&S Food voiceover actor for a legal firm!
So, overall, I’d say, bear these factors in mind when producing your corporate video, these factors can leave a lasting impression – for better or for worse! Remember your corporate video is your 24/7 online marketing tool – even when you’re out of the office!
