Do You Use Video For Your Business?

[Darren Dunn]

Hello all,

I hope you're all well? I'm an experienced videographer and always on the look out for new projects. I absolutely love creating video content. There's so many businesses that don't even consider video and I was just curious to see if you use video and how you use it?

Kind regards!

 

[fisicx]

No. Never needed to. Most video content is either rubbish or ineffective.

 

[Darren Dunn]

I appreciate your views however I would have to disagree.

 

[The Byre]

Most video content is either rubbish or ineffective.

I too would disagree. Please replace 'most with 'nearly all'.

YT is full of great video content. Informative, educational videos on almost every subject under the sun.

But when it comes to corporate videos - oh boy! Boring, unscripted, unedited, over-long and self-indulgent drivel seems to be the rule! And some of the prime offenders are people making corporate videos - ten minutes of drivel about how great they are, as if I care!

Nearly ALL of them break the most important rule of selling and go on to break just about every other of the 12 rules of selling. The four most important rules are (1) talk about the customer and not about yourself (2) make it interesting (3) repeat your call to action (4) answer the question 'Why?'

 

[fisicx]

I appreciate your views however I would have to disagree.

Show me a video you have created that resulted in increased earnings for the client.

 

[estwig]

No. Never needed to. Most video content is either rubbish or ineffective.

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you, those who have not yet had the 'telegram from the Queen', rather like them even if they are cr*p.

 

[fisicx]

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree with you, those who have not yet had the 'telegram from the Queen', rather like them even if they are cr*p.

Absolutely. There are whole websites dedicated to showing the worse business/corporate videos. Gives me something to laugh at when I’m bored.

 

[Darren Dunn]

Show me a video you have created that resulted in increased earnings for the client.

First of all, I respect that you don't see a value in video. I'm not going to publicly place a client video on a forum topic which has the potential to become toxic.

I can tell one of my favourite success stories. I walked into a car dealership that had a car which hadn't moved for 5 weeks. We produced a video review and walk around of the car in a cinematic story. We used the video as a Facebook Ad targeting fans of the car brand and the car sold within 3 days. That is just one benefit to video.

 

[WebshopMechanic]

In my opinion, video is the most powerful way to engage your audience on your website if done the right way. I've used it with a number of my clients very effectively.

In the fluffy world of marketing, we call this 'sticky content'.

Keep people on the site for long and they grow to like your brand that little bit more. It also improves conversion because can see the products or get a better feel for the service.

The best types of videos are:

Telling the story of the brand - Customers like a story and they like to see the people behind the brand. Rather than have to wade through a page of text they can see the personalities and hear about where the business came from. This can immediately change the perceptions of a brand.

Product / Service Demos - Sometimes a product doesn't come to life until you see it on video. Take fashion garments for example. On a moving model, you can see how the garment hangs and fits when moving. Massive sales converter.

Adding Value - A big part of building a brand and a loyal audience is providing them with useful value that helps them make a buying decision or helps them to use your product better. For example, recipes ideas, best practice camera tips, caring for your garden, training your pet, school open days (especially with lockdown and social distancing), etc. There will be lots of topics for every business where they can answer questions or provide insight for their customers.


The key point is that you need to make video affordable for the business for make it provide a good ROI. Sometimes this seems a large expense for smaller businesses but, if their competitors are not doing it, then it's an opportunity to gain the upper hand. It just needs the right planning and strategy.

Hope that helps.

Matt

 

[The Byre]

Matt - you are 100% right, but some of the worst videos I have seen have come from video companies promoting their own services!

One told me how wonderful their latest (not very upmarket) camera was and how they use "the industry standard Sennheiser MKH416 microphone!" I kid you not!

"Oh! I'm definitely going with these guys! They've got a Four-One-Six, so they must be good!"

Another banged on about how good they are and that their cameraman "has attended multiple courses in cinematography." That drivel went on for over ten minutes.

I see fund managers and similar bods making better DIY'ed videos about the economy than some corporate videos! At least they didn't talk about themselves!

Where corporate videos do work is when a company like Bosch or Scan have a dedicated video crew and a small studio used to explain how to unblock a dishwasher filter or install the latest graphics card. A Texas real-estate company had a three-man crew doing walk-throughs of their houses.

 

[fisicx]

First of all, I respect that you don't see a value in video.

Nope. I see great value in video. The problem is most of it is dire and unfocused.

I can tell one of my favourite success stories. I walked into a car dealership that had a car which hadn't moved for 5 weeks. We produced a video review and walk around of the car in a cinematic story. We used the video as a Facebook Ad targeting fans of the car brand and the car sold within 3 days. That is just one benefit to video.

Perfect. But this was a one off highly targeted advert and will of course work really well. Did they then follow this up with videos of all their cars and run related advertising? Did they compare the ROI on static adverts targeting the same group of potential customers? It also depends on the value of the product. If you are flogging a secondhand Astra and the video costs £2K and the adverts another £500 then that's your profit gone.

The right video for the right product can work. But very few videos achieve this. There have been many videographers visit UKBF and very few have ever made the members go 'wow'.

 

[Clinton]

Importance of video is overstated.

Increase of mobile traffic to websites is overstated.

In clothes the comfort of skinny fit anything (!) is overstated.

Too many kids in boardrooms nowadays and they can't see beyond their noses.

 

[Darren Dunn]

Nope. I see great value in video. The problem is most of it is dire and unfocused.

Perfect. But this was a one off highly targeted advert and will of course work really well. Did they then follow this up with videos of all their cars and run related advertising? Did they compare the ROI on static adverts targeting the same group of potential customers? It also depends on the value of the product. If you are flogging a secondhand Astra and the video costs £2K and the adverts another £500 then that's your profit gone.

The right video for the right product can work. But very few videos achieve this. There have been many videographers visit UKBF and very few have ever made the members go 'wow'.

Great point and very valid. We charged £350 for the video and the advert was £50 a week. The value of the car was £24,995 and still made a healthy profit. The reason the video was this low in cost was because it took half a day in total, 3 hours filming and 2 hours editing.

 

[Darren Dunn]

Matt - you are 100% right, but some of the worst videos I have seen have come from video companies promoting their own services!

One told me how wonderful their latest (not very upmarket) camera was and how they use "the industry standard Sennheiser MKH416 microphone!" I kid you not!

"Oh! I'm definitely going with these guys! They've got a Four-One-Six, so they must be good!"

Another banged on about how good they are and that their cameraman "has attended multiple courses in cinematography." That drivel went on for over ten minutes.

I see fund managers and similar bods making better DIY'ed videos about the economy than some corporate videos! At least they didn't talk about themselves!

Where corporate videos do work is when a company like Bosch or Scan have a dedicated video crew and a small studio used to explain how to unblock a dishwasher filter or install the latest graphics card. A Texas real-estate company had a three-man crew doing walk-throughs of their houses.

I can completely see your points and every single one of them is valid. I shoot on a Netflix approved camera in 6K resolution, downscaled to 4k in editing. I mention this only when a client asks me if the video quality is good. Rarely do I go into specifications of equipment because 1 in 50 clients ask for that information. What sells them is the end product they have seen from other clients.

I sell video production services like I'd sell a website. The end product needs to fit the needs of their potential customers and not what is easiest for me to create.

The courses thing is something I hear a lot of. Me? I've never taken a course. I'm 100% self taught.

I'm not here promoting my own services as such, I just wanted to see how business owners see video. I'm here to get insights, not leads.

 

[fisicx]

I'm not here promoting my own services as such, I just wanted to see how business owners see video. I'm here to get insights, not leads.

Businesses do not want a video. What they want is increased sales, lower costs, bigger profits.

The problem is most videographers sell videos not benefits. This is why business owners are sceptical. Show them the money and they will take you up on your offer. Apologies if I'm teaching you to suck eggs.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Great point and very valid. We charged £350 for the video and the advert was £50 a week. The value of the car was £24,995 and still made a healthy profit. The reason the video was this low in cost was because it took half a day in total, 3 hours filming and 2 hours editing.

I see you've encountered the members on here who delight in trying to shoot down video. They're extremely vocal and mean that trying to tease business out of this forum as a videographer is almost impossible. It's toxic for videographers on here.

I'm in video production myself and personally, I'm just on here just to give something back. I know what it's like to ride the rollercoaster of a small business and if I can make a difference every now and again, I'm happy to contribute. It also helps me to understand my own business and how to grow and develop although it's not my first rodeo.

And you're cheap, compared to me! I start at £2,500!!!!! One of my projects which has just been postponed due to lockdown is £40k! Customers pay that because directly attribute sales to the video concepts I bring. But then again, I'm not in the business of making pretty pictures. I'm here to maximise the success of my customers.

 

[fisicx]

We are not trying to shoot down video. What we do is point out that most video adds no value. Properly targeted video with the right script and cinematography will succeed. 99.9% of the stuff people create isn’t.

 

[BustersDogs]

I use it for my website, just made my first case study video, which did get me another job for a dog with a similar problem, although only a one off session.

I am obviously not a professional. I always need to get my hair trimmed for a start.

This is the first one I made that had more of me in it -

They will both be on my website soon.

I did once pay for a professional video, and it did get me noticed by the local radio station, who got me in to do a talk spot, which means I am now on their 'list' and get calls for interviews from time to time. Yet to see any work from that though. Brand recognition maybe.

Learning how to turn that into work is something I need to work on.

 

[fisicx]

Comic Sans?

Just watched the second video. What is the purpose of the video? All I can see is you playing with a bunch of dogs. But the caption says you are a dog walker.

A would expect to see a video of you showing the walks you do with a voice over giving details of the service you offer. 30seconds max

 

[BustersDogs]

Yeah I cant decide what font to use so just went with something easy. No clients complain, so that's fine for me to put up with comments about it from other people.

It is exactly me training a bunch of dogs, via play. To show people I have a lot of experience with puppies of different breeds so they should pay my prices to get the best. There is a serious lack of adult dogs needing care due to covid, so I need as many puppies as possible on my books.

And yes, I always did very short videos, but now fb is shouting at me that they won't show my videos to anyone unless they are 3 minutes, so I made 3 minute long videos this time. I don't use fb that much for getting new clients in the past, but with covid my target market is changing.

 

[fisicx]

Which brings us right back to where this thread started. Video works if it is higher targeted. If you are going to use FB to find more clients then the video needs to focus on their needs. It doesn’t appear on your website, the only purpose of the video would be to get people onto your website. But people looking for a dog walker aren’t going to sit through a 3 minute video. So you might find static adverts are more effective.

 

[BustersDogs]

The only reason for the video is to keep people on my website longer that the 3 seconds it takes to see my prices or get my contact details. I appreciate this might be old news for SEO though. I haven't kept up with it for a few years and I know what is effective changes. I don't know why fb want 3 minute videos, but that's what they asked for so that's what they got. It's why I put the 'before and after' at the beginning of the case study video, so people don't have to watch the whole thing.

 

[paulears]

Although it's dead now, I made video products for businesses and have never made one worth watching as a consumer. Business owners just don't get it. The higher budget ones can be a bit better, but often they then get advertising agencies involved and they don't seem to get it either. To the business, their million pound investment in new water treatment for their washing machines in the factory is a major exciting purchase. To potential customers, they want to know about speed, reliability and cost. They really don't care about how the sheets get washed. So for sales purposes, they focus on the wrong things. My repeated suggestions to these firms that they use a proper presenter always get rejected and the factory manager or sales team leader get made (because they don't volunteer) to front the video. They always look so awkward reading stuff from an auto cue. I always have to retune these because they never sound like real people, and have unnecessary long words in them. I have never made a good one. Technically, they're fine, but the purpose is totally lost. I've just bought some new video lighting. Dozens of YouTube videos, but I found just one that told me what I, as somebody who understands lights, needed to know. The manufacturers ones were dire. If the people who make them can't present them on video, that's pretty poor.

 

[Clinton]

I see you've encountered the members on here who delight in trying to shoot down video. They're extremely vocal and mean that trying to tease business out of this forum as a videographer is almost impossible. It's toxic for videographers on here.

You are correct, I was over critical of video and should have added context.

My comments were not in relation to marketing videos but the videos people say you MUST pump out on social media because users now want video and you're losing out if you don't use video. Also, all content now needs to be in video as Google wants sites to have video.

That's largely nonsense because it is so generalised. Yes, bored Karens in Farcebook will watch videos, so if that's your audience, keep pumping out videos on social media. And if you're selling pimple cream, yes go to IG or TikTok and show how using your cream cures pimples and helps you become a better dancer (or whatever).

But first think carefully about what content your target audience consumes and whether daily videos are going to help or harm your case.

 

[The Byre]

I see you've encountered the members on here who delight in trying to shoot down video. They're extremely vocal and mean that trying to tease business out of this forum as a videographer is almost impossible. It's toxic for videographers on here.

We have had a plethora of amateur wannabe videographers who have come onto this forum in the past, telling us that their efforts as Cecil B. de'iPhone are the answer to our marketing problems. Hense the possible atmosphere of toxicity!

As I run an A for V company and we were about to launch a film production company when all this C19 hysteria broke (me not happy!) I am the first one to encourage and applaud the making of moving images that tell an interesting story.

To the business, their million pound investment in new water treatment for their washing machines in the factory is a major exciting purchase. To potential customers, they want to know about speed, reliability and cost. They really don't care about how the sheets get washed. So for sales purposes, they focus on the wrong things.

That is making the biggest mistake of all - talking about yourself and not about the customer! But they all want to do it. And they all think that Fred from sales is the ideal chap to do the head-n-shoulders!

And then, just to make sure that the whole thing is as interesting as stone watching, they insist on writing their own copy (all about how wonderful they are!)

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

The only reason for the video is to keep people on my website longer that the 3 seconds it takes to see my prices or get my contact details. I appreciate this might be old news for SEO though. I haven't kept up with it for a few years and I know what is effective changes. I don't know why fb want 3 minute videos, but that's what they asked for so that's what they got. It's why I put the 'before and after' at the beginning of the case study video, so people don't have to watch the whole thing.

For people doing their own vids, I always use the three 'Ts' as a place to start. Teaching, Trust and Testimonials.

- Teaching vids: People with dogs want to learn how to better manage or their dogs or make them happier. For dog walkers, the best types of videos are separation anxiety vids because you're attracting people with dogs who can't be left alone and need to be walked during the day while they're out.
- Trust: If I am interested enough to visit your website to check you out, how do I trust you with my prize pooch? I want to trust that you love dogs, that you'll show my dog a good time (not just walking but playing). The 'teaching' vids will tell me that you know what you're doing but I want to see you both emotionally engaged with dogs and why you love walking dogs.
- Testimonials: All of the above. People you walk dogs for saying you are amazing. My customers say I am fantastic and they love what they I do.

Use the teaching vids as a way to get people to visit your website. So post your content every Friday on Facebook, Insta, YT etc..., send it to your customers (to help them as an extra service and you'll find they'll use you more often). Also, get your friends to share them. Then, throw in the occasional self-indulgent 'I love walking dogs' vid.

When the visitors come to your website, they will look at the 'trust' vids and buy from you because you love dogs.

Then, testimonials will do all of the above. Written testimonials are less trustworthy (someone offered to sell me a hundred good, written testimonials on some website the other day) whereas with video, you can show the happy customer, that you're walking their doggy etc...

In marketing / sales parlance, this creates lead generation videos, lead nurturing and sales closing. Effectively, your videos and posting activity will give you more business, purely through video. It's a way of generating more leads and sales and getting more customer loyalty and you can do it completely free, yourself.

However, experiment with it a bit as you'll need a few attempts to get done well. If you need any advice, just DM me and happy to help.

 

[The Byre]

people with dogs who can't be left alone and need to be walked during the day while they're out.

Yes, I've met people like that as well.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Yes, I've met people like that as well.

New business model: Walking hyperactive people.

 

[The Byre]

Fortunately, my Great Dane makes sure that I get walked several times a day.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

Fortunately, my Great Dane makes sure that I get walked several times a day.

I think there's a dog walker on here if you need one...

 

[The Byre]

You can't play ball with a Great Dane. They just eat them.
You can't play fetch the stick with a Great Dane. They just eat them.

That is a very typical thing for a GD to do!

 

[Darren Dunn]

I see you've encountered the members on here who delight in trying to shoot down video. They're extremely vocal and mean that trying to tease business out of this forum as a videographer is almost impossible. It's toxic for videographers on here.

I'm in video production myself and personally, I'm just on here just to give something back. I know what it's like to ride the rollercoaster of a small business and if I can make a difference every now and again, I'm happy to contribute. It also helps me to understand my own business and how to grow and develop although it's not my first rodeo.

And you're cheap, compared to me! I start at £2,500!!!!! One of my projects which has just been postponed due to lockdown is £40k! Customers pay that because directly attribute sales to the video concepts I bring. But then again, I'm not in the business of making pretty pictures. I'm here to maximise the success of my customers.

Haha, my day rate starts at £1,500 however I did this at that price because he bulk purchased videos from me and they actually didn't take too long to make.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

You can't play ball with a Great Dane. They just eat them.
You can't play fetch the stick with a Great Dane. They just eat them.

That is a very typical thing for a GD to do!

We have a GSP and same although probably on a slightly smaller scale... Early on, we bought some 'dog proof' toys. The toughest one lasted about half a day. 'Dog proof' just means lasts 5 hours vs 5 minutes.

Incidentally, what kind of feature film business were you trying to create? I want to shoot one myself in December because all my business has now moved into next year (except for bits of editing...)

 

[The Byre]

We also have a GSD. Both are rescues and both were deemed to be too dangerous to be with other dogs or most people. Both are brilliant dogs that get along great with one another! GSDs and GD can be a problem together as they speak different 'languages' - GD for I want to play is GSD for Bring it on, I'm ready for a fight! The worst we had was a few years ago and it took three months of a large male GSD getting tossed around like a rag doll until he got the message - don't start fights with something that big!

Film - our first was to be a romp through the music biz - sort of Porky meets Spinal Tap meets Once Upon a Time in Hollywood kind of thing! To do this, I bought the complete insides of a 1980s analogue recording studio, inc. Hammond, Leslie and Wurley, 24:24 in-line desk and 24-track reel-2-reel tape machine and loads of other stuff besides. I shall hang onto it and maybe resurrect that project at some time in the future.

Our next project is all green-lit for next year, inc. German distribution, though the script is not yet written. Great chunks will be outdoors and we have our own 20-acres to play with, inc. the burning down of a house with the heroine inside! A sort of tragic-comic psycho female power thing! Fingers crossed! Getting green-lit is hard enough without now having to run the gamut of random governmental edicts!

Dog proof - no such thing!

Editing - same here. Chicken feed where normally people are bombing in and out!

So what did you want to do, film-wise?

 

[Mr D]

Video is used to generate interest in the lower price of 2 particular items. Its not used to get the sale and its value has fallen since existing owners of the product can show the item itself.

Was a cheapo vid, just a few grand done in house by the company doing the sales. Nice enough to generate initial interest from those without access to the product.

 

[Paul FilmMaker]

We also have a GSD. Both are rescues and both were deemed to be too dangerous to be with other dogs or most people. Both are brilliant dogs that get along great with one another! GSDs and GD can be a problem together as they speak different 'languages' - GD for I want to play is GSD for Bring it on, I'm ready for a fight! The worst we had was a few years ago and it took three months of a large male GSD getting tossed around like a rag doll until he got the message - don't start fights with something that big!

Film - our first was to be a romp through the music biz - sort of Porky meets Spinal Tap meets Once Upon a Time in Hollywood kind of thing! To do this, I bought the complete insides of a 1980s analogue recording studio, inc. Hammond, Leslie and Wurley, 24:24 in-line desk and 24-track reel-2-reel tape machine and loads of other stuff besides. I shall hang onto it and maybe resurrect that project at some time in the future.

Our next project is all green-lit for next year, inc. German distribution, though the script is not yet written. Great chunks will be outdoors and we have our own 20-acres to play with, inc. the burning down of a house with the heroine inside! A sort of tragic-comic psycho female power thing! Fingers crossed! Getting green-lit is hard enough without now having to run the gamut of random governmental edicts!

Dog proof - no such thing!

Editing - same here. Chicken feed where normally people are bombing in and out!

So what did you want to do, film-wise?

Love the idea of the music biz. Could be incredible and would love to see that rebuilt 80s recording studio. And the tragic-comic psycho female power thing with lots of destruction sounds like you know my ex-wife. If she's a stunning French woman with big t*ts and a penchant for champagne and Louis Vuitton, that'll be her.

Otherwise, I've written 10 screenplays, most of them sh!tty although a couple have strong feedback and have been through script consulting. I'd love to tell stories that come from the world I grew up in. Need to sell them so all wrapped up in a British, gangster genre. Beyond those, fantasy time would be musicals as magical reality but again, telling stories from the craziness I've experienced. The late 80s and 90s were a helluva time, especially in London and Marseille.

Started shooting my first very low budget feature after many years of corporates. Lined up potential cinematic distribution in East Sussex before Covid 19 killed the whole cinema thing. Also, the locations are council run (in East Sussex) and the council banned all filming on premises for the same reason. Just working out what to do with 20% of a movie, whether it's worth resurrecting.

That being said, I learned a huge amount about making a movie right and why first time filmmakers get the first one wrong. Even with my considerable corporate experience (meaning I'm no spring chicken), there are lots of little things that make all the difference which aren't in any book.

Sh!t, I just wrote an essay.

Otherwise, what do you want to do with movies? Do you want to take this chat to DMs?

 

[Mark T Jones]

The direct answer to your question is no, I don't use video for my business, because it doesn't attract me to other people's, therefore I assume (perhaps wrongly) that it won't attract others to mine

If a product or service is highly visual I can possibly see the value. Otherwise, it really would need to be comelling, punchy & concise to get my attention at all.

With regards to negativity shown, unfortunately there is a tendency in the low-level media inductry to sell arant a mic of FOMO and Emperor's New clothes. A perfect examle not long ago from someone selling magazine advertising.

Me: No, I have plans to do any advertising in the foreseeable future
Him: Can I ask why you've chosen not to promote your business?

Apart from sounding like a taught line from a very cheap sales course, It encapsulates that media FOMO mentality. He got quite flustered when I led him down the path of discussing what promotion actually entails.

 

[fisicx]

I sell financial plugins for Wordpress. They are boring and unsexy. People find me via google or Wordpress. They know what they want and send me a spec. Adding a video isn’t going to win me new clients so I can’t see the point of spending money on getting one made.

 

[antropy]

some of the worst videos I have seen have come from video companies promoting their own services!

There have been some very very cheesy videos where companies are trying to be serious but it comes across all wrong Alex

 

[Mohamed Natheem]

Hello all,

I hope you're all well? I'm an experienced videographer and always on the look out for new projects. I absolutely love creating video content. There's so many businesses that don't even consider video and I was just curious to see if you use video and how you use it?

Kind regards!

We use explainer videos to market our products.