Video marketing is trending, and it’s doing it fast, especially in Toronto. Recent stats can clarify this statement with numbers that show how  81% of businesses use video content on their brand’s website and 52% of marketers agree that video is the content with the highest ROI.

Ok, so we can obviously see that investing in video-making is the smartest thing you can do for business. Now, the question arises on how does one create a promotional video in the first place.

While we consulted with several professionals on the matter, we spotted some similarities in their approaches. Therefore, we present to you, the 7 steps to making an amazing, jaw-dropping promotional video. Here it goes:

Clarify the Goal

The biggest mistakes in videography is not clarifying the goal or message you want to share with the viewers. Identifying the goal is the starting point for every kind of video maker. Many people get confused about their goals and make a mess out of their video project.

If you have multiple goals you want to achieve, experts suggest doing a separate video for each of them. But, what do we mean by “achievement”? Well, as any marketing content, a video is a call for action. What do to want to accomplish? What is the main reason for you investing in hiring videographers?

It could be various different things, but in the world of business, you have only a couple of options: increasing visibility and brand awareness, boosting up sales, increasing traffic, improving engagement rates, and educating clients.

Style and Emotion

After you decide your main goal, the next step is to agree on the video style and emotion you want to awaken in viewers. Proper marketing is all about touching people’s souls to the point that they will react in the way you want them to.

The style should be in correlation with your goal. Some of the options available are: introductory, explanatory, case study, narrative, testimonial, product presentation, endorsement, etc. You might find it easier to determine the emotion before the style.

Do you want the audience to cry while watching the video? Do you want them to get inspired? Do you want to cause laughter and joy? To choose the right style and emotion, you must know your target group. Making a quirky video might not work that well with the senior audiences as it will with the younger ones.

Set Duration

When you finish the first two steps, which by the way are the hardest ones, you simply have to set the duration. This is much easier to do and of course, should depend on the elements mentioned above.

If your promotional video is meant to inflict different types of emotions then it should probably last longer. If it’s only fun and serves to increase engagement, than a shorter, but more dynamic one might do the trick.

The duration must depend on your budget. The longer your video lasts, the more money you will spend on shooting it. However, in the world of the videographers, nothing has specific limits and everything is possible.

On the other hand, in the world of marketers and statisticians, everything is calculated, including the average attention-span of a certain target group. So make sure you have this in mind as well.

81% of businesses use video content on their brand’s website and 52% of marketers agree that video is the content with the highest ROI

Brainstorm Ideas

Getting through the previous stages means finally entering a totally different phase and letting those creative juices flowing. Brainstorming is a must if you want to create a unique, outstanding, and successful promotional video.

Invite the most creative people in your office to a little get together and start exchanging ideas. Don’t be afraid of the ones that sound ridiculous at first glance. Try to get inspired by every single word. Besides dialogues, and action, you should also consider the look of the video.

Will it complement the goal more if it’s animated, live-action, stock, whiteboard, or realistic? Even though it sounds relaxing, the entirety of the creative process can be energy-consuming as well. Remember to stay patient, do proper teamwork, and write everything down. 

Write the Script

After hearing some crazy ideas, and choosing the best one, you need to sit down and write the actual script. Shooting a video without an organized and understandable script isn’t recommended at all, expect if you are filming an experimental student feature.

If you have difficulties in getting a grasp on screenwriting, there is tons of free software you could use to get through the difficult technicalities. Remember, you aren’t shooting a Hollywood production, so keeping it loose won’t harm anybody.

In any case, you must include: time of shooting (day or night), props, dialogue, voiceover, shooting plan (dates of the actual filming), locations, and needed equipment. After you write it, send it to everybody involved so they could give feedback and have an actual plan in their hands.

Create the Storyboard

Scriptwriting is all about organizing the shooting or the production process. To clarify the visuals you want to accomplish, you should move onto the next step – creating a storyboard.

This is basically a script, but it mostly uses images instead of words. Besides professional videographers, somebody that draws well in the office can create the storyboard for your promotional video.

The quality of the drawing isn’t that important as the placement of subjects, objects, and action in the actual video. Storyboards help clear things up visually before shooting starts and help avoid possible mistakes made during scriptwriting or brainstorming.

Have in mind certain compositional “rules” that can increase your video’s aesthetics such as rule of thirds, headroom, and depth of field.

Equipment & Post Production

When you are budgeting for your promotional video, you must include the time spent in organizing it as part of the budget. But, even if we cut that out of the equation, you are still left with equipment, actors (if needed), editors, camera operators, animators (if needed), and permits for shooting.

Creating a promotional video isn’t easy at all, so it might be best to hire professional and acknowledged videographers to do the job for you. However, we mentioned how everything is possible in the world of video, so if you decide to DIY, you must DIY the right way!

Shaky scenes, unwanted noise, poor lighting… all of those have ruined tons of reputations for companies. That is why the essential gear you must poses is: tripod, lighting, a solid camera, and microphones!

Additionally, you must edit the video afterward and if you don’t have any basic knowledge of Adobe Premiere Pro or a similar software, definitely put hiring an editor in your estimated budget.