Fixing a stopped up toilet, painting a bedroom, mowing your lawn, these all are simple, do-it-yourself tasks that almost anyone could complete. Doing it yourself is great, but when it comes to online video marketing really there are two options, self-produce or hire a professional. When is a self-produced video the right choice? If the video content is suppose to look self-produced. For example a a blogger may opt for a a self-produced video because the audience he/she is trying to appeal to want to know him/her personally, and trust that they are in fact the expert in whatever their niche may be.
But If you are a brand that sells a product or service, and you’ve made the decision to get involved in online video marketing, then it’s all about increasing conversion rates, achieving better search rankings and creating engaging and entertaining video to captivate and motivate views to respond to your call to action: whether it’s placing an ordering, capturing data or getting them to request more information. This is where you should seek the services of a professional web video production company.
Pulling out your Flip camera, filming yourself, and then uploading it is not the same for businesses looking for a professional, high quality custom video production. It’s not that you’re not capable of creating a great online video by yourself, but the finished production is hard to beat when you consider the talent and experience professional filmmakers bring to the table. It’s cheaper to do almost anything yourself than to hire a professional. I could hire a tax professional to compile my tax return, or I could save all that money and just do my taxes myself. I could hire a professional to build my new backyard deck, or get some lumber and start hammering on my own. In terms of pure dollars spent, it’s almost always cheaper to do it yourself. But when you self-produce, you can count on your video looking self-produced. You only have seconds to peak a viewer’s interest, keep the interested and get them to take action. When you hire a professional website video production agency, your production elements include: HD cameras and cranes, professional on-air talent, professional copywriters and the finest editing equipment giving your videos the best production values possible. It’s a no-brainer.
While we could literally post dozens of reasons why, here is a short list of the upside to hiring a professional video production company:
High Production Values. Professional video production firms have some huge benefits to offer you in the area of production values. First, they have better equipment. Most full-time video production houses have top-of-the-line cameras, lighting equipment, and editing capabilities. When you self-produce, you’re sacrificing the quality production values that high-end equipment brings with it. The second major benefit professional production companies offer in the realm of production values is related to their experience. While you’ve been building your business or personal reputation for several years, they’ve been making videos. They know more than you ever could, and that insider’s expertise leads directly to a finished product of noticeably higher quality.
Minimal Wasted Time/Effort. That experience also helps trim wasted time and effort that naturally comes from trial and error. For instance, before self-producing a video, you might comparatively shop video cameras online, reading reviews and gathering data to help make your choice. But the professional firm already knows what the best cameras are, and what the strengths and shortcomings are to every possible piece of equipment your video requires. What takes you hours or days to research could be answered in seconds by a seasoned vet.
Added Value/Services. Most professional video production firms offer a wide variety of ancillary services such as scripting, casting, and marketing. Those that don’t offer such services usually at least have solid relationships with vendors who do, and can facilitate a smooth transition from script to filming or from production to marketing.
Creative Collaboration. Video production firms make videos for a living. They’ve seen more than you ever will. Much like a graphic designer seeks inspiration from other graphic designs, video firms pay attention to what they’re peers and competitors are doing. They know what’s working online. Almost every video company I’ve worked with in the past has a creative team ready to jump into the brainstorming session with you, pooling the ideas that spring from their experience with the root concept you developed. In most cases, listening to this kind of collaborative advice will result in a better overall product. This is especially helpful when producing higher end, long format webmercial videos.
Conclusion:
When your hire a professional web video production firm, there are fewer risks and the potential for huge upside. And if you value your time, then self-producing can often end up costing you more than paying a video production firms to handle the project.