A video can help you stand out, increase sales, or build brand awareness. A video can entertain, advertise, or inform. First and foremost, however, you need to consider the goals, target audience, and distribution channels. Otherwise, even the finest video might not work.
Videos offer companies an opportunity to tell their story visually and capture people's attention quickly. Currently, up to 80 percent of content consumed on social media is video. We are a long way from the days when a company would order a historical video once a decade and then solemnly present it to guests behind darkened curtains in a meeting room.
Nowadays, videos are made continuously and from many different starting points. They have become a way to acquire information, enjoy entertainment, and consume content. Customers even expect video content from brands.
A successful video looks as if it was created easily, but it almost always involves a lot of planning. Iiro Romppanen, co-founder and creative director of the video agency Mama Creative, emphasizes the importance of careful background work.
– First, you should think about why the video is being made. What is the objective? Who is it aimed at? If you make a video that tells everything about everything and is aimed at everyone, it will likely happen that the end result won't interest anyone.
Mama Creative wants to clarify with the client at the very beginning what the video's purpose, target audience, and channel or channels for the video are. Above all, one must consider how the video serves the company's business and brand. These factors determine much of how the video should be executed. There are a huge number of options and styles.
When should a company make or buy videos?
– Video is a great way to stand out from competitors! Video can be used to support sales, advertise, build a brand, launch a new product, recruit, or even create an employer image. Video can explain even a complex service with the help of animation. The list is almost endless, laughs Romppanen.
Romppanen sees that video can particularly well support sales and marketing needs.
– However, you shouldn't make videos for the sake of videos. A video that is designed with an understanding of the client's business, brand, goals, and target groups works.
Video budgets vary a lot and can be anything from a couple of thousand euros up to hundreds of thousands, says Romppanen.
Initial production costs include, among other things, ideation, concepting, and potential scripting. The size of the film crew and the number of shooting days affect costs significantly, as does the amount of editing needed. Money can also be spent on graphics, potential animation, and the development of different versions. In larger productions, expenses also include casting, performer fees, as well as costumes and makeup.
– On the other hand, many videos are also made where most of these things are not needed. For a specific need, a small film crew, the right location, and a good plan can be perfectly sufficient.
Romppanen says that Mama Creative sometimes wants to challenge its clients as well. The ultimate goal is to find the right way to implement what the client needs.
It is not always worth using the budget for just one large production, for instance, because in connection with the production of a brand video, short clips for social media can be filmed very cost-effectively. Sometimes, again, interview videos can be created for the next stage of the sales funnel.
– Using the budget wisely requires good planning and a video strategy.
A good plan and strategy must also be prepared for the distribution of the video.
– Even if you make an impressive video that meets your goals, without a good usage or distribution plan, rarely does anything happen by itself. It is useless to put a video on YouTube and expect it to become a success on its own. Behind every viral video is the path that led it to public attention.
The popularity of short videos has grown, especially on social media, but longer videos also have their place.
– Platform recommendations might emphasize short videos, but every target audience is different. The most important thing is to think about at what stage of the sales funnel the video is used, to whom it is shown, and where. Short videos are often designed to generate interest or for advertising.
Romppanen says that the effectiveness of videos should be tested in different channels and by learning from the target audience's reactions. The best results are achieved when videos are made with a long-term perspective and they support the company's sales and marketing goals.
– Many of our client relationships have lasted a long time, and at best, we have become friends. This makes our collaboration increasingly efficient over time. For example, Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt is exactly this kind of dream client for us, says Romppanen.
– We have created many different types of content for Joki and Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt, and when needed, we have also edited videos filmed by them. We have produced videos together that have featured entertainment, information, and humor – always keeping the goals of Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt in mind.
When making a video, keep these in mind:
1. What is the goal of the video and what is the message to be conveyed.
2. Who is the target audience for the video, i.e., who are we speaking to.
3. What is the channel where the video will be shared.
Mama Creative
Industry: video production
Founded: 2018
Employees: 3
Revenue: €0.3 million (2022)