A video can help you stand out, increase sales, or build brand awareness. A video can entertain, promote, or inform. First of all, however, you must consider the goals, target audience, and distribution channels. Otherwise, even the best video may not work.
Videos offer companies an opportunity to tell their story visually and grab people's attention quickly. Currently, up to 80 percent of content consumed on social media consists of videos. We are thus far removed from the days when a company ordered a corporate history video once a decade and then solemnly presented it to guests behind darkened curtains in a conference room.
Now, videos are made continuously and from various 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. Mama Creative video agency's founding partner and creative director Iiro Romppanen emphasizes the importance of careful groundwork.
– First, you should consider why the video is being made. What is the goal? Who is it aimed at? If you make a video that tells everything about everything and is aimed at everyone, it is likely that the end result won't interest anyone.
Mama Creative wants to clarify the purpose, target audience, and channel(s) of the video with the client right from the start. Above all, one must consider how the video serves the company's business and brand. These factors greatly determine how the video should be produced. There are countless options and styles.
When should a company make or buy videos?
– Video is a great way to stand out from competitors! A video can support sales, promote, build a brand, launch a new product, recruit, or even create an employer image. A video can explain even a complex service through animation. The list is almost endless, Romppanen laughs.
Romppanen sees that video can particularly support sales and marketing needs well.
– However, you shouldn't make videos just for the sake of videos. A video designed with an understanding of the client's business, brand, goals, and target audiences works.
Video budgets vary a lot, and they can be anything from a couple of thousand euros to even hundreds of thousands, says Romppanen.
Production start-up costs include, among other things, brainstorming, concepting, and potential scripting. The size of the film crew and the number of shooting days greatly affect costs, as does the amount of editing needed. Money can also be spent on graphics, potential animation, and working on 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 enough.
Romppanen says that Mama Creative sometimes wants to challenge its clients as well. The ultimate goal is to find the right way to execute what the client needs.
It is not always worth using the budget for just one big production, for instance, because during the production of a brand video, short clips for social media can be filmed very cost-effectively. Sometimes, interview videos can be created for the next stage of the sales funnel.
– Utilizing the budget wisely requires good planning and a video strategy.
A good plan and strategy must also be created for the distribution of the video.
– Even if you make a visually impressive video that meets your goals, nothing rarely happens by itself without a good usage or distribution plan. It is pointless to put a video on YouTube and expect it to become a success on its own. Behind every viral video, there is the path from which it rose to publicity.
The popularity of short videos has grown especially in social media, but longer videos also have their place.
– Platform recommendations may emphasize short videos, but every target audience is different. The most important thing is to consider at which stage of the sales funnel the video is used, who it is shown to, and where. Short videos are often designed to generate interest or for advertising.
Romppanen says that you should test the effectiveness of videos in different channels and learn from the target audience's reactions. The best results are achieved when videos are made in the long term, and they support the company's sales and marketing goals.
“Many of our customer relationships have lasted a long time, and at best, we have become friends. This makes our work increasingly efficient. 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 they have filmed themselves. Together, we have produced videos containing entertainment, information, and humor – always keeping the goals of Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt in mind.”
When making a video, consider these:
1. What is the goal of the video and what is the message.
2. Who is the target audience of 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)