The C-Suite Guide to Video for Business Video eBook Written by Brian Overson Phone: 952-829-9091 [email protected] storytellermn.com e Brian Overson is the Marketing Associate at StoryTeller Media + Communications in Bloomington, Minnesota. StoryTeller is an inbound marketing and video production agency, earning three Midwest Regional Emmy awards for video storytelling. Other titles by Brian Overson: Business Blogging: Te C-Suite Guide to Producing Written Content, Part I Copyright © 2015, Brian Overson, StoryTeller Media + Communications Table of Contents Introduction............................................................................4 Where Do I Start?........................................................................7 Content.................................................................................13 Production.........................................................................19 SEO.......................................................................................26 How Do I Use It?........................................................................29 Conclusion...........................................................................33 Resources............................................................................35 CHAPTER 1 Introduction “When it’s done well, video can take you somewhere. It can make you feel like you were at that place, or with that person.” – Gregg Litman Brand Content Manager StoryTeller Media + Communications Emmy Award-winning Video Producer INTRODUCTION Welcome to the C-Suite Guide to Video For Business. Recognizing the impact that video can have on your organization is the frst step in planning for, producing, and capitalizing on online video. Whether you’re looking to make an in-house culture video, a highlight video for a fundraiser, a training video for a salesperson, or hoping to make something go viral, the building blocks for video success begin with the basics of video storytelling. The materials in this guide will help you ‘kick the tires’ of producing video for your organization – complete with information about: r&YBNJOJOHUIFCFOFàUTPGPOMJOFWJEFP r$IPPTJOHBQBSUOFSBOEEFUFSNJOJOHDPTU r4FMFDUJOHBGPSNBUCBTFEPOZPVSCVTJOFTTPCKFDUJWFT r$IPPTJOHWJEFPUZQF MFOHUI MPDBUJPOT BOETQPLFTQFPQMF r0QUJNJ[JOHWJEFPGPSTFBSDIFOHJOFT r%FWFMPQJOHBOPOMJOFTUSBUFHZBSPVOEZPVSWJEFP rAnd much more… 5 INTRODUCTION As you decide if video is right for your business needs, it’s important UPBWPJEUBLJOHBPOFTJ[FàUTBMMBQQSPBDI7JEFPJTBDPNQMFY medium by nature (motion pictures, images and audio combined) which provides a great deal of content and production options depending on the goals of your organization. Furthermore, in today’s digital world – in which over 100 million Americans watch online video daily – video content is versatile in how it can be distributed and consumed. How you choose to disseminate your video will EFQFOEPOZPVSCVTJOFTTPCKFDUJWFTBTXFMM,FFQBOPQFONJOE with the options available to you, and fnd a partner that can present those options to you in a comprehensive manner and has a proven USBDLSFDPSEPGFYFDVUJOHTVDDFTTGVMWJEFPQSPKFDUT Let’s get started… Contact Us: Have questions while reading this eBook? Contact us any way you’d like and we’ll get back to you as fast as we can. storytellermn.com [email protected] facebook.com/storytellermn @storytellermn linkedin • storyteller 952.829.9091 6 CHAPTER 2 Where Do I Start? “Making good decisions is a crucial skill at every level.” – Peter Drucker WHERE DO I START? At the onset of determining if video is right for your organization, it’s important to be armed with the right questions. Likewise, you’ll want to know what the answers to those questions mean in terms of choosing a partner, negotiating cost, setting timetables, determining PCKFDUJWFTBOENPSF Why should my company consider using video? Video is the most dynamic medium available to marketers today. Consider these statistics about the power of video: rFacebook users (collectively) view more than 1 billion videos each day. rPGNBSLFUJOHQSPGFTTJPOBMTSFQPSUUIBUWJEFPDPOWFSUTCFUUFS than any other medium. r1FPQMFXIPXBUDIWJEFPTUFOEUPTUBZPOBXFCTJUFUXPNJOVUFT longer than those who don’t. r#MPHQPTUTUIBUJODMVEFWJEFP T BUUSBDUUISFFUJNFTBTNBOZ JOCPVOEMJOLTBTUIPTFUIBUPOMZDPOUBJOUFYU r6TJOHUIFXPSEiWJEFPuJOFNBJMTVCKFDUMJOFTCPPTUTPQFOSBUFTCZ BOEDMJDLUISPVHISBUFTCZ 8 WHERE DO I START? When do I hire a professional to produce my video, rather than try it on my own? It’s likely you have a friend or family member who’s great at shooting video at little league games, weddings, or even professional galas. The more important question though, is whether that person has FYQFSJFODFJOTFMFDUJOHTQPLFTQFPQMF DIPPTJOHTPVOECJUFT FEJUJOH TFRVFODJOH BOEGSBOLMZUFMMJOHTUPSJFT%PFTUIBUQFSTPO understand how to optimize video for search, market video using the online channels your audience engages with, and measure viewer CFIBWJPSBOE30* What is the objective of the video? We encourage all of our partners not to produce video for the wrong reasons. Yes, it will drive inbound links to your website. Yes, it will look good on your website and as social content. And yes, video content can be useful for many departments within your company. #VUTQFDJàDBMMZ XIBUJTUIFQVSQPTFPGZPVSWJEFP 8JMMJUCFVTFEUP r3FDSVJUUPQUBMFOU r&ODPVSBHFEPOPSTUPHJWFUPZPVSOPOQSPàUPSDBVTFNBSLFUJOH DBNQBJHO r1SPWJEFDPOUFOUGPSZPVSTBMFTQFPQMFUPQSFTFOUUPQSPTQFDUT r*ODSFBTFCSBOEBXBSFOFTTCZTIBSJOHZPVSWJEFPUISPVHIQBJE POMJOFBEWFSUJTJOH r#VJMEBOFNBJMEBUBCBTFCZHBUJOHZPVSWJEFPDPOUFOU If you’re interested in producing a video, have a general vision about how it will be brought to bear, and have an adequate budget, video is likely a good ft for you. 9 WHERE DO I START? What is the cost of producing a video? The truth is, there’s no defnitive cost for producing a video for your business. As a (very rough) baseline fgure, consider about $1,000 per minute of produced video. In the end, cost will depend on: r)PVSTPGTIPPUJOHUJNF r/VNCFSPGTIPPUMPDBUJPOT r/VNCFSPGQFPQMFJOUFSWJFXFE r1IPUPHSBQIZGPSWJEFPJNBHFT r"OJNBUJPOT FGGFDUTBOEHSBQIJDT r1PTUQSPEVDUJPONBSLFUJOH 10 WHERE DO I START? What should I look for in a video partner? This is the most important question to ask. By nature, producing WJEFPJTBOFYUSFNFMZDSFBUJWF DPNQMFYQSPKFDUUIBUSFRVJSFT consistent communication and cooperation between organization and vendor. Here are some things to consider while vetting a prospective video partner: r3FRVFTUUPTQFBLXJUIQBTUDMJFOUT r8BTUIFWFOEPSPOUJNFBOEPOCVEHFU r8BTUIFSFBIFBMUIZCBMBODFCFUXFFOMJTUFOJOHUPZPVSOFFETBOE SFDPNNFOEJOHCFTUQSBDUJDFTQSPQPTJOHDSFBUJWFJEFBT r8BTUIFWFOEPSRVJDLUPSFUVSOFNBJMTQIPOFDBMMTBOEPQFOUP SFWJTJPOT r%JEUIFWFOEPSTIPPUJOIJHIEFàOJUJPO )% %JEJUDPTUNPSFUP TIPPUJO)% Also, when you call on referrals make sure that the work that the company performed for them is similar to what you’re asking them to provide for you. In other words, if the vendor shot a live event at a HBMBJUEPFTOUNFBOUIFZMMEPBHSFBUKPCXJUIBDPSQPSBUFPWFSWJFX video. Furthermore, a company that shoots a lot of ad agency commercials may be overkill for an online corporate video. 11 WHERE DO I START? Inquire about the equipment they use: Some companies are still using video cameras that shoot to tape. *UNBZCFiEJHJUBMuUBQF CVUOFWFSUIFMFTTJUJTUBQFBOEDPNQBOJFT using it could charge more for post-production services. Tape takes considerably longer to import into a computer editing system than digital cameras that shoot to card (portable hard drives). This means more cost handed down to you. Find out how many revisions you are allowed to make: It’s likely you’ll need to make changes after seeing the video for the àSTUUJNF0OFSPVOEPGSFWJTJPOTJTOPCJHEFBM5XPSPVOETJTVTVBMMZ okay. When you get into three or four (or more) rounds of revisions, things can get out of control quickly. Be sure to ask how revisions are billed. Ask for pricing: 7JEFPQSJDJOHJTPGUFODPOUJOHFOUVQPOBWBSJFUZPGUIJOHT/PPOF video is the same, and production details have a way of evolving as both business and vendor aim to make the video better than it was the day before. Make sure both parties are crystal clear about the pricing structure before the pen touches the contract. Consider This: If your ‘gut’ says no after meeting with a prospective partner, it’d be wise to look elsewhere. 12 CHAPTER 3 Content “Business decision makers LOVE online video because it gives them the most amount of information in the shortest amount of time.” – Robert Weiss Founder, MultiVision Digital CONTENT When you decide on a video production company to partner with, that vendor should bring plenty of formatting options to the table. But remember, you know the needs of your business or organization better than anyone. Your company may want to call on one (or more) of these types of video content, depending on what you’re trying to accomplish: $PNQBOZ0WFSWJFX Tutorials/Tips Trends Testimonials Case Studies 1SPEVDU3FWJFX Culture Sales/Marketing &WFOU Teaser 1VCMJD4FSWJDF"OOPVODFNFOU 14" Satire 14 CONTENT 0ODFZPVWFEFDJEFEPOUIFBOHMFZPVSWJEFPDPOUFOUXJMMUBLF JUT important to consider what emotions you want your audience to GFFMXIJMFXBUDIJOH"DDPSEJOHUPBTUVEZCZ0L%PSL BNBSLFUJOHCMPHPQFSBUFECZGPSNFS'BDFCPPLFNQMPZFF/PBI ,BHBO EJGGFSFOUBVEJFODFFNPUJPOTDBOCFNPSFQSPOFUPPOMJOF sharing than others. The study looked at the 10,000 most shared pieces of content across the web and produced a pie chart illustrating the breakdown of emotions within those 10,000 pieces of content. Take a look: popular emotons Source: OkDork.com 15 CONTENT "DDPSEJOHUPBSFDFOU/FX:PSL5JNFTTUVEZPG