Don’t let the “corporate” label fool you – a corporate video is simply any video made for a company or business, and good corporate videos can be as captivating, entertaining, and passionately crafted as any other kind of video. This blog will explore the main types of corporate videos and some key do’s and don’ts for corporate video production. Learn how to elevate your corporate videos with clever concepts and skillful filmmaking.
Why should you create corporate videos?
The reason to create corporate videos is simple: video engages and communicates ideas better than any other medium. Whether you are convincing a customer to buy your product or onboarding an employee, video keeps your audience interested and helps them retain your message. Video efficiently conveys both your message and brand through the use of composition, color, motion graphics, sound design, and voice-over. Video also excels at demystifying the intangible, distilling complex concepts, procedures, and features into digestible clips.
In today’s content-driven landscape, a great tagline or image alone won’t cut it. Consumers expect and are drawn toward video, and may be skeptical of companies or products that don’t utilize it. And in a world where, according to our research, 47% of B2B companies create training videos, employees prefer training via video instead of reading dense manuals. Video is a worthy investment for any company interested in succeeding in today’s competitive business environment.
Should you hire a professional video production company to create your corporate videos?
In short, yes! Professional video production companies have the knowledge and experience to create a great corporate video every time, on time. Unless you have previous filmmaking experience or a super-experienced internal team, it’s best to look for an outside vendor. Keep in mind that most attempts to create videos internally fall flat because there’s no shortcut to expertise. Making even the most straightforward corporate video involves more steps and manpower than most assume. Don’t embarrass yourself or your company with a poor corporate video. Invest in a great video that will pay itself back many times over. And remember, not every video has to be super high-end. Explore what vendors can deliver at various budgets.
How much does a corporate video cost?
The cost of a corporate video completely depends on the scale and production quality of your video. In general, the more equipment, crew, and hours needed to complete your video, the more expensive your video will be. Prices can range from $5,000 for a simple shoot, to millions of dollars for a huge commercial. And anything in between.
You can help keep the price down through good prep work. Present the video production company with clear direction – and some examples of videos you like – in order to minimize the number of revisions required. You might be able to cut costs significantly by writing a strong script, or providing locations, or supplying graphics. Additionally, if you only need a shoot without editing, or already have footage and just need post-production, costs will be lower.
But don’t be afraid to spend if you can afford it. Reputable vendors will supply you with realistic budgets to meet your vision.
What are the main types of corporate videos?
There are as many categories of corporate videos as there are types of videos. But we can think of corporate videos in two broad groups: internal and external. Internal videos include onboarding videos, training videos, pitch videos, milestone videos, and more. External videos include brand videos, product videos, recruitment videos, testimonial videos, commercial videos, event videos, explainer videos, and tutorial / demo videos.
Internal Corporate Videos
Onboarding Videos
It can be overwhelming to start a new job. Onboarding videos ease new employees in, providing information alongside visual examples. Onboarding videos may be accompanied by interactive elements such as quizzes. Popular onboarding video topics include payroll setup, sensitivity training, and company culture overviews.
Training Videos
Do you have a complex procedure to explain? Perhaps integrating new technology, or updating operations to meet new guidelines. If so, a training video is the perfect tool for getting employees up to speed. With the power of video and motion graphics, you can show rather than tell.
Conference Videos
Some meetings, conferences, and events are just too important to be missed. Record these meetings and conferences for posterity or edit them into concise recaps. You can even add animations and slide transitions for extra flair. Perfect for investor meetings, and company teambuilding sessions.
Pitch Videos
Need to pitch an important new program or product to a client, or to your CEO? Rather than relying on a deck or improvising a speech, let a video make the case for you. With a video, you’re guaranteed not to go over time and are much more likely to keep the attention of your audience.
Milestone Videos
Commemorating your best year in history? Honoring your retiring founder? Or just looking to bring some fun to the holidays? A milestone corporate video elevates the occasion and boosts everyone’s morale. Whether it is a documentary-style recap of your accomplishments, or a comedy video starring the CEO and staff, the audience will appreciate the effort.
External Corporate Videos
Recruitment Videos
These videos are like a sales pitch aimed at prospective employees. They explain what’s great about your company and the advantages of working there. Recruitment videos can be tailored to target different demographics and roles, allowing future employees to visualize themselves at your company.
Brand Videos
Brand videos convey the essence of your company or business. These videos usually aren’t selling a product or service, but your reputation. Brand videos can be mini-documentaries about your company’s founding and history, commercials that highlight your mission statement, or social spots. Brand videos are powerful and effective which, is why Indigo’s research has found that 32% percent of marketers consider brand video production a top priority.
Product Reveal Videos
Announcements can make or break the success of your product or service. Product reveal videos allow you to make a splash and clearly explain why your customer should buy your product. You can use computer-generated imagery to provide up-close beauty shots, and dynamic animation to highlight every feature.
Event Videos
Have an event celebrating your company, launching a new product line, or participating in a trade show? Event videos transform these pivotal but transient moments into long-lasting promotional material. Record guest impressions and the best presentation moments.
Testimonial Videos
If you need to establish credibility for your product, testimonial videos are a fantastic solution. By showing real customers advocating for your product, you can legitimize its quality. Customers often have personal stories, and your product or service may have impacted them in unexpectedly delightful ways. Sharing the best of these stories does wonders to connect customers with your products and brand. And feel free to hone in on a particularly powerful testimonial by creating a case study video.
Explainer Videos
Do you have a product or service that’s difficult to explain quickly? Do you want to give people more information in order to influence their purchasing decision? It’s time to release an explainer video. Explainer videos can go in-depth about your product’s concept, design, and pricing, and can help convert the 96% of people who turn to videos to learn more about a product into customers.
Tutorial / Demo Videos
Sometimes people need to see a product in action to understand it. Whether they are considering a purchase or already have the product, a tutorial or demo video can help your customers grasp the key information they’ve been missing. These videos can convert skeptics into clients, or create goodwill and earn you a coveted five-star review.
Commercials
The pinnacle of any company’s marketing efforts are commercials. Commercials need to have the highest production value, and the most appealing message. Use them to highlight a specific product, collection, limited-time deal, or just raise brand awareness. Commercials are typically anywhere from 15 seconds to a minute in length and air on TV and online.
What are the Do’s and Don’ts of Corporate Video Production?
Through our years of experience and our original research, reports, and analysis, we’ve found that certain tactics and strategies work well for corporate video production, while others do not. Here are some key do’s and dont’s informed by our research and interaction with clients.
Do plan every detail of your video in advance
Even if you’ve never made a video, you may have heard the phrase “We’ll fix it in post.” While post-production can be used to great effect, fixing production problems during the edit should be a last resort. The more you need to change after the shoot is completed, the longer and more expensive it will be to finish your video. And while you can make drastic adjustments to a video in post-production, even completely revamping the concept of your video, chances are you won’t have the footage to edit the best version of that new concept. This is why it’s important to plan out the details of your video in advance during the pre-production stage. Great videos rarely happen by accident. Consider everything including your color palette, cast, set, script, VO, motion graphics, lighting style, soundscape, and point of view. Be sure to consult with the professionals to go over the many details you might not have considered and for help with logistics.
Don’t blindly follow trends
It’s critical to be aware of video trends because the media landscape is constantly evolving. Understanding trends in social media, VR, or interactive videos may give you an advantage when they organically fit into your ideas or distribution strategy. But don’t chase trends because you think they are some secret sauce that will ensure success. Chasing trends without understanding them can risk making your videos feel out of touch or desperate. Following trends can also cause confusion when they aren’t relevant to your brand. And remember; If you always follow trends, you’ll never start one.
Do tell your story visually
Videos are best when they use evocative images to tell a story or communicate an idea, and according to our research videos that take advantage of the medium to tell a story are more likely to go viral. While static product shots and on-screen graphics can be nice, videos are capable of so much more. Plan a video where the camera quickly pushes in on your subject to communicate excitement or frames your product heroically. In a nutshell, get creative with your filmmaking and hire a team that is dedicated to empowering your creativity to deliver a video that doesn’t just inform, but immerses and suggests.
Don’t forget a call to action
A corporate video might be great – and still fail to drive traffic. The culprit is often an unclear or missing call to action. Consider the goal of each video you release. Is the aim to drive viewers to a website, a product page, or a store? If so, include a clear message at the end of the video with a link or address, and emphasize the message with VO narration. If you are releasing your video online, you can make the call to action interactive. Simply add a clickable card over the video at the appropriate moment, or put a link in the description. People often need an extra push, and a call to action is one of the most effective ways to capitalize on an amazing video.
Do cater your videos toward your intended audience
Ultimately, your video should serve your audience. But not every audience is the same. A Superbowl commercial needs to dazzle with high production values, celebrity cameos, and witty comedy. It’s less concerned with demonstrating the practical details of a product or business model. On the other hand, an internal training video can do with a much smaller budget and a longer runtime delving into the nitty gritty. Choose the ideas that will most resonate with your target audience and smartly invest your resources to create content that achieves your goals without breaking the bank.
Don’t make your video too long
The best videos are short and sweet. As incredible as your video may be, if people tune out before the end they’ll miss the climax, which is often the main point of your video. When deciding on the length of your video, consider the content. What can be cut while still retaining your message and mood? By eliminating what isn’t necessary, your video will not only be shorter but clearer and stronger. Also review the platform you will be using to distribute your video. The average video length on the platform is a great target duration. Need more evidence you should keep your videos concise? Our research has found that short-form videos generate the most leads.
Do give your videos a hook
Even if your video is educational or instructional in nature, be sure to give it an enticing hook. You can use clever VO, dazzling graphics, or suggestive claims to reel in the viewer. While your video should have multiple hooks peppered throughout to provide continuous entertainment, the most important hook is your first hook which should appear in the opening seconds of your video. You need to ensure people are drawn in from the get-go to compete with all the other videos out there. While some viewers may have the patience to wait and see if the video gets better, most won’t. Good hooks are especially important for advertising and marketing videos. In fact, they are so vital a survey of video marketers found capturing viewers’ attention in the first few seconds to be the most effective tactic in making a successful video.
Don’t make the wrong compromises
Filmmaking is full of compromises. Perhaps your number one casting choice isn’t available on the scheduled shoot day, or the stunt you wanted to incorporate is too expensive. When deciding what your video can do without, and what is a must, consider the following questions: Will a compromise weaken the impact of my story or message? Will it make viewers less responsive to the call to action? And will it make my video seem less professional? If the answer to any one of these questions is yes, try to avoid making that compromise. However, if the answer is no, it may be a reasonable trade-off.
How Do You Get Your Corporate Videos Seen?
Making a great corporate video can be useless without thinking through the distribution strategy. Unfortunately, just because you’ve put your video out into the world doesn’t mean anyone is going to watch it. Thankfully, many video production companies also specialize in distribution. They can advise, or handle distribution entirely. The easiest way to get your video seen is to simply buy targeted ad spots. This ensures your video will be played for the right viewers across the internet or television. However, this option can be expensive and many people use adblockers or instantly skip advertisements. Alternatively, you can try to organically grow your viewership. If your company has a Youtube channel, Instagram, or TikTok, post the video there. A built-in audience is sure to check out the video. If the video will live on your website, or another platform that receives less traffic, try posting about the video on social media or including a link to it in a newsletter. Finally, make sure to choose the right thumbnail and description for your video to optimize viewership. If the video isn’t catching on, review your analytics data and make educated changes to how your video is presented. All of these approaches can help your videos reach a wider audience. And of course, like 55% of video marketers, you can mix and match organic and paid strategies.
Conclusion
A lot goes into making a great corporate video – and there’s no ‘one size fits all’ procedure that ensures success. That’s why Indigo Productions has spent decades refining our approach to corporate video production and are ready for any challenges we may face. Reach out to us today for a free quote, or for more information about creating corporate videos. You can find us at www.indigoprod.com or call us at 212-765-5224.