Right now, almost every business is moving towards video marketing to get their brand known among consumers. However, just like a first-timer at anything, they know very little about the complexities and details they must look after to hire the right video agency for their project.

Thus resulting in a highly conflicting video-making process and a not-so-effective end product that is 180 degrees of what they needed or imagined. To make sure that does not happen to you, we have come up with “beginner advice” that will help you find the right fit for your video marketing.

So let’s dive in!

1. Know the type of video you need

The type of video you need directly correlates with your brand identity and digital marketing strategy. So you need to identify whether you want to proactively spread the word among the masses, inspire them by sharing your brand story, or need something that solely emphasizes leads and conversions. Plus, which medium do you intend to use to present it to your audience? Is it Youtube? Facebook? Instagram? Or just your company’s landing page?

To figure this out, you must take your team on board and determine the strategy they have in mind to propagate your brand message regarding your products or services towards your target audience.

If your company hasn’t done any video marketing before, that’s even better because it gives you a lot of flexibility. You get the opportunity to try out different approaches, from humorous and quirky ones to more serious and professional ones. Plus, you always have the opportunity to study what’s working for your competitors and integrate their critical factors in your videos right from the beginning.

Remember, the type of video you plan to use will directly influence who you choose for the project. There’s a vast number of video agencies covering specific areas of video making. Where some might specialize in live-action, others might emphasize animation. A clear plan will narrow down your research circle significantly.

2. The cost of video production

Well, let’s cut it short. When talking about an agency, video production is expensive. Therefore, it’s necessary to keep your budget on realistic grounds before reaching out to a reputed video production company.

Since video production agencies have hundreds, or in some cases, thousands of projects under their belt, speaking loudly of their skill and craft in the field, the prices automatically go higher with respect to their portfolio.

But here’s the good stuff! You will get value for your payment 99% of the time in the form of high ROI. For a starter, a reputed video production company will cost you around $5000+ and above per project.

If your budget somehow doesn’t allow you to make such hefty investments, you can also try DIY video production using in-house equipment. However, this way, the process will involve a lot of trial and error, which often gets frustrating and extremely time-consuming.

3. Qualities of a great video agency

Now that you know what kind of video your business needs and are ready to invest in, the next step is to find a video production agency that perfectly corroborates your needs and requirements. And for that, you must judge it from a lot of angles.

So, first things first, when you visit their website, head straight to their portfolio section and see if they have produced anything in your industry, or at least something close to it in the past. If you find something relevant, move to the next step and analyze their storytelling skills.

As video production is all about engagement and persuasiveness, you don’t want to present something that puts your audience to sleep halfway through the video; creativity is inevitable. So even if the portfolio seems like it is clicking with your project’s nature, talk to the agency representatives and see if they understand your needs fully.

Moreover, analyze their working ethic by talking to someone who has worked with them in the past or by simply studying their past customer reviews. See if they involve their clients amidst the project and listen to their suggestions and needs. Such micro-scale management is essential to get an outstanding end product.

4. Time required for video production

For all that we know, video production is time-consuming. To be more precise, a two minutes video takes about 5 weeks or so to be executed perfectly.

Now you must be thinking, why wait so much when I can get an emergency service for paying extra? Well, that’s the biggest mistake you’ll ever make…allow us to elaborate.

So, video production involves a lot of pre-production planning. This involves research about the relevant industry and audience, creative planning, drawing story sketch, scriptwriting (very, very important), and a lot of trial and error to squeeze the best product out of it.

Once that’s done, the agency moves towards the production phase and shoots (or animate) the video, which, again, is a process that will determine the overall quality of the end product. Not to mention the post-production editing that involves assembling the rough cuts, color correction, and music to complement the story arc.

That being clear, imagine if all this is done in a matter of a week or two. Will the agency team have enough time to put the required amount of creativity into the project? Or will the production be as effective and polished as it would be if given the extra days? Well, the answer is pretty straightforward.

So why not pay the regular amount and get the best product than paying extra and getting something not as good? Remember, you should never rush video production, even if you have the convenience of emergency services at hand.

5. The red flags

And last but not least, it’s essential to watch for some red flags to avoid getting scammed. For instance, you shouldn’t hire a company that doesn’t have enough portfolio to showcase their successfully executed past projects, a considerable number of positive client reviews, and authentic client references from which you can verify the quality of work and the agency’s claims.

I’d recommend doing a little due diligence to check whether the videos that they claim as part of their portfolio were made by them (and not stolen from another company’s portfolio).

Also, watch out for additional fees mentioned in the quote. Some companies start with low initial prices that go up as the project progresses, simply looting you through nickels and dimes from time to time.

Conclusion

Video production is a long, costly, and complicated process that you cannot risk handing someone incompetent. However, since it’s difficult for a first-timer to find a good agency, it is crucial to have the basic knowledge of video production and the distinguishing factors of a good video agency. We hope our two cents on the topic helps you find the right fit for your marketing campaign.

Good luck!