Contour Media is a collection of award winning film makers and animators. We function as a full service media production agency, combining artistic techniques and creative thought with the latest technology.
75% of senior executives watch work-related videos on business-related websites at least once a week (source: study by Forbes and Google).
The biggest challenge for you, of course, is to produce a successful video that stands out from the mainstream.
In my inaugural blog published last week, I touched on 5 simple tips on how to make your marketing video stand out. One of the critical points I raised, was the power of storytelling.
We can be such expert story consumers that we can confidently walk out of a movie after only a few minutes when we decide we don’t like the plot or the style. Yet, when it’s our turn on the stage, we often fail to recognise both the importance of a good story and the weakness of our own approaches to communication. Why is this?
What happens if we harness the energy of the well-told story?
We move beyond business-as-usual and start building compelling content that is both engaging and powerful.
People remember good stories. They have better recollections of things if they can be put in context. Above all, stories evoke emotions.
People may forget what you said, people may forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
So, learn how to strike an emotional chord and how to capture the heart and soul of your audience.
Strong, quality content creates better audience interaction. This spreads through word of mouth, other social media tools and customer referrals. Do it well and you will turn one storytelling campaign into an enduring message that reminds fresh in the minds of viewers, even well after the campaign is finished.
Nothing beats a commercial that brings viewers to tears, by using breathtaking cinematic visions and dialogues that cause riotous laughter.
Authentic, entertaining and relevant
Your goal is to achieve maximum impact in the shortest possible time no matter what the message, product, or services that you wish to promote; ultimately forming an emotional connection with your audience.
How do you achieve this?
We’ve done countless productions so there are a fair few we can show you to illustrate this point, but below is just a sample taken from a successful campaign that we produced to address a confronting topic – child abuse.
These products were prepared in such a way as to facilitate flexibility so as to show them on multiple platforms. These platforms included TV commercials, online promotion and as a key presentation at major corporate fund raising events (where we merged the three products into a single presentation).
The big question is how do you create winning videos?
In order for your videos to be effective in marketing your key messages, your business must first develop strategies and specific measurement plans around the use of video. You need to understand the processes in creating those videos. Of course, you will have some basic plans and messages in mind … but we’ll go through all your different options using our experience and our successful track record. We’ve heard it all, so call us!
I'd love to hear from you if you’d like to know more about creating a top notch video as a powerful, new marketing tool.
With huge advances in technology, anyone can shoot with a digital video camera. There are user-friendly kits like the Go Pro or DSLR. Anyone can upload it to their social media pages in a matter of seconds. Sadly this means that we are all facing a barrage of highly forgettable videos on the web.
You want to make sure that people pay attention to your video so it doesn’t get lost as web junk.
So what is the secret?
Great content. If your content hits the mark and is backed by a strong, creative concept and cinematic visions - your credibility with your audiences will go through the roof. You will really stand out from the crowd. You want your message to stick in people’s mind no matter the platform.
A great production will go a long way in ensuring your content reaches your target audience and is impactful well beyond the short-term. Read on and learn how to maximise the lifespan of your video, create multiple uses and have a larger distribution.
How do you achieve this?
1. Entertain and Educate. Don’t Sell
Instead of selling, let a different purpose drive you. For example, ask yourself, “What can I tell my audience that will help them or teach them?” The answer to this question can lead to powerful, successful content. The interaction with your content and brand will flow naturally. In turn, viewer perspectives on you, your company, your product or your services will improve and you will generate loyalty in the long term. Invest some time to develop the vision and the content so it comes together as a true, genuine product, made for your audience.
2. Engage your Audience
Use high quality visuals and evoke emotion. Break away from the one-shot-and-done video particularly the talking head video, which so easily loses people's attention (although we can teach you ways to improve them, if your budget is tight). Make your video more dynamic, cinematic and moving.
3. The Power of Storytelling
There is no better way to put your content and message into context than with a real story. If you share stories that your audience can relate to, it makes your key messages more memorable and real to your viewers. People are craving that authenticity, and the better you can show your audience powerful stories, the more they will be drawn to your content. In my article, "Storytelling - The Ultimate Weapon in Video Marketing", I discussed the importance of harnessing the energy of a well-told story.
4. Sound
Your intention is to elicit emotion. Sound can really ignite emotion, mood and memories and also act as an indicator of upcoming action. Sound is your emotional firehose - so learn how to use it to command your audience and mould their reactions.
Sound is often overlooked, a really big mistake because sound is every bit as important as the visual part of a film or video. First rate sound design can have a massive impact on your production and can add a lot of value!
5. Importance of good filming and editing
There’s a lot that goes into planning, shooting and editing a project. Once you have established a great content and script, it will be worthwhile to invest on perfecting your filming and editing.
Scouting your location, knowing the space from all possible angles, familiarising yourself with your subject, packing, taking stock of (that includes making a written checklist) your equipment, and maintaining schedules of all crew members, talent, or interview subjects are vital to creating a streamlined day of production that’s as smooth as possible.
If you managed to capture some good quality footage and sound at the end of the day, and you stuck to your script, your editing should work well. Keep the editing simple and uncomplicated.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this inaugural blog.
I look forward to sharing with you more detailed insights on film production and marketing strategies including each of the topics touched on above.
I'd love to hear from you if you’d like to know more about creating a top notch video as a powerful, new marketing tool.
DOCUMENTARIES
Research materials and information, interview people and create scenarios to tell powerful stories.
