One of the biggest misconceptions businesses have when considering adding video to their existing marketing, advertising, or even customer service strategy is that the production quality must be high.
By high production quality we mean proper three-point lighting, 720p or above resolution, and crystal-clear audio. While the hardware needed to accomplish such isn’t all that expensive — lighting kits are around $300, 720p+ point and shoot video cameras can be had for around $200 and wired lapels mics are $25 — buying, knowing how to properly set up, use, and store said equipment may be over many people’s heads.
But here’s a secret: it doesn’t matter all that much.
We’re not saying you shouldn’t buy the best gear you can afford and peruse free/cheap sites like Izzy Video for video tips, but video production knowledge alone isn’t what people fall in love with. Video production doesn’t much contribute to viral videos, nor will it make your customers want to buy more from you.
They’re looking for great content. They’re looking for honest, authentic messaging. They’re looking for a connection between them and the people in your company. They’re looking for your humanity.
There is no better way to do such than video.
And now that the definitions of what rich media can be is constantly changing, there are myriad uses for video content beyond embedding a YouTube video (wrapped in LoopLogic technology, of course).
You could:
- Repurpose content into a digital, interactive book using iBooks Author.
- Include excerpts in your email newsletters.
- Compile a greatest hits video.
- Add comments and pass it off as new (be careful with this one).
Great video production quality makes good content great, but is never a substitute for such, and good content is certainly better than none. One of the most popular YouTube videos of all time was filmed in 360p with terrible audio. Think anyone noticed?
While you’re saving up or convincing the boss to splurge a bit on proper equipment, fire up those webcams and start creating your own video content. With enough practice, you’ll soon be able to justify spending moolah on improving video production quality, and not have to waste time on bad content that just looks good.
Good luck!
