Video has quickly become one of the top vehicles to tell your story through web, social media, email and beyond. (We’ll let WordStream make you a believer of video’s potential dominance.)
One of our beefs with video a few years ago was that the affordable video quality simply didn’t match the quality of our customers’ brands. Plus, standing behind an editor and working to get everything just right was laborious, unfulfilling and never quite reached our expectations. Thankfully, the flexibility in creating video is now at a point where we can produce award-winning content right here in-house.
But that doesn’t mean all video is created equal — and it shouldn’t be. Does a one-time-use video need to have the same complexity as one that will be used across many mediums? Probably not. We believe different audiences, uses and shelf lives demand different “levels” of video with varying budgets.
To help you determine what level is best for your objectives, we look at video expenditure, need, complexity and other relevant factors in a tiered manner. Below are some things to think about when determining what level of video expenditure your projects should fall into.
TIER 1: $$$
TV commercials are among the highest quality of video, which in turn equates to the most expensive. That being said, TV also has the most potential uses (broadcast, web, social, etc.), and the ability to be seen by the most number of individuals. This tier of video can be edited down to as little as six-second vehicles, giving you the most flexibility and use for your dollar. The level of quality consumers expect is on the rise, so TV is a great way to give them what they want. And it still doesn’t have to break the bank — especially if you consider the cost amortized over multiple uses.
TIER 2: $$
This second level of video is still high quality, but most likely, you aren’t going to run it on TV (everywhere else is fair game, though). This type of video is the perfect solution for use on digital ads such as YouTube, social, external email, etc. It lacks major production, but that doesn’t devalue the impact these videos can have if implemented correctly. With the way video is going, it’s easily possible to get just as many impressions on social as it is on TV.
TIER 3: $
Video is so successful because of the nature of the medium — it combines the other two main advertising mediums (copy and audio) into one easily engageable piece. But when that piece has a niche audience, extremely short shelf life or is for internal use, do you really want to spend the $$$ on it? Most likely not, but you still want a video that does the job and does it well — all while substantiating to your internal brand ambassadors where your brand lives, how they should think of it and how they should speak about it.
The opportunities to tell your message are fast becoming limitless. Now’s the time to evaluate some key factors and see what level of video you need. We understand the importance of being a brand steward to help you navigate all the variables to get the best results possible. Regardless of budget, we can help make ALL of your videos interesting, the optimum length and of a quality that befits your brand.