Why Am I Making This?
Have you ever been told that you absolutely need to do something? Maybe your boss, a parent, or even a friend has given you an important task, but you don’t exactly understand what is asked of you or you haven’t quite connected the dots as to why it is important? What if you were asked to create a video about your company? What do you do in this situation? Oftentimes, you may jump on Google for answers that may resemble something similar, which simply perpetuates this idea of creating content without intent.
During the pandemic I was frequently hired for remote production. This meant an out-of-state company had a client in my area, and being unable to travel, they would hire my crew to do the filming portion for them. In one particular instance, we were filming for a local law firm and the main partner was sort of complaining about the footage that we had been asked to capture because it was “so cheesy”. Silently we agreed, but ultimately carried out the director’s vision as we were hired to do.
This is a common problem we experience in the world of video marketing. We’ve worked with hundreds of clients over the years that have, at some point in their careers, been told they need an “about us” video. In its simplest form, this is a video that is often found on a company’s website or social media telling their potential clients a little bit about their team; how they got started, and introducing products or services they offer. The video is all about THEM.
What Do These “About Us” Videos Look Like?
Usually, they gather together a handful of executives, maybe a couple lower-level employees, and pick out a conference room or spare office to film interviews in. After the stuffy interviews are completed it’s time to capture b-roll. Oh, the b-roll… You’ve seen it before. People shaking hands. Close-ups of an employee typing on a keyboard. Answering a phone call. Pointing at a chart or computer monitor. Nodding and smiling. Lots of slow motion to help fill the time. I could go on and on, but think I’ve made my point. Sound familiar?
We’ve all done it.
Even Dan and I have been guilty of doing this in the past.
Finally, the new about us video is then shared one time on the company’s Facebook page or YouTube channel and then left to reside on their “About Us” section of the website where it doesn’t see a lot of action over the next couple of years until it’s time to update the page with a new video that will repeat the same process.
How can we break this cycle?
How can we break this cycle and give your clients something memorable, meaningful, and helpful? It all starts with “Why?” If you begin the process by asking yourself or your marketing team, “Why am I making this?” Things will go much better. You want to stand out from your competition, right? You don’t want to create another generic about us video that no one wants to watch. Here’s just a few examples of what will help you achieve more than an “about us” video, in order to become something better – a “Brand Story”.
Think about how this will help your clients? In all reality, are they coming to your website to find out how you got started in the business or are they more concerned with how you can help them solve their problem?
Don’t film in a conference room or office? Think about how you can add visual interest or personality to the video by filming offsite.
Invite your customers into the story. Brief remarks from clients who have already benefited from your product or service builds trust and gives potential clients the social proof needed to make a decision.
Thinking outside of the box will help you stand out. These are just a few of the ways that you can build a better brand story for your business. Of course, if you need help during any step of the process with clarifying your message, let’s chat today.
