Before you get started on your amazing content, you need to start by creating a video production brief.
A video production brief is absolutely necessary and you shouldn’t try to develop your content without it. Trying to create incredible content is nigh on impossible without a production brief – without this how do we make sure we are all singing from the same song sheet and working to the same goal? This process is important whether you are creating your content internally or using a video production company . Creating a video production brief makes for a smoother process all round, and it’s easier for everyone when they are clear on what they are working towards.
It’s also a great way to get everyone together and check nothing major has been missed. You’d be amazed how often you realise a glaring error you have made, or suddenly notice you have missed out a massive section of information when you all get together and talk about it. It’s always worth having the conversation no matter how many times you have been through the process, even if you are a video content production veteran. Briefs can be changed, they don’t have to stay the same, but they are an excellent starting point.
So, here are a few things you need to consider to get you started on your video production brief.
Why are you creating video content?
Think about why you are creating this content. What is the goal you are looking to achieve? What is your desired outcome? Is there a particular issue you are trying to resolve with this video, or is it to generate new custom with video content? There is nothing wrong with being particular in this section of your brief. If you are particular and specific, this will mean you have something to measure your success by. Your video content company could produce content which you all agree is incredible, but did your video content achieve the goal? Spend time thinking about this, it is a massive part of your project and you will keep referring to this throughout. Everyone involved should be 100% clear on what you are trying to achieve, otherwise you will all be working to your own goals.
Who is your video content audience?
Who is this video aimed at? You need to get thinking about your video content target audience for this one. Once you know the kind of person that is going to be viewing your digital content (be they customers or employees for example) you need to look at their demographic. What does your ‘standard’ viewer look like to your organization? You need to be thinking about their likes and dislikes, what they want to see and what they want to feel. And most important of all, whoever you are talking to, you must be speaking their language. Equally you need to make sure you steer away from what you know they don’t want to see. It’s easy to focus on what you want them to see and forget about what they don’t want to see. It would also be a huge difference in approach if you are making a B2B video. When you are making a video for people that already informed and even signed up to your brand then you can use a far more specifically language and be looking for insider jokes and comments with a business to business video.
What is your video content saying?
What is the point you are trying to make? What are you trying to say to the people watching your video? Are you displaying your brand story? You need to make sure your point is completely clear to the viewer. There is no point creating epic content if no one knows what your video content is saying. Remember that we can only retain so much information, there is no point squashing a tonne of information into a video for no one to remember it. Also, if your videos are too crammed with information, people just won’t watch them. There needs ro be the right balance of entertainment to information.
Where are you displaying your content?
Where is this content going to be seen? Where are you displaying your video content? Is it only going to be seen on social media platforms? The answer to this question helps with determining the production of your video. Digital content that is going to be displayed on a huge screen will be completely different to content that is going to be displayed on the screen of a smart phone. If you are sharing this video on social media, you need to think of a way to direct your viewers to your site or to take the action you desire of them. If there is no call to action in your video content, how on earth will anyone know how to get to your site to take a further look at your product? Creating your content for Instagram when your viewers use Facebook won’t help you achieve your goals. This section will link directly with your “who?” section; you need to make sure you are sharing your video content in the right places and in the right ways.
Video content core goal
There will be certain things you have to have visible in your content. Be that certain colours or styling, or company logos and phrasing. Make sure you include your core content in your video production brief, as they are ‘musts’, not just ‘nice to have’s. There might be a certain ‘vibe’ or style you want to display in your video; this should be included in your production brief as well. This can often be quite hard to explain in the written word, so you can include any content that represents the vibe you are going for at this point.
The Elephant in the room
What is your budget? What is your deadline? I know this is the dull stuff, but money and time are static and you don’t have an unlimited supply of either of them. Make sure you have a video content production budget set out and you do your best to stick to it. Spending way too much money on your project might feel great and get you the creative content you desire, but it won’t be looked kindly upon when it comes to the number crunch. If your goal was to bring in 2000 new customers to up your takings, spending what those 2000 new customers bring you in revenue on your content isn’t going to be a winner in the finance department. If you have a video content deadline, you don’t want to be working down to the wire. You want time spare to make any adjustments you need to make and be 100% sure you are sending out the best content. You don’t want to have to blindly release your content at the last moment, hoping it does the job.
Creating a spot on video content production brief will enable you to get the most out of your team or your video content production company. Don’t just dive in head first and hope for the best – a little planning goes a long way.