There’s a certain beauty to the slick, standard corporate front-page videos you see on website front pages. It’s like walking into a home and seeing the living room; it’s a starting point for how you feel about the house and the people who live in it. Everyone’s is different, but a lot of them look the same. Plus you tend to remember the ones that are really weird or poorly designed. The difference now is that as we enter the 2020s, most of us have seen more of those videos than living rooms.
Your front page video says a lot about your brand, your services, and yourself. It’s often the one thing users will check out and use as a reference point for their thoughts. It’s their first impression and the clearest expression of the organisation. Making sure to sell yourself well on your front page video is a key element of almost every businesses’ marketing strategy.
So how do you actually do that? It’s a fair question, given every company and their dog will have a front page video and nowadays many of them look and feel the same. Every organisation is different and will benefit from different strategies, but here are some general tips that will help no matter how the type of front page video you’re looking to create.
1. Set your goals
Try to understand exactly what your video is looking to do. Having a clear idea of what you want your video makes it easier to set out what type of response you’re aiming for, and how exactly to get there. The reality is that not everyone has the budget to blow away their competition and the focus should be on making the most of what you have. For others, standing out is crucial as holding space in a competitive field means if your brand isn’t memorable, it’s left behind. For some professional services, standing out is far less important than ensuring professionalism and class through sleek video design and high production value. These are all valid ways to approach a front page video and can complement existing marketing strategies.
Typically, the main things to determine before you create your video are:
- What is our video budget?
- Do we want to seem different to our competitors, or just demonstrate professionalism?
- Do we want to make all our key information available, or leave some mystery?
- How much should we involve our team compared to our products or service?
Keeping these in mind will help guide you in the right direction, and provide clarity throughout the process for you and your video production team.
2. Nail your soundscape
So you’ve got cheesy elevator music. Inoffensive generic happy-corporate music. Maybe you’ve got sound effects from the destination you’re filming at. Whatever it is, the sound quality and effectiveness in your front page video is a crucial aspect of how it’s received. The difference between high quality and poor quality sound is marked, and often the thing consumers use to determine the quality of production. The key is that a good soundscape complements your video, and shouldn’t be the most notable thing about it. If it’s what users focus on when they watch your content, good or bad, the soundscape isn’t ideal.
But that’s not to say that sound isn’t the most important part. While the background music and possible effects should be subtle, the use of voiceover to explore your brand should be what your website visitors notice. Modern internet users are increasingly less likely to watch your video with full attention, so making sure that the key information can be delivered through voiceover – if you choose to use that in your video – is key to making sure that any scrollers or tab-changers are still hearing about you. If you use a voiceover, make it noticeable and make it work for you.
3. Show that you’re real
If you’re not a multinational conglomerate, the personal touch and uniqueness of your team should always be one of your selling points. Your brand is your people, and reminding users if that is a great way to generate authenticity and quality of service without needing to prove the skills of every single person you have working for you. Many firms will utilise ‘Meet the team’ or similar types of videos, and nowadays front page videos often include the owner or CEO welcoming visitors to their website and sharing their vision with them. Detailing a bit of the history of the organisation also helps remind viewers that there is a tangible organisation, something more than a logo or a slogan. By exploring the history, and showing off your workers, you can resonate with viewers who will get a better understanding of the values of our workplace, and also gain their trust as passionate employees. However, keep in mind that you’re represented by those you feature, so try to avoid including employees in promotional material if they’re uncomfortable being filmed or have tomato sauce stains all over their work shirts.
Framing tells the story
How you decide to frame your video can have a large impact on how it’s received. The lighting, colour schemes, and even the dimensions of the film all alter how the message is delivered. This tip is more technical, so before we start we’d like to remind our readers that Jasper Picture Company delivers quality video production to suit your needs, even if you’re not sure exactly what they are. Jasper Picture Company is a Melbourne-based videography firm that can show your story, ensure high-quality video production and provide bespoke content creation.
For the classic front page introductory video, the 16:9 film with a more neutral palette will deliver a sense of professionalism and quality. Using mid shots of employees, intermingled with close-ups and action shots can reinforce the human touch mentioned earlier, while the use of yellows and oranges do the same. For health-related videos, the use of greens and a large spectrum of colour can help, while shots of people gathering and laughing support the feeling of health and community. Overall, it depends on what you’re trying to achieve, but get comfortable learning about these aspects and see what works for you.
And remember: if all else fails, you can always use a 3-minute video of a koala loudly eating gum leaves. Sometimes, you can’t beat the cute factor.
The best way to get started is to work with The Jasper Picture Company, one of the leading video production companies across Australia. Working with a video production company is a guaranteed way to find the results you’re searching for from your video marketing campaign. Set up a call today to find out how we can work together to create the video of your dreams.