We all know that the best way to sell your business to prospective clients is to show what makes your company unique. But it’s a little harder to know how to get this across. Sure, you could name your company ‘Big Cabbages’, have a giant cabbage installed on the roof of your office and you’d probably stand out from everyone else. But is this the best way to be unique? (As a side note, we’d like to claim full credit if anyone is crazy enough to go ahead with that idea).
When there are so many new, fandangled marketing techniques and products out there, it’s sometimes easy to lose track of what makes your business special in the first place. There’s no point in having a beautiful Instagram page if the clothes you’re selling shrink in the wash and fall apart after the first wear. According to media experts, your best bet in creating a successful brand is to keep your public image consistent, authentic, and charismatic. With film playing a huge role in modern marketing strategies across the world, crafting a video to show off your company is a big head-start in the game of business.
Here are our top 4 tips for getting it across the screen.
1. Show, Don’t Tell
Ah, the old adage rings true once more. When trying to beat the competition, it’s best to think of a creative way that you can show your audience what makes your business tick, rather than telling them. Remember that iconic Dove ‘Real Beauty’ campaign in 2013? In case you missed it, Dove released a series of videos promoting the ‘real beauty’ of women, without touch-ups, Photoshop, or a hair and makeup team on standby. One much-shared video showed a model’s face being completely warped and distorted through layers of makeup, lighting and Photoshop. In this powerful message from Dove, women are celebrated for their natural beauty, rather than encouraged to perfect their insecurities — setting Dove apart as a champion of female empowerment and self-esteem in a sometimes cruel beauty industry. The best part about these videos? Their impact is strong but totally implied. Rather than listing off a whole bunch of values, they come through on their own, while leaving a memorable impression on the viewer.
2. Home Is Where The Heart Is
Shooting your promotional video from the heart of your business — whether that be in head office, factory, warehouse or farm, or all of the above! — offers your prospective client a clearer picture of who they’re doing business with. It can also be a more comfortable filming experience for you! Being familiar with the space, you’re more likely to feel at home promoting the best parts of your business when you’re surrounded by them! On the other hand, if your company values a professional, modern aesthetic, perhaps shooting in a studio would suit you better.
3. Lose the Actors
As much as it’s tough to admit sometimes, the best advertisement for your business already exists! Your clients, employees, suppliers, contractors are the walking, talking face of your business. Giving these people a spotlight in your video gives your audience into who your business is, not just what it is. Having genuine success stories featuring in your company’s video not only demonstrates you mean what you say, but it’s also a way to remind your customers how important they’ve been to your business. Although using paid actors might give your video a professional edge, it is hard to recreate that air of authenticity that customers love. Plus, it’s always nice for clients to see a familiar face on their first day of business with you.
4. Consistency, consistency, consistency!
Finally, in the pursuit of success, the best thing you can be is consistent. This is true for diets, fitness, and new hobbies, and it is also true for creating a successful brand. Take some time to figure out what the nuts and bolts of your business are — what values do you pride yourself on? What do you want your brand to look like? Feel like? Once you’ve figured out the fundamentals with a proper design strategy, it will make promoting your business all the more streamlined. It can seem banal but keeping consistent colour schemes, typefaces and themes can go a long way in creating a brand your clients will remember and resonate with.
Our bonus tip? Get in touch with The Jasper Picture Company, one of the leading video production companies in Melbourne. Working with a video production company will help streamline your ideas and create a powerful vision. Get in touch today to see what we can do for you.