So you’re ready to take your business to the next level with a strong digital marketing plan. You’ve got a solid content calendar and know all the digital channels you’ll use – Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, programmatic buys – to make this plan happen.
Then there is the challenge of actually executing your plan. Because however brilliant your envisioned marketing campaign is, it won’t deliver results if it remains a plan on paper. And to bring a marketing plan to life, you need awe-inspiring content.
A disruptive video, for example, is crucial to any company’s digital campaign. It can be minutes long or seconds short, for posting on YouTube and Facebook or on Instagram. A beautiful video for your product or service can entice new users and galvanize the loyalty of current customers. What’s more, you can create multiple GIFs from a video or use screencaps as images for additional content on social media. Sometimes, if your video is really exceptional, it can even be picked up by various media outlets, extending its reach and driving more views and buzz around your business. Imagine all that free publicity a buzz-worthy video can deliver!
So it’s extremely important to develop powerful video content for your business and brand. And to do that, you’ll need an exemplary San Francisco Video production company to work with you. Thankfully, video production in San Francisco is a booming industry, and you’ll be able to find a Bay Area video production company that can meet the needs of your business.
But how would you know who to work with? In choosing to hire a company that provides video production, San Francisco provides a lot of options. Read on to find out what you should be looking for in a San Francisco video production, so you can separate the best of the best from all the rest.
Experience and Credibility
For such a critical piece of content, the video of your product or service needs to be worked on by a video production company who has an extensive list of experience working with other brands. You’ll have more peace of mind knowing you are turning your campaign over to a company that has done this before.
Additionally, you should be on the lookout for a company that not only has enough relevant experience, but it is also credible in the industry. Go with a reputable and experienced video production company and the development process of your video would be a breeze.
A Great Work Ethic
Video production work isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hours of work and it can be a long and tedious process. Because of this, you should work with a company that is willing to put in the hard work to deliver the brand video of your dreams. You can’t rely on companies that put in half-baked efforts to deliver top quality content.
An Impressive Portfolio
A great way to determine a Bay Area video production company’s experience, credibility, and work ethic is by viewing their portfolio. Their portfolio is essentially their resume – a collection of their best work, and a reflection of their style.
It’s important to remember, however, that naturally video production companies would put a lot of effort in making an awe-inspiring demo reel or portfolio. To be able to make a more informed assessment of a company and their work, it would be ideal to do a quick search and check out some of their less highlighted work that didn’t make it to the demo reel, to get a breadth of their experience and productivity.
Glowing Reviews from Other Clients
It’s great to get information about a video production company from the company itself, but it’s even better to get direct feedback from their clients. This way you’re able to get a more objective impression of the company and their work. It also gives you a glimpse of what it’s like to work with them.
Reach out to the owners of other small and medium businesses whom you have relationships with, and don’t hesitate to ask them if they’ve had any experience with Bay Area video production companies, and if there are any they would recommend (or warn you about, for that matter).
A Formal Quotation
When talking to various video production companies, ask them upfront if they will be able to provide you with a formal quotation after you’ve briefed them on your project. This allows you to get an understanding of the cost needed to produce your requirement. Providing a formal quotation is the kind of transparency you should expect from a video production company you will be working with.
An Acceptable Working Leadtime
Don’t be afraid to ask a video production company what their standard lead time is for a project they’ve worked on that is similar to yours. This way, you are also able to manage your expectations and you are able to work on realistic timelines with the company. Stay away from a video production company that seems to over-promise with their lead times (that is, they claim to be able to deliver your requirement “in no time”), but also from companies that seem to sandbag, requiring a lead time that seems too long.
The Right Technical Equipment for Your Project’s Requirements
It’s important to choose a video production company that has all the right tools to deliver on your requirement. When you meet with various companies, don’t be afraid to ask what kind of technology and video production equipment they use. Ideally, the companies would be very open with you and would gladly walk you through their list of equipment, making recommendations as to which ones they would utilize for your project along the way.
Amenable Payment Terms
It’s not easy to shell out funds for marketing projects if you won a small or medium-sized business. That’s why it’s important that your video production company’s payment terms are amenable to you and will fit right into your cash flow. Be transparent with the company you are looking to hire about the payment terms that would suit you, and find a way to agree on a payment scheme that is amenable to both of you before you begin any kind of work.
Willingness to Stretch
Sometimes, beyond a video production company’s technical capabilities or experience and reputation, it’s a particular enthusiasm and passion for their work that can make them stand out. Find a Bay Area video production company that’s willing to go the extra mile for you and your project, with a team that is passionate about their jobs and genuinely care about their output. Often, it’s their willingness to stretch that will result in extraordinary work.
Pleasing Personalities
Finally, at the end of the day nobody wants to work with people who aren’t likable. Take time to meet the team of the video production company you are looking to work with. It’s good to see if you can easily build rapport with them. After all, you will be collaborating with these individuals over a period of time on a project that is extremely important to you and your business. With an admittedly stressful and high stakes situation at hand, the last thing you need is a group of people you can’t seem to get along with.