Australians are watching more video online than ever before with reports showing we spend, on average a whopping 7 hours, 28 minutes a month viewing video on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Vimeo. This means brands and companies of all industries need to think about adding video content to their marketing mix in order to attract and engage customers.
Until recently, the cost of producing video for use on social media was a time consuming, intensive and a costly process. But, new cloud technologies are shaking up the way video content is produced, disrupting the traditional workflow of production agencies who have dominated the market for so long. A major shift in the way consumers are engaging with video through digital channels has meant brands have had to rethink their overall production budgets in order to meet the need for tailored communications. It is now more affordable than ever for small and medium sized businesses to produce high quality video content that rivals the big brands.
Freedom to name your price
In the past businesses had three main options available to them in order to produce video content – engage a production agency, engage a creative or media agency or invest in hiring an internal team of directors, writers, editors etc. All three options shared a common problem of expense which for some was simply out of the question.
The dramatic growth in the ‘on-demand’ economy combined with cloud advancements has given brands and their agencies a new way of connecting with video creative professionals including videographers, directors, editors, producers, animators, drone operators and photographers.
If you’re a small business on a strict budget, a start-up in need of great videos to get your message out, or a medium to large business looking for ways to work smarter and leaner, using secure cloud video production platforms can help you create content fast, affordably and retain quality.
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are now all ideal platforms for business promotion provided the content is targeted to suit each channel. Overall distributing video across social increases your brand’s footprint, connects you with consumers and drives web traffic. Video is the best way to share the behind the scenes story of your business, promote your achievements, promote your events, or provide useful how-to knowledge and tutorials on how to use your products.
You control the outcome
Traditional production models don’t come cheaply and because many small-to-medium businesses don’t have the skills in-house to manage video production, they are forced to pay a premium for the service. With new cloud-based software and marketplaces such as 90 Seconds, you have full control over your project and can assemble a team of freelance creatives that fit your budget.
The problem with traditional video production methods is that you’re forced to hand over the entire project. In contrast, new cloud-solutions give businesses of any size the tools to manage the project themselves (if you want to). You know exactly what you’re getting for your money, how other businesses have rated the work of the creatives you’ve selected, what equipment they will use on your job and importantly can set timeframes to ensure the project is delivered on-time and on-budget.
It also gives you the freedom to save in other areas. For example, production companies and freelancers would usually charge you extra to pay for acting talent. However, you or your team can star in your own video and it won’t cost you a thing. If your company already owns equipment but you need production expertise or editing software, you can be specific in what production service you require and not pay someone else’s overheads. You are truly in control of the complete package.
Break down borders
Global companies like Uber are using cloud platforms to help streamline the costs of shooting across multiple locations globally. In less than 12 days, they produced near-identical videos localised for each market by shooting in multiple locations that were then edited centrally through cloud software. This ensures consistency of branding and quality without the cost of hiring production agencies in every market around the globe.
Leave it to the pros
Using cloud based video marketplaces to source freelancers (many of whom also work for the video production and advertising agencies) and managing the production workflow with cloud based tools means small businesses can now access the best at a fraction of the traditional cost. They can compile a team with ideas and diverse skill sets, obtain insurance that will protect the company during the production process, and have a content manager guide them every step of the way.
We are already at a stage where companies producing quality video content as a core element of their marketing are leaving those without it in their wake. If it’s cost that’s holding you back, now there’s no excuse to be left behind.
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