In the field of corporate video, as is often the case in the world of imagery, the best sits alongside the worst, and the line is thin. While publishing a high-quality video on your website can be a powerful communication tool, it is quite easy to get it wrong, or even lapse into bad taste, regardless of the budget.
Here are 3 simple tips to make your corporate video a success:
Define your target audience
This point may seem obvious. Yet it is crucial: a video intended for potential investors will be completely different from a video intended for your customers. It is essential to avoid mixing genres at all costs, otherwise the message will be blurred and there is little chance you will succeed in reaching your audience: when you try to speak to too many people, you speak to no one.
This amounts to “segmenting” your audience, then targeting the group you want to address. The better you are able to describe your segment or target group, the more relevant your choices in terms of images will be. Try to picture your target audience mentally so you can speak to it more effectively.
Work on your key message and your objectives
Here again, I too often see clients or colleagues trying to get too many messages across in a single video because they have not committed to a clear communication angle. The result is lengthy films that string together shots and sequences that have no coherence between them. In the end, it is a bit like in a sales meeting: the good salesperson is rarely the one who talks a lot, but more often the one who gives the key argument that meets a real customer expectation. There is no good or bad message; the important thing is that this message is aligned with the expectations of your target audience.
There are hundreds of examples from decades of advertising messages: the best spots are those that convey a strong idea and speak to the “primitive brain” (for fans of neuromarketing).
By the way, you should not confuse defining “a strong message” with being “single-argument.” For example, “la fosse tranquille” by Eparcyl is a strong message. The arguments, meanwhile, can be multiple, but they all help reinforce the message: no odors, no maintenance, fewer pump-outs, better operation… tranquil, as we were saying.
Do not let video providers decide for you
This last point is also essential, but I would be tempted to call it a beginner’s mistake. In large companies, the message is defined by a communications agency that directs the filmmakers. In SMEs, many business leaders directly entrust the production of their video to imaging technicians, thinking they will do the marketing work for them: this is an illusion. These providers know how to choose the lighting, define framing, stage a product… but they can never know better than you what message needs to be conveyed. You must set them a precise framework and provide them with clear specifications. Failing to do so means exposing yourself to almost certain disappointment.
