In this post, we cover a set of questions are applicable to almost any video category and serve as your guiding compass in the development of your audience-tailored talking points or script. In previous posts, we have offered tips for improving your on-camera interviews that covered finding a good location, wardrobe do's and don'ts, and general reminders to get you prepared for your interview. Now we are giving you 13 pre-production questions to drive the content of your next video.
We often share these questions with clients who need a jumpstart in conceptualizing a video and we hope you use them as a reference the next time you want to produce a video.
Pre-Production Questions
What is the purpose of this video?
What are the key messages you want to get across?
Who is your target audience?
Why should they care about the content of your video?
Can you make the content you share interesting? Memorable? Funny? Heartfelt?
Is there a common problem that you can help the viewer solve?
If viewers remember only one or two things, which are most important? How can you underscore their importance?
What is the desired action you want your audience to take after watching your video?
Is this a one-and-done video or is it part of a series? --Should your call to action mention other videos to watch?
Does your video have a run-time constraint or format?
Who are the content experts and/or representatives you need on camera?
What key data points, anecdotes, visual aids, and supporting footage (b-roll) will ensure your video's message is received as it was intended?
What are your key performance measures for this video once it has been produced? If you don't have performance measures, how will you know if the video achieved your goals?
Many commonly believe that once you have hired a video production company, the hard part is behind you, when in actuality, and many ways, your job has really only begun. Medium to large companies have marketing and sales departments to help them develop the talking points and/or script for videos, but if you are like most small businesses and startups, those departments don't exist, which is why we suggest sitting down with these 13 questions so that you are clear about the video's core message and your goals for its production. The last thing you want to do is to show up on production day ill-prepared, only to end the day feeling uneasy because your central message didn't speak to your core customer or you forgot to include a call to action.
Video is a time-centered format, meaning, your audience hasn't committed to reading pages of content to understand what you are communicating with them. Nor is your audience seated in front of you giving you their undivided attention. Your target audience is likely task switching like the rest of us and they have attention limitations, so remember, when you are developing your video's messaging, try to keep your messages focused and concise to keep the audience interested in what you are saying. The entire point of creating a video is to elicit a particular reaction from your intended audience. If you keep this in mind from day one, you will lay the foundation for a video that meets your intended goals and provides you a return on your investment.
We make creating videos easy. Need a video for your next product or service launch but you aren't sure where to start? Contact our creative team at info@whitecloudmg.com, and let us help you bring your big ideas to the screen.