| Video content: Impact on a small budget |
| Friday, 27 November 2009 03:58 |
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Cisco gives tips on a cost effective way for SMEs to promote themselves via video.
Cisco gives tips on a cost effective way for SMEs to promote themselves via video. Today, video doesn’t have to cost the earth. In fact, it’s become a cost effective way for SMEs to promote themselves and stay in touch with their customers; after all, an image can tell a thousand words. But how can you use it to impress your customers on a limited budget? David Critchley, Director of Cisco’s UK&I SME and Commercial division offers advice on how to make great video content with a small budget.• Do your research: when it comes to communication, video can be the sharpest tool in your box. Video grabs people's attention far more quickly and effectively than text or photographs so it’s a great way to reflect what kind of organisation you are. As a starting point, look at other videos that have caught your attention in the past and take note of the things you liked them; do the same with ones you didn’t like as well. • Get the basics right: Use the best resources available to you; there’s a huge range of high quality video cameras out there that deliver great results, even high definition recording, at a reasonable price. The best thing is, the simplicity of these devices makes them quick and easy to use so you don’t have to spend ages working your way round complicated routes to transfer and edit your content • Plan ahead: It’s very important that you have an idea of what you want to get across in the video so create a storyboard first. Lack of planning will show on screen and it’s the easiest way to waste time and go over budget. A simple outline that you can follow along with will do, although beware: creating a full script and just reading from it will result in a boring video • Choose wisely: Use people that can speak and represent your business well on camera. Video is a great way to connect with your customers so you want your representatives to be engaging, concise and able to keep on topic. The most important thing, however, is that they are comfortable and act naturally in front of the camera; your customers will be able to tell straight away if it’s forced • Location, location, location: Getting the location right is one of the easiest ways to make your video look good so make sure you chose an appropriate background for the message you’re trying to get across whether that’s corporate or quite informal. Don’t forget to check your lighting by having a test run – it’s an easy mistake to make but it’s also an easy one to correct! • Add the personal touch: Don’t be afraid to inject a little of your business’ personality into the video; after all, it’s a statement about your company. Include details that reflect your own brand values as these will probably make up the most engaging part of your video. Plus, a creative video will bring more plays and more hits to your website! • The finishing touches: There’s some great editing software available that can really make your video stand out from the crowd by adding impressive effects. It doesn’t have to cost the earth either; in fact, check your operating system for any free ones that might come with it. Otherwise, there are some brilliant ones that are available to download for free. They’re easy to use and can help craft your story into a professional looking video clip • The final cut: You’ll need to edit your video down to remove any unnecessary footage, that doesn’t add anything to the ‘story’. You want to engage your audience all the way through, so be ruthless and remove any content that you think will make it too long winded or drawn out. The key to a great video is to keep it short and snappy
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