Let’s get into it: How do you choose a video production agency?
I know that most of you will jump on Google, and search “Video Production Company Melbourne”, or “Video Production Agency Sydney” or whichever city you reside in. Suddenly, you find yourself inundated with numerous production companies, all of whom offer a wide range of services.
So how do you pick one?
Here are the Top 3 Tips to consider before and when choosing one…
Tip 1: Do you already know what type of video you want to make?
There are several implications in knowing the answer to this question:
- Overall cost of the project
- Type of video company you should to hire
- How much time you realistically need to complete it
While most businesses generally have a need for a specific video, say a Case Study video, or a video to launch a product or service, sometimes, it is not so simple.
Some businesses are told to make videos to improve SEO, or help improve lead generation or conversions. However, they are not told how to do it.
As a video content or marketing agency, we would need a longer discussion to discover what SEO you need, or what kinds of leads have the most success for conversions.
For example, say you want an event coverage video of an important event, then you can find event video production houses, or many independent operators who are more than able to provide that service at a very reasonable cost.
If you also know that you want to have a live-feed of the event to the screens of the hall, or live stream for online audiences, then there then there are production houses who specialise in making this happen seamlessly.
Or say you need videos to improve your website’s SEO, then there is a bigger content strategy that needs to be addressed. You will want to find a video production agency who is more adapt at helping plan the strategy that will best suit the goals of what you want to achieve.
You probably won’t want the same team who produced your event coverage to plan content strategy.
It may also cost more, but what you are paying for is research and understanding of your audience and your business, and how the video(s) can best reflect and achieve their goals for your business.
But if you pick the right one, you know that that investment will return in folds. Some of these videos continue to help the business many years later.
Tip 2: Know and Be Realistic about Budget
I had written quite extensively about costs and calculations of making videos. You can read about “How to Calculate the Cost of a Video’ here. If you want to know “How Much does it Cost to Make a Corporate Video”, click here.
A realistic budget give a video production agency a good indication on how to approach making your videos. They can then give you realistic expectations of what to expect for your budget.
You can’t expect multiple paid actors, and multiple days of shoot with a full camera crew for $1000. And you would expect a single camera operator to show up with his handicam when you pay $10,000.
Crucially, while we want to provide you with the best service an the highest quality of work, the budget will determine the amount of time we can realistically put into it.
For example, there are many SaaS tools nowadays that provided tiered or ala-carte service. You may pay a small fee, but you may have limited features or implementation support.
Video production is similar. While we want to, provide the full Red Carpet experience, the budget may only allow a small Ikea rug.
So think about what you can do by yourself, what you want help with, and what you need the Video Production Agency to do for you. In that way, there is a better chance of stretching the budget further, or reducing the budget.
Tip 3: Do they understand you?
It is true that finding a video production agency who has industry experience means that they understand your business. However, it does not always mean that they understand you and your business.
Even for an event coverage, a good video production company will try to understand what is important about the event.
Say, your business has invited a very important speaker to inspire the staff to improve productivity. We could suggest that it might be good to get some staff to speak on-camera to see if the event had an impact.
If you have a new product to launch, it is very important that your video agency understands not just what the product and features. Knowing how it helps your customers is also important.
Letting us know who your customer is, allows us to tailor the style and tone of the video to the audience. It will also let use help you determine how best to share your videos.
For example, you don’t expect to reach a many over 60s who need retirement investment management on TikTok, or even YouTube shorts. You might be better off with Email Video Sales Letters (VSLs).
So even though a video agency who has done extensive work in your industry is important, it is not everything.
If that company does not take the time to understand your needs and goals for the video, then it may not be as effective as it can be.
So how do you choose a video production agency?
When you know what your video is suppose to do, and have calculated a reasonable budget, then looking for an agencies is easier.
You will be able to first narrow down your search terms to what type of video you want to make. Then speak to 3 to 5 video production companies to see if they take the time to listen to your needs. If we ask you about your budget, be honest with us, because how we respond is a good indicator of whether we are able to work with you.
A good video production agency will take time to understand you and then let you know what is realistic with your budget, and give you the option to choose if that is how you want to proceed. But beware of the video companies who promise everything without qualifying how they will do it.
Also if 3 out of 5 agencies tell you that the cost is $X, and one of them tell you that it is only half of $X, be sure that you are getting the same service as the other more expensive companies. And if the last one charges 2 times of $X, then you want to make sure you are paying for what you need, not what they want you to have.
Ultimately, work with the company whom you feel most confident, will give you what you need because they have taken time to understand you.
