When a client approaches Top Pup Media to produce a video, we usually ask for a simple video brief to work with. A brief is simply a set of instructions so we can understand you and your video production needs; it may be a written order or an email with a simple outline.Here is the typical information that you might include to help the early stages go smoothly:
About You
First, we need to know about you and your business. It is helpful for us to know information about your industry. In some cases, it would also be helpful for us know your market share and market competitiveness (for example a sales video), but most importantly the “personality” of you company and brand. Personality is everything; it helps customers to remember you and your product and this is just as true for sales videos as it is for recruitment videos.
About Your Audience
We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to focus on the audience and their expectations. An internal training video will require a different look and approach than a sales video, for example. To deliver your core message, we have to deliver the right message in the right way and to the right people. How do you expect them to react? Strike a balance between being everything to everyone and reaching out to your core audience.
The Message
Once the audience and company’s personality is defined, it’s time to define the core message of the video. A video is not a cure-all, but it can be an effective tool for your business. It is important, however, that you have a clear understanding of what you are trying to say. Keep it simple and keep it engaging, and most importantly, communicate to your audience. When you know the purpose of your video, everything becomes much easier.
Where Will The Video Be Seen?
With lines blurred between traditional media and internet media, and most commercially produced advertisements being uploaded to YouTube for maximum impact, you would think this wasn’t quite so important. However, where your video will end up remains an important consideration. Where social media is the main outlet, it’s vital that we grab the audience in the first 15 seconds. For television, it’s important but less so because the audience cannot “click away”. For a company training video, grabbing the audience is barely at all.
Potential Outcomes
If your video is the solution, what would success look like? What do you hope to achieve with this video? Increased sales? Greater awareness of your cause? Improved customer service for your business? Increased market share? For your idea to become a “meme” (something that people share because it is memorable, amusing or they wish to make a fashion statement). Without knowing what you hope to achieve with the video, you couldn’t possibly measure its success later.
