As the name suggests, an “explainer video” explains a product, service, therapy or treatment. It helps potential customers understand quickly how it works, what it does and the benefits. Sometimes the videos starts with the prospective client’s problem before showing your solution.

Even if you don’t need the extra business right now, an explainer video can help attract the right clients. It saves you time having to explain it. And when clients come in, they’re prepared and know what to expect.

Check out our Explainer Videos package here.

We think of using videos for marketing purposes, but there are other communications challenges within a business. Sometimes recruiting, retaining and training talent is more important.

We’ve made videos with business owners explaining their approach and philosophy that drives the culture of the place. This is backed up with short vox-pop style chats with staff. Cover footage shows the workplace and facilities. For example, do they go home on time, what benefits do they get, and do they all get on well.

Get ahead of competitors. If you work out the costs of recruitment and and staff retention, these clips can have a massive ROI.

We do need to be mindful of people’s privacy. It’s a natural curtessy that we have permission to display people. Here’s some options:

• Put signs up at events and make an announcement at the start, giving folk an option to move to a spot where we know not to film.
• Get signed consent forms, we can help provide these
• Use staff, actors or friends to simulate customers or other participants
• Even when using staff, we’ll often recommend getting a signed consent, in case they leave soon after filming.

It’s generally considered acceptable if you’re in a public place and there are other people around but not featuring.

If you’re in the healthcare sector, check out the example videos on this page.

For some types of video, you may not need to appear in front of the camera at all. We sometimes use voice over or actors or other people involved in the business.

Second, you may only need to appear for a few seconds or say a very few words. With our coaching, short takes are easier.

Third, we know how to help you relax, enjoy and to be a little more animated and to give your best performance. We can use a teleprompter to save remembering lines, and we’ll coach you on how to still look natural. Some practice beforehand does help.

It true that most of us don’t like seeing or hearing ourselves in videos. Yet every day everyone around us sees and hears us. Video as a medium is here to stay and is probably worth getting used to if you’re in business.

Tips for presenting naturally on camera

The first step is deciding what the videos could realistically be worth to your business.

For example, if a video could help win one additional client, improve staff recruitment, reduce sales meetings, or help explain a complex service more effectively, it may justify a much larger investment than simply looking at the production cost alone. The budget should be considered in relation to the potential return and the difference the videos could make to your organisation.

There are also several ways to keep costs down.

Good planning and preparation before filming can significantly reduce production time. Helping with logistics such as organising locations, scheduling interview participants, obtaining permissions and ensuring key staff are available on the day can make the filming process much more efficient.

You may also be able to save money by:

• Using your own staff rather than professional actors where appropriate.
• Combining multiple videos into a single filming day.
• Providing existing photos, graphics or footage that can be incorporated.
• Having scripts, key messages and interview topics prepared in advance.
• Consolidating feedback into one round of amendment requests rather than sending multiple small changes.

Often the most cost-effective approach is to think about creating several pieces of content from one project. For example, a single filming day may provide material for a website video, social media clips, customer testimonials and recruitment content.

If budget is a concern, simply let us know at the beginning of the project. We can usually suggest ways to simplify the production process and maximise the value you receive from the investment.

These tips can apply to all the services, (packages) we provide.

Depending on the complexity and number of videos, most projects are completed in under a month, including planning, filming, editing. There may be a few days going back and forth on pre-production or scripting, filming may take half a day or a day. We’ll usually have a first draft video back to you within a week of filming. Subsequent rounds of changes will be made in a couple of days of your feedback.

If we’re making multiple videos we will write shot lists and batch like scenes/ locations together and film them at the same time to keep costs down.