2023 has been labelled as “the year of video marketing”.

But then so was 2022. And 2021. Come to think of it, didn’t 2020 also hold that esteemed title too? The reason that it is always “the year of video marketing” is because, these days, it is simply the most popular form of content. Many people prefer to watch and listen than to read.

So, if you are a manufacturing company and have not yet invested in some video marketing, you are missing out!

Many manufacturers are not quite sure how to use video properly to benefit their business. But trust us, having worked in the sector for a number of years, we’ve come up with the best ways manufacturers can utilise the power of video…

• • Company Overview Video
  • Testimonial & Case Studies Videos
  • Product Demo Videos
  • Recruitment Videos
  • FAQs / How-To Videos

A professionally made company overview video will make more of an impression on potential customers than words and text alone. Video quickly gives them a much better understanding of the range of products and services you offer, your capabilities, and the scale of the operation they’re engaging with.

There are many different styles of company overview video to select, and there will be a version to suit you. You might combine footage of the factory and interviews with key personnel, or you could opt for footage with an off-screen narration. You might include aerial filming, time-lapse, graphics and animation. Rest assured, we will work with you on every step to find the way that best fits your company image and communicates the right message to resonate with your target audience.

And because people love video, search engine algorithms love websites with video content. So, having an overview video on our website can help attract more visitors too. It is important that your videos are optimised properly – but we’ll save all that for another blog.

It is great to have an overview video embedded on the home page of your website, but there are so many other things you can do with the video: use it to enhance directory listings; play on screens in reception/waiting rooms; use in sales meetings and presentations; load onto branded memory keys; add to LinkedIn profiles and pages; upload to your Facebook page; share the whole video and/or short snippets from it on Twitter and Instagram like this one made from the main video produced for AH Spares…

If you want to really grab the attention of potential customers, impress your existing clients, and instantly demonstrate what a slick operation your company is, then a product demonstration video (PDV) instantly ticks all those boxes.

To the untrained eye, some of the best features of a particular product are not immediately obvious. But you can use a PDV in the same way you would employ a sales person to explain complex functions visually, and directly address concerns and questions that prospective clients might have.

It can act like a walk-through demonstration to explain how a product works, and what unmissable benefits it will bring to a potential buyer.

With our PDV service, we can instantly make your product the star of the show, giving you an opportunity to put it in front of your target audience.

A good product demo should be short and snappy while zooming in on a few or even just the one outstanding feature as a clear message is communicated. Complicated processes can be broken down in simple steps, and explained visually. Concise and simple videos will show your product as easy to use and well designed.

These product demo videos can be used on your website, played on screens at trade shows, and shown on tablets, laptops or smartphones in sales meetings. Various studies have found that adding the term ‘video’ in the subject line of e-mail newsletter significantly increases open rates, and having videos in the body of the message increases click-throughs.

We made the product demo above for ABB to show how their conduit system protects cabling used in food and beverage production machines, and is designed to withstand the rigorous cleaning procedures needed in this environment. Note how each key feature is focused upon while a clear and concise explanation is communicated. We also created French, Italian, German and Manadrin versions.

Imagine you had a team of passionate sales people who consistently generated business for you – and it didn’t cost you a penny. Well, listen up – you already have this team in place… your own customers!

With a well-made video you can turn their glowing feedback into the best sales tool you have ever had. People clearly value the thoughts and opinions of other customers. So, if you’re doing a great job, providing great products or services, why not turn your customers into the ultimate sales force?

With longer case study videos you can demonstrate what you do, how you do it, and the benefits of working with your company. More importantly than all of that is the experience your customers have had working with you, and how you helped solve a problem for them. While still showcasing the products you manufacture, it is the relatability of what your customers say which carries the real power. Videos are more effective than written content because it is easier to communicate emotion, and they deliver more credibility.

In this example, made for Mentice who design and build medical simulators, the narrative is created by using interviews with medical experts who use the company’s devices as part of the training programmes in their departments. Note how real praise for the product comes across from senior staff who are genuinely pleased to be working with it. There’s no better way of communicating that depth of sincere praise.

Video can become a vital element of your recruitment process, marketing your business and helping to attract the right candidates. A recruitment video can give potential applicants an indication of the company’s ethos, culture and personality, showing what it would be like to work there. The narrative for the videos could even be driven by interviews with current employees, or scripted off-screen narration. You could develop a series of individual videos with people working in different roles, to give an insight into the parts of the business.

Above is an example of a recruitment videos we made for Wabtec Faiveley UK who wanted to stress the different levels at which you could join their business, but also the opportunities for career progression. This video also expresses the warmth and camaraderie that exists among the staff in a way that no other medium could.

Once you have recruited the right people, you can use videos to help with their induction and orientation, as people will retain more information after watching a video rather than reading text. They can also be an important part of operational or health and safety training. Videos can be incorporated into online training schemes, which can test a viewer’s understanding and record results.

If your customer service department is spending lots of time answering the same questions about your products on the phone, or even having to repeatedly visit B2B customers to demonstrate how to do something, then consider using videos to provide the answers. Particularly if it is a technical issue – it’s so much easier to show someone a video rather than explain it over the telephone, and it would end up being much cheaper than multiple site visits. Not only will this help your customers, it will free up more time for your staff.

You can also use FAQ videos to pro-actively address and counter the most common stumbling blocks your sales team face, and in turn speed up the sales process.

If you are manufacturing consumer goods, videos could be used to demonstrate ‘how-to’ assemble and/or operate them. We created a series of videos showing how to install fire alarms, and the manufacture included QR codes on the packaging, taking customers straight to the relevant video for each model…

If you need any help developing your video marketing strategy, or producing the videos, then please don’t hesitate to contact us on01789 416990 or info@definitionmedia.co.uk

If you’re a marketing professional, you can see the real advantages of video content. But how do you get executive buy-in for a video project?

Here are some tips on turning video sceptics into true believers. Simply read our guide, prepare for the questions they will inevitably ask, secure a meeting, and get ready to win the thumbs-up.

“Why do we need it?”

Depending on your sector, it could be that your competitors are already using video and you don’t want to fall behind. Or perhaps you want to gain an advantage by becoming front-runners? A useful stat to bolster this point is how by 2022, video will account for 82% of all consumer internet traffic. In your meeting, consider the problem you are trying to solve and be prepared to demonstrate the buyer need for this. Conduct your own customer and/or employee research ahead of time, so you’ve got evidence to back up your claims.

“How is video better than what we’re already doing?”

There are lots of statistics about the power of video. This is your chance to sell it as the revenue-injector that it is. If you are presenting to B2B, you might explain how over 75% of Fortune 500 executives watch online videos and 65% of senior executives have visited a vendor’s website after watching a video. For B2C you could share the report that 79% of people say a brand’s video convinced them to make a purchase. Video increases dwell time on websites, which in turn helps with SEO. And add a little bit about why video works – it engages more senses, it’s more memorable and it conveys more emotion.

“How would we use it?”

This will depend on the type of video you are making. So, have some ready examples of the type of videos you want to make. Is it a general company overview like the one we made for analytics platform SKUtrak? To launch a new product or service? Customer testimonials for an upcoming trade show? A thought leadership series? Promoting a training course like medical simulation company Mentice? Propose where the video could be used (e.g., website, trade shows, in emails, etc.) and who by (HR, sales, marketing, tech team, etc.). Why not suggest producing one or two videos to start with as a trial and explain how one video’s footage can be repurposed into shorter social clips?

(Take a look at our video portfolio for content ideas)

“How much will it cost us and how long will it take?”

Video doesn’t have to break the bank but be realistic with your forecast. Don’t show high-cost examples and give the lowest quote for a video you can find; in other words, don’t promise a Ferrari for the cost of Fiesta. At Definition Media we are used to making the most of the budget available, and we can advise on the likely time requirements for each member of your team. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss the cost and time implications of your ideas.

“How will it improve my business – what’s the ROI?”

Show you can measure success and demonstrate return on investment. Think about the specific goals you want to achieve through video. Is it solely about converting potential leads into customers? Or is it about increasing engagement through likes, shares, or comments? Or do you just want to increase time spent on your website? Thankfully there are many excellent video hosting platforms that provide different analytics (check out our blog on the best ones). You can track social shares, click-through rate, conversion rate, and you can capture emails within video or compare revenue generation before and after. If you want to wrap up your meeting with a stat, 96% of B2B organisations now use video in some capacity in their marketing campaigns of which 73% report positive results in ROI.

Definition Media creates effective, versatile video content for businesses, charities and other organisations. Want to know more? Give us a call on 01789 416990 to discuss your project, or e-mail us with details, so we can provide a personalised quote.

Sources:
https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/m/en_us/solutions/service-provider/vni-forecast-highlights/pdf/Global_2021_Forecast_Highlights.pdf
https://www.t-sciences.com/news/humans-process-visual-data-better/  https://www.forbes.com/forbesinsights/video_in_the_csuite/
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics-2020/
https://blog.hubspot.com/customers/seven-principles-for-video-ctas

Lockdown 3 may be destroying your social life but it doesn’t have to put the brakes on your sales and marketing efforts. And with home working pushing more people online for longer, it’s a great time to go out and grab attention.

That’s where video comes in. It’s the perfect way to share company news, product launches, or specific Covid-19 processes – and it’s safe and cost-effective.

Here’s our pandemic-proof guide to creating great video content.

Covid-19 safe shoots

First off, in the right circumstances, we can still film. We’ve adapted our shooting procedures to ensure the safety of crew and clients with an enhanced hygiene regime, travel protocols, and PPE: see our Back To Filming safety measures for more. However, we understand some people may feel uncomfortable filming in person, so we’ve come up with some alternatives…

Embrace animation

Animation is an ideal format for ‘now’ as it can be produced entirely remotely. With a recent survey finding 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. Animation is an exciting way to showcase your business, deliver training or tell your brand story (#1). Animation works particularly well to explain complex ideas and liven up heavy-going data. Your video could be 100% animation or made up of a combination of sources – for example, stock footage and/or self-recorded interviews.

Repurpose existing footage

If you already have a few videos in the bank, why not repurpose footage and create new content? Perhaps there’s a film that didn’t make an original edit or existing content you could present in a different way? For example, we took footage from the company overview and other videos we previously produced for manufacturing giant ABB and added captions to create a brand new welcome video for their YouTube channel, which you can see below, and other short-form videos.

Bring in stock clips

Our access to stock footage libraries means we can create compelling videos without having to leave the office. We can pair library content with new scripted narration, captions, or combine it with self-recorded interviews. The choice of content is endless – think cityscapes, people wearing face masks, industrial environments, people in offices… We can work with you on a brief to make your video as current and creative as you like.

Record interviews remotely

If you need people talking to camera, we can help you set this up remotely and advise on lighting, sound, backgrounds, and how best to record the content – for example, not via Zoom! We can also tidy up your material in the edit and combine it with other elements such as stock footage, your own media archive, captions, and graphics. Take a look at the video we made for Swedish medical tech company Mentice. It includes self-shot interviews with doctors, captions, animation, and footage filmed in Sweden. We organised the crew and provided technical and creative direction and edited without leaving the UK.

We’re also proud of this remotely-shot video for US geosynthetics organisation IGS Foundation. We helped the contributors record their content from home, and edited this together with assets provided by the IGSF and stock footage.

So, there you have it; if you’d like to increase sales and brand awareness or share an important message, video is the answer. And of course, if you are not quite ready to start creating content now, why not use lockdown as an opportunity to strategise and think about how you can use video in your marketing output?

Talk to us now about how we can help develop your video marketing strategy. Contact Martin on 01789 416990 or info@definitionmedia.co.uk.

^#1 https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics-2020/

Using video to promote your restaurant or café is a brilliant idea. It could be the key ingredient in marketing your venue to the biggest and best audience.

A recent Google report stressed that potential customers like to “know before they go”, meaning they do their research before visiting a restaurant or café to get a visual taster of what’s to come. They don’t want to waste their hard-earned cash or their time.

Video plays a big part in that research. Videos help your current and potential customers to see what’s on offer. Not only that, but video can help the SEO of your website, meaning you could be found even easier than before. Hello, new customers!

So, shouldn’t you be using video to promote your restaurant, café, deli or even your gelato kitchen? Here’s a look at the sort of films that could be produced for your food-based business:

Promo Video

A promotional video of your restaurant or café is an opportunity to make more of an emotional connection with potential customers. A well-made video will not only show the great food you serve but also give an idea of the ambience, as well as highlighting what makes your restaurant or café special. A video will entice people to visit.

Your video should be about the things that set you apart, the things that make your restaurant or café a unique destination. Is it the enormous range of flavours you offer? Do you serve unusual takes on popular dishes? Present the food in a different style? Are the portions enormous? Is there a great view? Is the décor particularly unusual or quirky?

People watching a video of your establishment can quickly tell if it is the sort of venue for a quick bite to eat with a young family, a spot for a romantic dinner, or a high-powered business lunch.

“At Hooray’s we all loved the video produced by Definition media.  The catchy tune and awesome video clips portray a happy place, smiling faces with fun flavours and foods, which is exactly what Hooray’s is all about. Initially launched on Facebook, our video reached over 4.4k with lots of positive comments and a great response from our customers. We have the video on our the home page of our website, giving new web visitors an idea of the Hooray’s experience. We’ve used clips on social media posts, and have looped it at a local business event.  It caught the attention of buyers and provided a wonderful glimpse into the Hooray’s brand, giving prospective clients a true taste of what’s in store.”  Sara Young, Hooray’s. 

Food porn videos

Who remembers – who can forget? – the M&S “not just food” advert in 2005, with Dervla Kirwan’s sultry voice proclaiming, “this is not just a pudding… this is a melt in the middle Belgian chocolate pudding”?

It was the start of “food porn”, spawning thousands of spoof ads. But it worked, supposedly increasing sales of M&S chocolate pudding by 3,500%!

You don’t have to go all M&S! But why not create some short, teaser videos showing dishes from your menu looking absolutely amazing? You could tell a story about each dish… “with a secret recipe handed down from my Italian grandmother…” or “made with the finest strawberries from the local Castle Estate”. Use a voice-over with the footage of the food or have the chef or one of the team describing it.

Nothing sparks the anticipation of a diner more than a tempting, lingering look at that standout dish – a plate of food that simply could not be captured in a single frame. On a video, viewers can almost smell the food. A video can lure a diner through the door when they’re not even stood on the street.

‘Meet the team’ videos

The members of your team are a major connection point with your customers, and they can make a restaurant, bar or café stand out. A series of ‘meet the team’ videos can be effective in presenting the personal side of the business.

The owners and the head chef are key figures of course, but think too about all staff members, the roles they play and anything else that makes them – and your food business – stand out from the crowded marketplace.

Nothing is too wacky when it comes to ‘meet the team’ films: tell the story behind the uniform, use funny outtakes, and let family tales flow – incredible food and drink is only part of what makes your business great.

Culinary tips on video

Why not create a series of short videos with your chefs, demonstrating some quick cooking tips or techniques they have mastered? You could share the recipe for a popular sauce or a vital element to a dish, such as the salad dressing – you don’t need to give away secret recipes!

If you have bar staff, don’t forget them. They could show viewers how to make the perfect mojito or Bloody Mary.

These types of video give viewers a look behind the scenes and show your team’s expertise, as well as their personalities.

Useful Links

You might be able to shoot some of these videos yourself, or we could help you. See our blog post on DIY filming versus using a video production company.

To find out more about how we can help you to create engaging videos to promote your restaurant, café, deli or coffee shop, telephone 01789 416990 or email info@definitionmedia.co.uk.

With more and more brands harnessing the potential of video content, it’s important to think about the best place to host your customer-facing business videos.

Here’s the good news: video hosting options are plentiful, with many simple, powerful solutions available.

YouTube is the biggest video hosting website in the world, with 1.57 billion active users each month and the second most popular search engine. But does this make it the best choice for your company videos?

Let’s look at a few options, to help you decide on the best place to host your business videos.

Video hosting option no. 1: YouTube

YouTube is the biggest global player when it comes to video hosting.

YouTube accounts are free by default and the provider won’t display adverts on standard accounts; there are, however, two exceptions to this: if you host content that you don’t own (using a copyright-protected song in the background of a video, for example) or if you opt to monetise your videos.

Adverts aren’t ideal on a corporate channel, but as long as you only use original content and don’t monetise your account, they’ll stay away.

Pros of using YouTube

• Your videos will play on every device and the resolution will be optimised to fit viewer device and broadband speed
• It is home to the majority of videos on the internet with the highest number of active users
• You don’t need to worry about bandwidth usage on your own website
• You can easily add cards, end plates with links to other videos, playlists, and hyperlinks to your website
• There is the option to monetise content
• It is free to use.

Cons of using YouTube

• You cannot customise the YouTube player when you embed it on your website
• Some workplaces block employees from watching YouTube
• A wide user base can result in unrelated, negative and sometimes offensive comments, plus general spam. The comment function can be disabled to combat this
• Adverts play on some videos
• Customer support can be difficult to contact.

Video hosting option no. 2: Vimeo

Vimeo provides smooth and near faultless playback that means your content is delivered uninterrupted. You can also customise the player to match your branding.

There is a free option, but it is only for personal use. There is a range of subscriptions available, from £6 to £70 per month depending on which services you require.

Vimeo’s income is generated by user subscriptions, which means they don’t place advertising on your videos.

Pros of using Vimeo

• Smooth playback
• No adverts
• Customisable player
• Analytics
• More serious viewer comments and less “trolling” than YouTube
• More privacy options than YouTube
• Add you own logo (in some paid for accounts)
• Live streaming (in paid for accounts)
  
• E-mail capture cards (in paid for accounts)

Cons of using Vimeo

• Commercial users need to pay for a Vimeo account
• Some packages have limits on storage and uploads
• Vimeo has a much smaller user base than YouTube

YouTube versus Vimeo: the verdict

For a free, powerful video hosting platform with great search optimisation and a large number of users, YouTube is the best option.

If privacy, no adverts, superior personalised branding capabilities and excellent customer support are priorities, Vimeo is likely to be a better option for hosting your business videos.

Video hosting option no. 3: Hosting videos yourself

There is another option: self-hosting.

You might be surprised to find out that the web package with which you host your website might be able to take your videos too!

While this might seem like a good option, there are a few considerations. You must ensure you have a web server with sufficient specifications and bandwidth to deal with streaming, a suitable video player (probably HTML5) and a good knowledge of web coding to embed the video player on your website. If you’re still on board with the idea of self-hosting, we recommend you trial it somewhere non-critical.

Unlike a photo, it is not always ideal to host videos directly on your website. There are many reasons why this is a bad idea, but perhaps the most compelling is that it just doesn’t work that well. Video files tend to be large, which will quickly eat up your server bandwidth and storage space. That means potential glitches and errors when people try to view them, as well as potential compatibility and quality problems for people using different browsers or mobile devices.

Pros of self-hosting videos

• You have full control of your video streaming
• Could help generate more traffic directly to your website.

Cons of self-hosting videos

• Difficult to set up
• Potential playback and compatibility issues
• Possibly uncapped bandwidth costs

The best place to host your business videos: the conclusion

We’d advise sticking to one of the mainstream hosting providers. After all, a video that doesn’t play is worse than no video at all.

YouTube, Vimeo and other video hosting platforms put some serious cash into ensuring they provide an almost instantaneous, reliable and professional service, so take advantage of their hard work and spending power!

At Definition Media we use Vimeo as our preferred option because we feel it offers a great suite of features that we can really take advantage of, and the cost is minimal. But we also upload to YouTube, with slightly different titles – it can’t hurt!

Further Information

 If you are looking for more functionality, with capture cards, and more advanced analytics, look out for our forthcoming blog weighing up advanced hosting options provided by the likes of BrightCove, Wistia, and Vidyard.

We are also working on a blog on with top tips on how to get more YouTube views.

If you have any questions about hosting your videos, or if you need help making professional video content then give us a call on 01789 4166990, or e-mail info@definitionmedia.co.uk