We all love a good uncut video clip, but if you really want people to take your brand seriously, creating a polished video commercial is always a good idea. It’s not that uncut video clips—the 30-second shots you capture on the fly and post to Facebook or your Instagram story—are bad. Everyone does them. They’re casual and fun. But they don’t project the professionalism that a high-quality, polished video commercial can.

More importantly, a polished video product is more versatile than an unedited clip. Those unedited clips can get shared to social media, whereas a polished video product can be shared across many other digital platforms.

Video - Double the senses, double the impression

If you think video is not important, think again. Video is more compelling than text or static images alone. It combines visual and audio elements to engage double the senses and leave double the impression. It’s also important for establishing a sense of trust between your followers or web visitors and you as the face of your brand. When they can see the expression on your face or hear the tone in your voice, it’s much more personable.

Besides, more and more brands are opting for video content. If you don’t join the trend, you’ll just look outdated and get left behind.

So you want to put video in as many places as you possibly can. This might include:

• Your website

• Your IGTV channel and YouTube channel

• Emails blasts or newsletters

Those unedited clips aren’t going to impress anyone when they’re embedded on your website or in your email newsletter. Even on social media, where casual video clips are more acceptable, you’ll do a much better job impressing your followers when you post a polished video product. This is particularly true on those platforms where visuals are the emphasis—the IGTV channel on Instagram and your YouTube channel are places where people are going to consume high-quality video content. Low-quality video just makes your brand look bad.

In short, even if your video isn’t professionally produced, people want it to look and feel professionally produced.

What do you mean by professionally produced? 

There’s a misconception out there that creating a video commercial is going to be expensive and time-consuming. The videos you create and post don’t have to be shot with the latest camera equipment and audio technology. You don’t have to do any clever editing tricks. While it never hurts to invest in a camera and microphone, especially if you plan to do lots of video content, you can capture high-quality video with just your smartphone.

What’s more important is the planning and care. You don’t need a full script and storyboard. Just be composed and comfortable in your presentation. Hold the camera steady (use a stand if necessary) and make sure there is no background noise drowning out what viewers are supposed to hear. Afterward, give it a light edit with an app like Splice or the YouTube Studio.

The finished product doesn’t have to be long. In fact, anything longer than two or three minutes probably won’t hold a viewer’s attention for the full duration. Keep it short!

But this doesn’t really answer why you should be creating and posting videos in the first place. Fair enough. So, let’s consider these points:

Videos get more shares on social media. 

Post a high-quality video to your Facebook feed and people will take notice. They’ll be more likely to engage with your post, and they will be more likely to share it. This increases your reach and spreads your message to more people. It may even garner you more followers. Don’t you want this shared video to project the best image of your brand? Polished means a better first impression.

Videos get a better click-through with your email. 

If you embed a video in your email (or embed just the first 30 seconds and encourage them to watch the rest of it on your website), more people will take notice of this than they will with just plain text. The video catches their attention. Next thing they know, they’ve clicked your link and gone to your website. Use the content of your video to your advantage and convert these leads into customers.

You can communicate so much more with video. 

Remember how we said how video is more engaging and trustworthy than text and static images alone? That’s only part of the reason video resonates so much. You can cover much more ground with video than you can with text. Think about it—is it easier to follow directions when you read step-by-step instructions or when you see somebody actually demonstrating it? Plus the combination of visual and audio elements means your message will stick with people for longer.

Video boosts your standing with search engines. 

If people are watching a video, that means they’re spending more time on your site than they probably would if they were just skimming for information. Plain and simply, this is better for your ranking in search engines, which notice when your web traffic spends more time on your page and is therefore more inclined to direct people your way.

In short, nobody is denying that a polished video takes a little bit of effort, but it’s not the overwhelming project that most people assume it to be. And the payoff is definitely worth it!

Want to get started creating video for your website and using it to its maximum advantage. Connect with the team at Ann’s Social Media & Marketing by calling 443-679-4916 or emailing ann@asmmdigital.com.