An interview with GA Creative’s principal Sara Patillo

With 93% of today’s marketers using video for marketing, sales or communications, it’s clear that marketers know how effective video content can be. For example, not only does video in email increase click through rates—just using the word “video” in a subject line boosts open rates. To better understand the impact of video in the marketing mix, we turned to our resident video expert, Sara, for her insights.

What role do videos play in marketing today?
Branding is all about storytelling. And videos are one of the best ways to tell a story. Four times as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it. That’s good news, because the way our brains work, viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it on video, compared to 10 percent when reading it in text. Videos engage viewers in a much more dynamic and sensory-satisfying way. And the impact shows in the ROI: Marketers who use video grow revenue 49 percent faster than non-video users.

Videos can be really expensive. What are some ways companies can keep costs down?
Sometimes you can create a video without the expense of a video shoot. You can use existing footage, stills, graphics and copy to create an animated slideshow that plays like a video when set to music or a voiceover. If you are going to capture new footage, it’s best to prepare in advance with a storyline and storyboards before shooting. That way, you’re not wasting time capturing footage you won’t use. With video crews typically billing by the day, make the most of your investment by shooting more than you need for one project as you can always create a second video later when budget allows for additional editing.

If you’re featuring real people in your video, like employees or customers, how do you help them prepare?
Interview participants before the shoot day to understand how they tell their story and how you might elicit the messages you want to portray. It’s helpful to provide participants with a “what to expect” document outlining questions you’ll be asking (if interviewing), how to dress and what extra clothes to bring, as well as who to expect at the shoot. If you’re hiring a stylist, it’s a good idea to discuss how wardrobe, hair and make-up will be used. And of course, don’t forget to have each participant sign a release agreement, indicating their consent to use footage of them in your video.
What exactly is b-roll and what is it for?

B-roll is simply secondary imagery that can be used as filler in your video. For example, if your video focuses on interviews with customers or employees, it’s much more interesting to cut away from a talking head to show relevant images while the storyline continues. If a customer is talking about a particular aspect of your product, good b-roll would be a cutaway to footage of this feature in action. This is especially helpful when editing together separate sections of an interview.

What are some critical steps in planning for a video shoot that some people may not think of?
In addition to preparing the participants, you will need to prepare the location where you will be filming. When considering locations, take into account space for the crew, how quiet it needs to be when capturing audio, and what or who might be in the background. Most people don’t think of office air conditioning systems as noisy, but they can sound like a freight train if you’re not careful.

Once you’ve landed on a desired location, be sure to get permission and/or permits as needed. If you’re shooting in a busy workplace, having a designated point person to coordinate with bystanders is extremely helpful. Finally, timing is everything. To ensure you capture everything you need to, be realistic about how much you can capture in your allotted timeframe, limiting the number of locations and set ups.