What Should a Videographer's Marketing Video/Demo Reel Include?

Before you begin writing a script or planning your shots to produce a primary video that introduces your service to clients, review the following marketing research findings. (Collected 2/8/18 to 4/26/18).

Maximum Video Length Average: 102 seconds (1:42)

Industry Overview:

85% of small business owners say that if all videographers had a short video, it would help them choose. 18% of business owners reported having a marketing video of their own. 86% of small business owners would use the internet to find a videographer.

Things that Improve Customer Interest:

1. Great production quality (great lighting, clear audio, creative shots, past work samples, appealing background music) 30
2. Clear, concise, compelling message, good speaking/communication skills 14
3. Case studies, past client results, track record, customer testimonials (list of known local businesses as clients), reviews 11
4. Specialty/past experience is relevant/fits needs, knowledgeable of my audience, or has portfolio variety 9
5. Shows creativity, is unique, artistic 6
6. Good pricing (upfront) 6
7. Style is a fit 5
8. Good client interactions/Videographer at work (appears to listen to client, open to my opinion) 5
9. Personality is a fit 5
10. Shows what to expect, the process 3
11. Appears detail oriented, accurate, careful 2
12. Has a drone 2
13. Professionalism 2
14. Aren’t pushy/trying to hard to sell 1
15. Consistency of quality 1
16. Ability to capture the viewers’ attention 1
17. Can also help post the video/marketing 1
18. Able to provide different lengths/versions 1
19. Showing how different lighting or camera angles work 1
20. Have something that makes them stand out 1

Things that Scare Customers Away:

1. Low production quality of the video (shakiness, blurriness, poor audio, poor lighting, busy text, cheesy graphics, poorly shot scenes, poor soundtrack, poor narrative, poor portfolio, over or under exposed, poor editing, poor animation) 20
2. High price 7
3. Style does not fit preference 6
4. Too much about themselves, not enough about what they can do for the client 6
5. Failure to be clear, concise, videos too long 5
6. Signs of unprofessionalism 5
7. Poor speaking/communication skills 4
8. Inappropriate or offensive content 4
9. Genre specialty does not match (sports, outdoor) 3
10. Overproduced (rapid cuts 2, too much special effects) 3
11. Using actors instead of authentic presentation, drama 3
12. Ego/arrogance 3
13. Pushing the client to do it “their way”, imposing their ideas 2
14. Personalities not a fit 2
15. Awkward client interactions 1
16. Pushy sales pitch 1
17. Unaccommodating terms/payment up front 1
18. Tells me video will help their business when this is already obvious 1
19. Poor attire 1
20. Reputation 1
21. Political or religious comments 1

General Advice

32% of consumers said they would not watch a small business video online. The 4 most popular reasons they gave were that videos are…

• Biased, exaggerated, overproduced, flashy, only showing the business in the best light, not a true representation
• Cheesy, dated, gimmicky and annoying
• Too long, too slow, failing to get to the point, not concise, clear, rambling
• Fail to provide the needed information, waste of time, adds no value, only necessary for visual products/services

On the flip side, 68% of consumers surveyed say they would watch a video before choosing a small business. Some of the top things consumers are hoping to see in a video are…

• Real footage, true representation, authentic, honest, not overproduced
• Message is concise, clear, short and to the point
• Full footage and information provided, nothing is left out
• Message is calm and sincere, not pushy or aggressive
• Does not try to entertain

Many consumers said they would rather watch a video review from an unbiased third party than to watch a video from the business itself. Small business owners tend to want to show only the best aspects of the business in the best light. It may feel counter-intuitive, but including the business's shortcomings demonstrates honesty and earns customers.

Review over 120 videographer marketing video examples here: Videographer Marketing Video Examples.

Approaches:

1. Produce It Yourself
2. Shoot Your Own Footage, Hire a Video Editor.
3. Hire a Pro (See what pros charge in your area)

Related article: 10 Ways You Can Help Your Videographer Produce a More Compelling Video for Your Business.

Begin Your Production

Step 1: Narration: Videographer Script versus Interview Questions
Step 2: Storyboard
Step 3: Equipment
Step 4: How to Shoot Your Business Video
Step 5: How to Edit Your Business Video
Step 6: Where to Place Your Business Video

Copyright 2018. Permission to repost with crediting link to Biveo.com.