DIY Video vs. Professional Production for Your Next Video Project

DIY Video vs. Professional Production for Your Next Video Project

It’s no secret: video is an effective way to make an impact. Every day, companies of all sizes are getting creative to find new ways to harness the power of video to engage with customers and tell need-to-know stories about their brands, products, and services. And with more video-forward platforms becoming everyday products, there’s no sign of branded video content going anywhere.

But for companies of all sizes, the production of a professional quality video is often a large, time consuming expense, and not often economically sound to add a full video suite to your marketing department. Fortunately, with the powerful capabilities of the newest iPhone and Android devices, many have professional-quality cameras and video devices right in their pockets. But before you choose to make your company’s next video a DIY project for you or your team, it’s important to first ask yourself a few questions.

As a professional video production company offering a full range of video and virtual event production services, we at Rock Shore have gained the experience to guide our clients and partners in making this decision and helping them find the most effective and efficient solution to their creative and marketing challenges. Here are four simple questions we ask them:

1. Who is your Audience?
   Who are you trying to reach? And what are you trying to say or show them? It’s important to know if the person you’re sending this message to is used to a certain type of production or video quality. Consider their expectations and what they may be accustomed to.
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2. Where do you plan on sharing this video with that audience?
   Where will this video live? Often people form a plan of creation, without a clear plan of location. Will this be hosted on YouTube? Be sent directly to your customers or prospects to view on a landing page? Or will you share it with an earned or paid audience on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn? Knowing the format by which viewers will consume this video will help you decide whether it’s worth investing in a professional production.
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3. Would your project benefit from post-production?
   Things like advanced editing, motion graphics, voiceover, and sound effects can elevate the video experience for your viewers. These advanced post-production treatments sometimes require experienced professionals to properly complete. Production companies specialize in these types of applications.
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4. What do you want your audience to do next?
   After you release this video to the wild, what are you asking your audience to do? Subscribe or like? Purchase a product? Change their opinion about something? Having this in mind will help you plan a strategy for your execution.

If you can confidently answer these questions, have an eye for creative, and know a thing or two about video production and editing, it’s definitely worth exploring DIY video options, or a small-scale shoot. But, when you hire a professional video production company, the creative and strategic team helps to answer these questions and ensure your content is produced at a high, professional-grade quality. On top of that, they’ll help you determine ways to scale, reuse, and recycle video footage and creative content, to get multiple end uses.

At Rock Shore Media, we’ve helped hundreds of clients solve creative challenges with compelling, beautiful video that elevates brands. We pride ourselves on being a professional yet nimble team that offers scalable, quality video solutions for clients of all sizes.

We’d love to hear about your next creative idea, and determine the best way to bring your video idea to life. To start a discussion with our team of strategic, creative professionals, click here to schedule a discovery call with our team today.