Here at Baskets Galore we love a good challenge. This time the challenge was to create a promotional video series in-house, which would show everyone the various different gift baskets and hampers we have available and also to show more about Baskets Galore as a company who provide a service. The first video in the series is about Gift Hampers, this video promotes a selection of the products available in our gift hampers and their suppliers, with some brief information on the background of Baskets Galore. Watch the video here!Creating a promotional video is not as easy it may seem, there are a number of different factors that make up a promotional video, each one has to be completed in order to achieve a successful video. The 3 main factors are as follows:
  1. The video must convey the correct messages about your product or service
  2. The content must be engaging
  3. The video time length is restricted to less than 3 minutes
The hardest is trying to stick to the strict time limit, if the video is longer than 3 minutes then it is harder to keep engagement. I planned out the script and the corresponding shots for each section a week in advance to filming. I then gave the script to my carefully selected speaker, three days before filming. This planning was very detailed and it helped to make the whole process smoother but there will always be some hiccups especially with the first video. The following very funny blooper video shows just how difficult it can be. Watch the video here! (It is definitely worth a watch!)The key to a successful video is planning, follow these simple 5 steps and you will be amazed with the results.1. Choose your speaker wisely, so that they reflect your brand correctly. When deciding upon the speaker for your video you must consider who the target audience is for your product. This is important because the target audience to your product or service will also be the target audience for the video. Then the hard decision follows, you have to make the choice between using a speaker who is your target audience or someone who appeals to your target audience. You need to choose someone who your customers can relate to.2. It is important to organise and plan a script for the speaker to followYou must have a plan laid out both for the director and for the speaker to follow. The director should have a detailed list of shots and props required for the video, the more detailed you can make this list, the less filming time you will waste preparing. Though, the speakers script could either be very detailed and they follow it word for word or you could have a list of the main points and they just improvise on the spot. It depends on the style of video you are going for, a speaker who uses a script will normally sound professional but it could also sound robotic and a speaker who just elaborates on the main points will normally sound more natural and genuine.3. Ensure that your stage is set well in advance Having a list of the props needed for the video prepared in advance will help ensure you are organised for the day of filming. It is also helpful to set the stage or background for the video in advance also, this means that if you hiring equipment or models you are not setting the stage on their time. This is specifically important if you need to set up equipment or have a large stage to set. Something that is helpful is to look at how you have set the stage through the camera before you start filming, this saves time getting it right the first time. It takes time to make a stage beautiful.4. Always give yourself more time to film than you think you are going to needThis step is crucial because there are so many different things that could cost you time, for example missing props or an unexpected wardrobe malfunction. It also means that the speaker has time to correct any of their mistakes, and allows you to make sure you don't miss any important shots. Though one of the main reasons is that it is just far too hard to not giggle, as our blooper videos shows.5. Finally, allow the speaker enough time to prepare or memorise the scriptThis may seem like the most obvious step but it is very important, even if your speaker doesn't have a large amount to say they need to feel like they are prepared, this will help boost their confidence for filming. It will also reduce the amount of time spent correcting mistakes. Practice helps you to be able to speak more freely and with confidence, which means that improvising comes more naturally.We wish anyone who is creating their own promotional videos, good luck and comment if you have any more advice for creating promotional videos.