How Do You Choose the Best Explainer Video Company?
Choosing the Best Explainer Video Company: Setting Your Goals
In order to choose the best explainer video company to work with, it’s best to set your goals and expectations ahead of time. If you’re completely new to video and need guidance, evaluate a video partner by their ability to ask detailed questions and offer you insightful recommendations. If you work with a team that simply takes orders without providing any expertise, you’re putting yourself in a position of risk — which is fine if you have plenty of knowledge on video creation but dangerous if you’re unfamiliar with the process.
Think about what you would most want a video to do (as part of your marketing strategy), what exactly you want to explain or promote, and how you’ll know that you’ve achieved your goal with the video (success criteria). Will it be successful if your CMO says she loves it? Will it be successful if you are able to use it in multiple places? Will it be successful if it helps you bring in email leads? The more information that you can give to the video company, the better they’ll be able to serve you in the creation of the product.
Choosing the Best Explainer Video Company: Working with People Who Care About Your Brand
You can work with any video company you want — one that is experienced in hundreds of styles, one that is boutique and focused on customization, one that is simple and straightforward — but all that matters is that you work with people who genuinely care about your brand. If they’re only focused on a paycheck or their own artistic vision, you may end up with an explainer video that is unusable or doesn’t serve your purposes. Here’s how to tell if a video company cares about your brand:
- They do their homework. They ask you lots of questions up front, probe into your strategy (maybe even help you build a strategy!), and read up on your business through your website or any materials you send.
- They present options for style and make recommendations based on what you tell them… and they remember what you’ve chosen. They are always offering advice but are careful to hear everything you have to say (because they are keen on learning as much as they can about your brand and business).
- They educate you about their process and ensure that you will have plenty of opportunities to provide feedback and approval. They want to make sure you’re getting what you ask for and that it will ultimately work for its intended purpose.
Choosing a video company to work with can often be reduced to pricing, but there is so much more to consider — especially when you’re spending money on an asset that can serve you for years to come! You may want to keep within your budget, but don’t sell yourself short by working with a company that puts their interests in front of yours.
Choosing the Best Explainer Video Company: Focusing on Risk Reduction
When you’ve decided to spend a certain amount to create an explainer video, the next step is figuring out how to reduce your risk. In addition to interviewing companies to ensure that they care about your brand (as discussed above), you’ll want to ask the following questions.
3 Questions to Ask an Explainer Video Company Before You Hire Them
- What is your feedback and revision process? In other words, how many opportunities will you have to make changes to the script, voiceover, and video? How much time will you have to review? How quickly will changes be made, and who is in charge of ensuring that they are made correctly? How strict is the video company on deadlines, and can they guarantee that your deadline will be met? What happens if it isn’t?
- Who is the point person on this project? It’s worthwhile to know who will be giving you updates and can answer any questions you have during the process. You should get one or two people assigned to your project (two is better, so nothing falls through the cracks) and have their contact information.
- Will you get to keep the video files? Who owns the video? This is a question most people never think to ask because they have no idea that they would need to. You may engage with a company and only be able to license the video from them instead of owning it. If you want to own your video and all the files, make it clear. The video company may not automatically deliver all the files to you, but you’ve paid for them, so don’t walk away without them. Those assets are graphic elements that can be used in other parts of your marketing.
You also want to make sure that the video company you choose has insurance in the event of errors or omissions that cause you damage. Getting the answers to these questions will help you understand how the process will work and whether or not the company you’re speaking with is worth hiring.
