Video production is a significant investment for any business, and hiring the right video production company can be difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Even if you know what end result you want, it can be tempting to make a decision based on a demo reel or the lowest price, but there are several things you can do to set yourself up for success.

1.) Questions To Ask Video Production Companies

The questions you ask in the initial conversations with video productions companies can make all the difference in determining the success of your project. Here are some questions that you can ask that will determine if a company is the right fit for your specific project:

1. What is your level of expertise and experience with video marketing?

2. What experience do you have supporting video marketing campaigns in our specific industry?

3. How much of the video production process do you conduct/produce in-house, and what parts of the process do you rely on subcontractors to provide?

4. Of the entire video marketing process, where are you the strongest and where are you the weakest?

5. In your experience, what are the metrics that you believe to be the most important in analyzing the success of a video marketing campaign? (Relative to your specific goals)
   
   
6. Are you willing to enter into a flexible agreement to support us as we grow our own in-house video production capabilities, and take on more of the process ourselves?

2.) How To Compare Estimates & Proposals

When comparing estimates or proposals for your video project, you may find very drastic differences in price based solely on the scope of the project being interpreted differently.

Many businesses at no fault of their own, will approach companies by “asking for a quote” for a certain length of video, without first establishing a rough budget and what their goals are for the project. This leads to miscommunication and misinterpretation from different sized companies with varying degrees of resources at their disposal.

You’ll find much greater success in asking the following question: “What kind of results can you achieve within this budget and timeframe?”

3.) Go Beyond The Demo Reel

Finding a company that has produced something similar to what you’re looking to create in their demo reel is definitely an important part of creating a video for your business. However, verifying the track record of a company is just as important.

This includes verifying their list of past clients, contacting them, and collecting direct feedback from their experience of working together. It goes a long way in providing you with the information you need to make an educated decision.

4.) Inquire About Strategy

In some cases you might know exactly what you want to create, in others, you might need the help of an agency or production company to help you. In either case, in-depth strategy prior to production is the most integral part of any successful video.

Ask what processes the company has in place for video strategy, and how they are going to ensure the message is targeted to your target demographic and towards the results you’re looking to achieve.

Vague answers will give you deeper insight into whether or not the companies capable of achieving your desired result. Videographers and independent producers will often just “show up” and start shooting. Even if the quality is amazing and their creative abilities really stand out, if the video isn’t targeted towards your customer’s pains and problems it’s not going to keep them engaged and drive results.

Good signs are in-depth questions about the nature of your business, the qualities of your ideal customers, and where you’re looking to take your business in the months and years to come.

5.) Assess Their Proposal

A proposal from a video production company can tell you a lot about their professionalism and ability to tackle your video project.

New videographers and independent producers won’t have very in-depth systems and processes in place, which doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t handle your project, but it can be a good indicator if you’re looking for a team with a bit more experience in the industry that can guide you in the right direction.

Assess the proposal they send you, as well as any other systems or information they put out to get a feel for how long they’ve been around and how much effort goes into their marketing material.

There’s pros and cons to both big and small production teams, but the systems they have in place will tell you a lot about their process and whether or not they’re a good fit.

Summary

The process can be overwhelming for anyone who’s just getting started with investing in video for their business. However if you follow these steps and build a strong relationship with a company that you align with, you’ll set yourself up for success moving forwards and have a production partner that you can continue to rely on moving forwards.

What To Look For in A Video Production Company

Book a discovery call with our team today and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about getting started!