Category: Video Marketing

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Video Marketing

Social Media Videos Are A Whole New Beast. Are You Getting the Most Out of Yours?

A Black woman with natural hair filming social media videos

This just in: social media videos are today’s most powerful marketing tool. In fact, a study from Cisco predicts that by 2022, 82% of all Internet traffic will be video content. Why? Because video is more engaging and more memorable than the written word. According to some studies, the average viewer remembers 95% of a message when they watch it, and only 10% when they read it. But not all social media videos are created equally. Luckily, we’re here to make sure you’re getting the most out of yours. 

When it comes to social media videos, less is more

When you’re trying to tell your brand story via video, it’s tempting to push things to the outer limit. After all, how could you possibly say what you need to say in 15 seconds or less? 

But according to industry experts, less is more when it comes to video length. In fact, the 6-second video seems to be on the rise, with 80% of advertisers rating 6-second video as effective or very effective. 

The takeaway? You can keep social media videos short and sweet. And a video production company like WK Studios can help. During our shoots, we can gather enough footage to fuel your social media strategy for months (or even years) to come. 

Snaps, Stories, and Reels. Oh my. 

First things first, let’s consider the different types of social media videos. In the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of formats across various platforms—from hour-long unboxing videos on YouTube to 15 second Reels on Instagram.

When it comes to video, Facebook is the most flexible. You can upload videos up to four hours long directly to your timeline, business page, or group pages. Compared to Instagram’s 3-60 second rule, that’s a veritable eternity of video. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. 

As Talking Tree Creative notes, “Even though Facebook allows four-hour uploads, research shows that most users engage with Facebook videos for about a minute before scrolling along.” 

Instagram now has a few ways to post video content. Most prominent among them: IGTV, Stories, and Reels. Each has its pros and cons, depending on the audience you’re trying to reach. 

Want to connect with a younger audience? Don’t chalk off Snapchat or TikTok just yet. Whether you’re creating content organically or posting pay-to-play ads, each platform can get your content in front of over 70 million viewers.

Don’t forget the captions.

Think about where, when, and how you’re spending time on social media. Whether you’re scrolling Insta at the bus stop, catching up on Facebook news while in line at the grocery store, or firing off Tweets between meetings, odds are good you often use social on the go. The same is true of your brand’s customers. 

That’s why captioning your social media videos is no longer a nicety—it’s a necessity. 

As Elisa Edelberg notes in a recent article for 3PlayMedia, “Especially on Facebook, people tend to watch social video with the sound off and videos autoplay without sound. So, captions can help enormously with catching viewer attention.”

In fact, a recent study saw a 40 percent increase in views of captioned videos versus uncaptioned. Plus, captions help you connect with the 466 million viewers worldwide with hearing loss.

Social media videos aren’t the future—they’re the now

There’s no denying that social media videos are a powerful tool in your brand’s toolkit. But posting videos without a strategy can feel like screaming into the void. Luckily, a video production company like WK Studios can make sure you’re getting the most out of your video assets. Ready to get started? Get in touch today or check out our social media video portfolio.   

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Video Marketing

Are TV Commercials Dead? Absolutely Not. And We’ve Got Proof

A man with dark hair wearing a mustard yellow sweater has his back to the camera while watching tv commercials

Every year you hear the same hot take: TV advertising and TV commercials are a dead medium. But if you look at the statistics, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  In fact, a study by MarketShare said that TV advertising produces four times the return on investment (ROI) as digital advertising does.

That’s because even though people aren’t sitting on the couch to watch sitcoms on their TV sets, they are still watching TV in other formats. But are professional TV commercials still an investment that’s worth making? We think so.And we can back it up. 

 

Benefits of TV Commercials That No One’s Talking About

Even though attention spans and watching habits are changing, Americans are still watching a lot of television. According to A.C. Nielsen, the average American watches four hours of TV every single day!

They might not be sitting around the living room as a family, watching television together all of the time. Instead, they’re in their rooms, watching it on various devices. Just think about how often your friends and family are streaming on their phones, tablets, and laptops. 

For advertisers, these habits offer the potential to make a solid return on their marketing investments. Based on one study, every dollar spent on TV advertising results in $6.50 earned for the advertiser. That’s a great ROI for something that others are so quick to deem ‘outdated’.

Not only that, but with new mediums come new possibilities. Long story short, you don’t always have to invest in long-form ads anymore. In fact, studies show that short-form ads (around 6 seconds) capture 8% to 11% more attention than long-form alternatives. 

 

TV Commercials for Auto Dealerships

Of course, not all TV commercials are created equal. Just think about all of the stereotypical auto dealership commercials you’ve seen. Are you picturing a red-faced man in a suit and tie shouting about how they have the BEST DEALS as long as you HURRY HURRY HURRY

If you’re interested in standing out from the crowd, you need to shout less and show more. Our Driver’s Seat Program can help you do exactly that by highlighting your offering in a memorable, quality video that will leave a lasting impression.

 

Get Creative and Stand Out From the Crowd

TV commercials are far from dead. In fact, all of the evidence shows that this medium is thriving. Well-produced commercials allow you to stand out from the competition by using creativity to highlight your expertise and capabilities. Ready to showcase your business? Get in touch to book a consultation today.

 

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Video Marketing

The 3 Pillars of Quality Video Production: Creativity, Equipment, and Expertise

behind the scenes shot of Quality Video Production

Let’s be honest. These days, just about everybody is walking around with a high-quality camera in their pocket. And there’s no shortage of free and low-cost video editing apps and software available. As a result, everybody (yes, even you!) can shoot, edit, and distribute professional-looking videos. But how do you get the high-quality video production feel of working with the pros? We believe that creativity, the right equipment, and a little help from the pros can get you pretty far.  

Creativity in Video Production

What makes a compelling video? What defines a story that sticks? And, most importantly, how do you produce videos that your audience actually wants to watch? In short: creativity. 

But isn’t “creativity” a super ambiguous term? Yes. And it’s totally subjective too! For example, the acceptable quirk-level for a craft brewery will differ from that of a law firm or doctor’s office. But it’s essential to keep in mind that “creative” doesn’t always mean “Puppy Monkey Baby” weird. It can be something as simple as discovering a unique story angle to help your audience connect with your brand. Or using lighting, frame speeds, and creative cuts to set your video’s emotional tone. 

In short, creativity needs to be at the center of every aspect of your video—from concepts like storyboards, scriptwriting, and location scouting to technical details like shot angles and lighting requirements. 

Invest in the Right Equipment

Wait a minute, didn’t we already tell you your iPhone could capture high-quality footage? Absolutely. If you’ve got David Leitch, director of John Wick, framing your shots. But for professional-looking digital ads, television spots, and web series, you might want to upgrade. And even the highest quality camera can’t make up for shaky shots and poor lighting. That’s why, if you’re serious about your video production, you’re going to want to invest in the right gear. 

There’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation for video production equipment. Your needs will vary based on your budget, experience level, type of project, and objectives. But, as a baseline, your essential gear checklist should include a camera, tripod, microphones, lighting and screens, and any editing/production software you’ll use. You can also work with a video production company like WK Studios and let us pick the right gear for the job. 

Expert Video Production

But how do you know the best lighting, the right shot angles, and where to cut that frame? This is where expertise comes into play. Because the best video production teams know how to combine creativity and technical skills to craft engaging visual stories. In our corner of the world, we call them stories that stick. 

Unfortunately, you can’t become an expert overnight. But, with time, persistence, and a little help from the pros, you can develop an eye for engaging video storytelling. Here at WK Studios, we’re experts in everything from conception to distribution. And we’re your trusted consultants in ROI generation through quality video production. 

Have Questions About What Goes Into WK’s High-Quality Video Production?

We’ve got answers. Whether you need a fresh take on your brand’s visual narrative or you’re looking for auto dealership commercials with more action (and less yelling), we’ve got you covered. Get in touch with our team to get the ball rolling in your next project.  

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Video Marketing

How Video Production Companies Create ROI Through Visual Storytelling

A man watches video on phone; Videos create ROI

People have told visual stories since the first time a prehistoric human smeared ochre onto a cave wall. And, just like our societies have evolved, so have the ways we tell stories. We may have replaced hand tracings and animal drawings with selfies and Tik Tok. But visual storytelling still taps into a primal part of human nature. This is why it’s an invaluable tool when it comes time to create ROI in your marketing strategy. 

Types of Visual Storytelling

Before we get into the specifics of how visual storytelling can create ROI, what do we mean by “visual storytelling” in the first place? It’s a relatively new—and ridiculously broad—term. It covers everything from infographics to unboxing videos on YouTube. 

But according to marketing experts Eric Goodstadt and Sacha Reeb, it’s not enough to just talk about the tools used to tell the story (graphics, images, pictures, videos). In this context, visual storytelling has a specific desired outcome: “to drive emotions and engage intercommunication to motivate an audience action.”

In other words, visual storytelling makes people feel something to get them to do something—buy a product, sign up for a service, remember a brand, and more. 

How Videos Are Changing the Marketing World

In the digital age, when it comes to visual storytelling, video reigns supreme. And it’s popularity just keeps growing. Back in 2015, only 78% of marketers saw the value of video. Today, 92% of marketers say it’s an essential part of their marketing strategy. Thanks to social media, consumers are watching more videos than ever before. In fact, experts predict that in 2021, the average person will watch 100 minutes of online videos every day. Which means it’s an awesome way to create ROI in your marketing. 

How to Measure Your Video’s ROI

Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as slapping up a new YouTube video and watching the money pour in. ROI depends on your goals and which metrics are most meaningful for your company. For example, if you used a video to announce a new product and got 500 views but no website click-throughs, those views are just a vanity metric. 

Some of the most common metrics used to measure ROI on visual storytelling include: 

  • View count — The number of times someone watched part or all of your video
  • Engagement — The number of times someone commented on, liked, or shared your video post on social media
  • Conversions — The number of times someone watched your video and then performed a desired action (like buying your product or visiting your website). 

Start by defining the primary purpose of your video. Do you want viewers to recognize your brand? Share your video with their friends? Get excited about a new product or service? Your answer might change from video to video. But knowing what you’d like to accomplish is the first step towards success. 

Create ROI Through High-Quality Content

The number one way to create ROI? Make sure your videos are high-quality, full of emotion, and distributed to the right audience. At WK Studios, we’re in the business of stories that stick. Whether you’re looking for a moving brand narrative, a compelling commercial, or a shareable social media clip, we can make sure it gets seen by the right people. Get in touch to learn more about how WK Studios helps you get the most out of your brand’s story. 

 

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Video Marketing

Creativity Through Chaos: COVID-19 Case Studies from WK Studio

mask cleaning facility, COVID-19 case studies

Boarded up shops and locked shop doors. Time Square and California’s busiest freeways standing empty. Coyotes commandeering the Golden Gate Bridge. When coronavirus case numbers began rising across the country, the world as we knew it ground to a stop. But the storytelling didn’t. In fact, it may have made us even more creative. From helping local restaurants to getting the word out about life-saving mask producers, our COVID-19 case studies show how the WK Studios team spent the first few months of lockdown.  

Our initial COVID-19 response: what now?

Like many of our neighbors, partners, and clients, when COVID-19 struck, things got chaotic. It feels like a lifetime ago now. But in those early days, it felt impossible to predict the next hour (let alone plan weeks or months in advance). 

Expecting the worst, many small business owners proactively tightened their budgets, shifted to remote work where possible, and hunkered down to weather the storm. As a team, we had to consider our options. Sure, we could sit around and wait for the phone to ring. Or we could use our unexpected free time to get to work in our community. 

Stay home, stay safe, stay fed. 

As state-mandated orders rolled in, restaurants found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Suddenly, they were 100% reliant on takeout business. But nobody knew they were open for takeout business. WK Studios partnered with several area favorites and developed a campaign to get the word out. We donated our resources to help restaurants produce some simple television commercials. To maximize our reach, we made sure they could be shared via social media as well. 

In the end, we produced commercials for Bo’s Falafel, Thump Coffee, Crux, Zydeco, and Greg’s Grill. For context, it usually takes us about three to six weeks  to produce a single commercial. We worked through five commercials in three weeks.  

But we couldn’t have done it alone. A commercial without distribution is like telling your story to an empty room. So we got to work, networking with our community partners. Central Oregon Daily agreed to air all five commercials (free of charge). At the same time, Compass Commercial and Bend Chamber took to social media. And, of course, the restaurant owners and managers put their own social channels to work. 

Unfortunately, some restaurants closed their doors  temporarily before we could roll out their commercials. But thanks to everybody pulling together, we got most of them on the air. 

Addressing the mask shortage

As if empty toilet paper shelves weren’t enough, during the first few months of coronavirus, the nation saw an extreme PPE shortage, including N95 masks and gowns. Thankfully, Medline Industries, an international medical supply company based out of Chicago, sprang into action. They transitioned their reprocessing facility in Redmond to addressing the mask shortage. And we helped them tell the story of launching the new project. The goal: to clean and sterilize used face masks and respirators for safe reuse. Our video helps show the process behind accepting bulk shipments of used masks and making them safe for the health community to use again. 

 

Community first COVID-19 response

While things have started to return to normal, we know that there’s plenty of work left to be done in the community. We’re grateful to have a team with the ability to respond quickly when our partners need all hands on deck. Ready to take the next (or first) step in telling your story? Get in touch, we’d love to help. 

 

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Video Marketing

The Difference Between a Brand Narrative Video and a Commercial

brand narrative vs commercial videos

“Your brand is a story unfolding across all customer touch points.” — Jonah Sachs

 

There’s a lot of jargon in the branding, filming, and production industries that overlap. We admit the terms can be a little confusing at times, which is why we think it’s important to educate our clients and help them understand the subtleties. This is especially true for terms that we’ve coined and made the bedrock of our services like brand narrative videos. So what’s the difference between these videos and commercials? Let’s dive deeper. 

 

What do we mean by ‘brand narrative?’ 

In general, a brand narrative is a building block of a brand strategy. It might be easier to think of brand narratives as in-depth, dynamic storytelling. They’re not always set to videos (although that’s how we refer to them), but they help define the brand’s story and bring it to life.

Typically, a brand narrative contains five main elements: brand truths, promise, story, emotional impact, and external expression (i.e., the “marketable concept.”). When we talk about brand narrative videos at WK Studios, we mean videos that use psychology and science to connect with your audience––on a level that’s real, emotional, and authentic. 

 

How it differs from a commercial 

Commercials are something many of us have experienced. Like narratives, they promote your company, but they’re a lot more straightforward and “high-level.” Where narrative videos dive deep, commercials skim the surface of emotional depth and help to spark initial interest. You could think of them as the handshake and a brand narrative as the hug. 

Commercials are also typically shorter and generate buzz through their shareable nature. And while these are all benefits to your brand and should be used in your marketing strategy, if you want customers to become brand fanatics, you need to invest in a brand narrative video. 

 

Brand narrative benefits

Choosing the narrative video vs. commercial route is a little more involved, but the end goal is higher engagement and deeper emotional connection. In addition, narrative videos benefit your brand in the following ways: 

 

Engages the psyche 

We mentioned before how these videos utilize psychology and science. Going further than most simple ads, they tap into neurotransmitters like dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphins. You know, the feel-good hormones. Because the content tells a story, your audience can bond with your brand through these emotional connections. And the emotion doesn’t always have to be happy (just think of Apple).

 

Differentiates

Most brands (read: all brands) should be thinking of ways to highlight their differentiators. A brand narrative video helps to “cut through the clutter in ways that matter.” These differentiators through visual storytelling also support better recall, which ultimately leads to more awareness and engagement. 

 

Creates ROI

“Of course, you don’t just want something that looks pretty and makes your clients feel good. You want to see ROI. Luckily, brand narrative videos produce it in spades. Given the emotional complexity of these videos, recent statistics show “ if people love a brand story, 55% are more likely to buy the product in future, 44% will share the story, and 15% will buy the product immediately.” 

 

The studio difference 

It might seem like a big undertaking, but a video production studio can help you bring your narrative (and your brand) to the next level. Trusting a professional company means you get access to the best equipment, experience, crews, and the know-how to tapping into emotional depths. In the end, it always comes back to storytelling. Ready to take the plunge? 

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Video Marketing

Video Projects Should Focus on Specific Desired Results

Creating a Good Video isn’t an Effective Goal

Video production is the future of business marketing, there’s no doubting that today. However, did you know that making more video content shouldn’t always be the goal? And the goal needs to be more specific than making good video content? Video projects should focus on specific desired results. Making a video is easy, but making a quality video production that drives specific desired results is not. In fact, it involves an extensive amount of knowledge, experience, and creativity to create a successful video for business purposes. Thankfully for our clients, we are here to do that for them. It’s also important that your video production team isn’t solely focused on creating a great looking video. Your video team needs to be keeping your underlying goals and vision front and center as well. Many production companies are learning that this provides the best results not only for their clients, but also for themselves as well.  

 

Every Video Project Should have Goals

With WK Studios, our clients rest assured that we approach each project with the big picture in mind. We see it as our priority to create video production projects in an engaging and effective manner. To be effective, messaging must cover specific goals intended for that project. Having specific goals will also make it easier to gauge results. Because each type of project has its own set of desired outcomes, the approach to each video must vary as well.

In other words, not every deliverable can be achieved with the same type of video. Branding videos, commercials, and fundraising videos are all examples of videos that need a significant emphasis on quality. However, each has vastly different messaging requirements. Whether the results you desire are measurable metrics tied to sales figures, or you wish to tie a general emotion to your brand; every successful video project should have these goals communicated early (and often, if needed). Your video production team needs to be focused on your deliverables. How can a batter hit a ball if he isn’t looking at it?

Focusing on Your Clients’ Goals Benefits you Just as Much

Focusing on providing results for your client will reward you in the long run. In this day and age, a client that you help achieve its goals will let the world know it. And so will a client that isn’t seeing results, and nobody wants that type of acknowledgement.

Our work is always focused on our client’s vision, so it brings us great joy when we can hear back from them. Recently, we received our first review on Clutch. We traveled to Boston, MA for this project in order to film and produce a stream of video content for global sensor technology industry leader, Vaisala. This review resulted from one of our partners that trusted our capabilities enough to fly us across the country to bring their vision to life.

Our approach was to focus on the underlying goals and vision for their organization and the project itself. Our client shared their goals and vision and we simply took notes, shifting our focus to those things. We communicated with them what we believed to be their goals, and corrected ourselves where needed. It was determined that they wanted to create a stream of video content that would inform viewers about their products. They equally wanted to educate viewers about the very technical and scientific environments that their products function in. This client is an industry thought leader because they have great products and people that truly understand their industry as well as anyone. They wanted this series to show exactly that, and we focused on bringing those goals life.

Vaisala’s review highlights the difference between having a team that creates a high quality, engaging video, and one that does this while also keeping their focus on their client’s desired results for the video project. The review can be seen on clutch.co. Clutch is a DC-based B2B platform that connects businesses with potential solution providers. Through the use of client ratings and reviews, companies can find their best matches according to industry of interest and geographic region.

Results for Your Clients’ are Results for you

By focusing on our client’s needs and goals, we were able to not only provide hours of great quality video content, but also significant results. Vaisala has since experienced tangible results through improved engagement and lead rates. They explain these results in their review. All this to say, there are many video production companies that create high quality content.  There are very few that immerse themselves into the status, needs, and goals of their clients. Ensure that the your content is achieving its intended results by keeping the focus where it should be. Make sure that you’re hiring an organization that is willing and capable of approaching your project as a member of your team, not their own separate company.

“They went out of their way—going above and beyond to meet our expectations. For example, they outsourced the audio of the project to an expert so the quality of the work would be top-notch. Their crew was also extremely friendly. I also appreciated that when I asked for their input on the other quotes we received, they made sure to point out red flags and show us what wasn’t necessary. For future projects, we’re definitely going to continue using them.” -Marketing Specialist, Electronics Manufacturer

 

Videos are a part of the present and future, and we want to help build that future for our clients. If you are interested in knowing more about our work, or would like to collaborate with us on a future project, please let us know!

 

Brent Dolan

Brent, Director of Operations at WK Studios, currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife Stephanie and two sons Micah and Ezra.

 

Categories
Video Marketing

Reach the Right Customers with Targeted Video Distribution

targeted video distribution
Social networking concept. Streaming video.

Too many video production companies eagerly sign on the dotted line to produce a 50K video project and then wipe their hands clean after the video is exported. At WK Studios, we understand that a video alone without viewers is a liability and not an asset. Our clients expect ROI from their video projects that they can proudly take back to the C-levels at their companies.

We know that the best video production companies have suggestions and better yet, offer video distribution options for their clients’ videos to ensure that the video reaches not just AN audience, but is targeted to reach the exact audience the client needs. Moving into 2020, there are a number of targeted video distribution channels and the right production company can help you reach the right audience.

Video Distribution Channels

These days, every social media site has its own native video platform. Choosing the correct channel makes a big difference in reaching the right audience. For example, if you want to reach other businesses, sharing video content on LinkedIn can make more sense for certain B2B content. B2C product videos may do better on Facebook or Instagram, depending on what you’re selling and who you’re selling to. The right video production company can assist you in choosing the right video distribution channel for your content.

Social Video Distribution — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, & TikTok… there are ample social media platforms to choose from to deliver your video content to the right audience.

Video Streaming Services — Video streaming services have created a wide distribution channel for video content. Find the right video distribution source — from commercial video ads on Hulu and YouTube to getting your documentary streaming on Netflix.

Online Video Distribution — From embedding your video content on your website to including it in email newsletters and blog posts, a robust online distribution strategy is key.

Cable and Network Television — While it may seem like streaming has taken over television, people still watch traditional television. Whether you’re running a local, regional or national advertising campaign, targeting the channels and programs watched by your target audience still attains an enviable reach and drives conversions.

Public Relations — Sometimes getting your video in front of the right audience takes partnering with the right social media influencer or the right online news article. Public relations may help your video gain traction depending on your brand and business goals.

Video Ad Targeting

Social media and paid display advertising make it easy to target the right audience for your video project. Facebook and Instagram allow you to target demographics, behaviors, interests and life events, which makes reaching people who like similar products or services more achievable than traditional advertising. Social media advertising allows you to target a narrow audience with interests and behaviors similar to those who have purchased your products or services in the past. Facebook offers dynamic targeting options including Lookalike Audiences. You create a source audience, which could be based on a website retargeting list, for example. Facebook then analyzes the behavior of the source audience and creates a persona that identifies similar users on its platforms (including Instagram!).

YouTube is now the second-largest search engine in the world, only dwarfed by Google. Targeting an audience on YouTube allows your content to appear in channels and videos where people are talking about things related to your business. Social media advertising offers businesses a great way to target specific audiences and introduce your brand through video advertising.

Meet Customers Where They Want to Connect

The right video production company for your brand knows the ins and outs of video distribution and audience targeting. At WK Studios, we help out clients reach people where they want to be connected with, be it through social media, traditional TV commercials, episodic web content or online streaming services. We won’t just wash our hands clean after the final export of your video. Choose to have us assist in your video distribution strategy and watch as your ROI grows. Finding the right audience makes all the difference in a video distribution strategy.

Brent Dolan

Brent, Director of Operations at WK Studios, currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife Stephanie and two sons Micah and Ezra.

Categories
Marketing Video Marketing

Combine Corporate and Social Video Filming to Reduce Costs

social media videos

With the end of the year looming, many companies like yours have started thinking about and planning their 2020 marketing budgets. Smart companies know that video is an essential component in that plan, but what kind of video?

Brand stories, testimonial videos, product videos, advertisements, social media videos — they all have a place in a successful campaign, but corporations that use branded narratives to create stories are ahead of the curve. They’re capitalizing on emerging studies that scientifically prove that stories stick with viewers and cause chemical reactions in the brain such as dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. These emotion causing chemicals are then carried into the customers’ experience with all your other marketing. Social media videos take on new power when used in conjunction with narrative video.

At WK Studios, we believe video has the power to merge your brand with emotions. Viewers remember the emotion they felt long after the information has been forgotten. Creating video campaigns that evoke emotion in customers will stick with them long after the initial viewing. While we believe that all video is powerful. History, life experience and neuroscience teach us that storytelling videos are the most effective.

Budgeting for Video Marketing Campaigns

A solid video production company will offer to produce a social media campaign while also filming your corporate video content. By combining the two projects, film sessions can often be minimized in many cases. This helps reduce costs for your agency, corporation or non-profit.

Social Media Videos

Video helps you engage your audience on social channels and many of these platforms prioritize video in their listing algorithms, resulting in better organic reach. Users have come to expect social videos with great lighting, optimal sound and professional production value. Your social videos on each platform should align with the same overall brand narrative. From videos in your Instagram story to the video ads you create on Facebook, brands should be consistent and take advantage of as many platforms as possible.

Make Your Video Dollars Go the Extra Mile

In planning your marketing budget for 2020, the idea of creating a corporate video, testimonial videos as well as a full schedule of social videos may seem daunting at first. Finding room in the budget for all types of video marketing doesn’t have to be expensive or exhaustive to be successful. In many cases, filming sessions can be combined when you select the right video production company to create a variety of videos for your marketing campaigns.

Packaging your video projects helps increase brand consistency throughout your marketing campaigns. An experienced and savvy video production company has the capability to produce a social media campaign while also filming video content for a brand narrative or other corporate videos. Blending these projects can reduce costs for you by using clips from a single filming session to create multiple, cohesive videos for your brand.

Create Corporate and Social Media Videos in 2020

WK Studios offers video marketing packages to deliver video content with an emotional impact. We have more than 20 years of experience in the PNW creating in the visual language of film and video production. Our team uses our skills to engage your audience and create an emotional response to your brand. We use the “Hollywood” or Lean Model, meaning we hire the absolute best crew for your specific project and brand narrative. You don’t pay for the staff you don’t need.

Contact us today to receive a quote for a customized corporate and social video package. We look forward to learning more about your brand story.

Brent Dolan

Brent, Director of Operations at WK Studios, currently lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife Stephanie and two sons Micah and Ezra.

Categories
Marketing Video Marketing

Branded Narrative is Scientifically Proven to Make a Difference in Marketing

branded narrative marketing video
Artificial intelligence. 3D illustration

Think of the marketing and advertising campaigns that have impacted you most, that have swayed you in one direction or the other on a certain product, service or cause. The most effective marketing campaigns evoke emotion in consumers, moving them to take action. Many marketers look to impressions through social and digital advertising, but without the emotion to back up your branding, how will consumers connect with your product, service or cause? Branded narrative is central to a meaningful marketing strategy. Marketers who begin to see themselves as storytellers connect with consumers on an emotional level, fostering brand trust and advocacy.

At WK Studios, we work alongside clients who want help elevating their marketing efforts to reach the right prospects at the right time with the right message — using video storytelling. Specializing in branded narratives effectively uses psychology and the science of emotions to connect with targeted audiences. Understanding how branded narrative and science work together helps companies achieve better results throughout marketing campaigns.

Science and Marketing

Good marketing starts with knowing your target audiences’ problems (in particular, the problems you intend to solve). Branded Narrative requires you to put yourself in your customers’ shoes so you can create the kind of message that draws them in using various principles of psychology. By examining the key neurotransmitters that foster the bonds people have with different stories, guiding customers along the buyer’s journey is much easier.

Dopamine

Dopamine increases focus, motivation, and memory. Marketers and sales teams are eager to learn about how to tap into this area of their customers’ minds. Storytelling does this extremely well. For example, as a person watches a movie, their dopamine levels become heightened as the suspense builds. Ultimately, viewers become captivated as they watch the story unfold.

An impactful story results in an engaged audience that is actually seeing more of the content. At this point, marketers can discreetly, or even bluntly insert their brand, product or service into the narrative in order to reach a focused and motivated audience. And that’s what it’s all about, right? You want to grab your viewers’ attention so your message is remembered.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin is an empathy and bonding neurotransmitter. It induces trust, generosity and bonding. The most remarkable release of oxytocin occurs between lovers or between parents and their children.

This feeling of bonding can also be achieved to a strong degree through effective storytelling. Consider a story where a viewer watches a movie or a video that shows a young girl experience the sudden loss of her loving father. Viewers experience a heightened level of empathy resulting in trust, bonding and generosity due to their feeling of connection with the story’s character. Stories can be extremely powerful, as they form the basis for relationships and loyalty.

Many nonprofit organizations connect with donors using this type of narrative. For example, they may show a story featuring marginalized children to heighten levels of oxytocin within the audience. Feelings of duty and responsibility result, inspiring donors to give to the nonprofit’s cause. As a marketer, you want your customers to be emotionally tied to your brand – to bond and feel a sense of loyalty.

Endorphins

Endorphins are a powerful resource that video can tap into. One of the most effective ways to produce high levels of endorphins is through laughter, which results in more relaxed, creative and focused feelings. Consumers love to share content they find funny. When viewers share your content they significantly expand your reach, while also conveying their support for your brand.

As marketers, we must know the problems of our customers and show them how to solve those problems with our product or service. This sense of empowerment transfers from you to your customers. Your customers want to feel empowered and your brand can help them feel that way.

Branded Narrative Improves Marketing Performance

Today, the most effective way to tell a story is through video. Done well, you will be able to trigger the kind of neurotransmitter releases in your customers that make them loyal for life. Video tells stories that resonated with people. Consumers feel empowered enough to align themselves with your brand. As you share your branded narrative, your customers become gripped with the suspense of your story – the bond between your brand and their lives.

Effective marketing pays homage to how the brain works. Instead of merely selling products and services, marketing can connect us on a deeper, more human level. Branded Narrative through video makes all the difference in connecting with your customers.

WK Studios believes in the power of branded narrative — connecting with consumers through video storytelling. We’re passionate about helping brands raise awareness of the benefits of psychology-focused marketing. Contact WK Studios to learn more about using branded narrative to tell compelling stories that resonate with your prospective customers.

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Branding Filmmaking Marketing Video Marketing

A Video Content Marketing Roadmap

video content marketing

How to make your video content marketing relevant and searchable

You want your video and webpage to rank in SEO, right? Video is taking over the world of branding and marketing.  It’s also playing a much bigger role in SEO results than ever before. The problem is, the landscape is changing so fast, if you’re not working in the industry (and even if you are!), it is challenging to keep up with what are the best strategies for SEO.  This blog by Margot da Cunha does a great job of breaking down some of the most vital marketing tactics for your video content.  

Even a simple video can be strategically created to optimize its digital reach.

I broke down Margot’s tips into a simple list for all of us who don’t have time to spend reading full-length articles and blog posts.

9 Ways to Optimize your Video Content for Search

  • Choose the right video hosting platform
    • Using YouTube & Vimeo are great if you’re just trying to get your video seen, but NOT if you want people to go to your own site
  • Create a video transcript
    • Viewers will be able to read your subtitles when their volume is off
    • Your captions will actually create more searchable text, great for SEO
  • Create an engaging thumbnail
    • Even take photos specifically for thumbnail if necessary
    • Thumbnail picture must be relevant to the main video theme
  • Video Title and Description must be engaging and relevant
  • Make sure your underlying webpage is also relevant and optimized for SEO
    • If your site is awful, there’s a good chance your video will face an uphill battle to be ranked
  • The video you want ranked highest needs to be the first video on your page
  • If possible, make the video the focus of its webpage
  • Only embed each video in one location on your website
    • Multiple locations lead to your videos competing against each other
  • Don’t only focus on SEO for your video
    • Lots of other supplemental ways to market your video: FB, Twitter, Instagram, (other social media outlets), paid video advertising, and even having your partners share it!

If you’d like to know more about how to produce engaging and SEO-friendly video content, or would just altogether rather leave it to time-tested professionals, reach us at WK Studios! We’d love to work on your next video project with you.

#videocontent #video #marketing #branding #seo #results #WKStudios