Is the video on your web site effective?

Don't cause your company damage with bad web videos

Sometimes you wear jeans and sometimes you put on a suit. Typically, you know when to choose one over the other. There are times that require you to look your best and times that you just need to look a bit hip and funky.

So it goes with video on the Internet in general, and video on your website, in particular. Your return on investment (ROI), as well as your income, is going to be impacted one way or another by how you present yourselves and your companies to your clients.

We have all seen the quality of video slide downhill ever since the debut of YouTube. YouTube helped establish the “viral video” generation and has helped to disseminate information that, prior to its existence and other sites like it, would be difficult to otherwise obtain.

But the typical YouTube video is shot with low- and medium-end camcorders and edited in consumer video editing environments by folks with a minimal knowledge of what would have the greatest impact on an audience. For all the money and effort you have put into your business, is that the way you want to portray it?

Content is king. YouTube videos are poor quality but if the content is funny or true or rich enough it doesn’t matter. They get their 5 minutes, or a million hits, and they are forgotten. But quality means something for the long term. A corporate, product or artistic video needs to have strength of content and quality to have both an immediate and long lasting impact. Trends come and go and are quickly forgotten. Don’t let the trend of mediocre video inform your message.

As the legendary Marshall McLuhan noted, “The medium is the message”. As an entrepreneur, you need to consider more than just the elements of your web videos’ message. You need to consider the way the message is portrayed because together, the medium and the message is a gestalt, comprising more than the sum of its parts.

To make this blatantly obvious, consider a voice over attempting to convince people that their tap water coming from a local reservoir is safe to drink, but the video with that voice over is comprised of pictures of garbage lining the shore of the reservoir along with dead fish. At the very least, you’ll be a bit hesitant to fill up your glass from your kitchen tap.

So why are so many companies relying upon their own camcorders to produce video for their web sites? Saving money is the obvious answer. Some will also add that they “took some journalism courses” in college. Would you be satisfied with your car mechanic if they told you that they “took some shop courses” in school? Probably not.

Set, lighting, composition, sound quality, video quality and motivated edits. Other than the actual script, these are the important ingredients in an effective video presentation. Even the most boring CEOs (you know who you are) can come off as exciting spokespersons if a professional is involved to create the message. Conversely, a wonderful message from a talented on-camera person can fail miserably if the other factors are not taken into consideration.

And, if you think reading a “Complete Idiot’s Guide to Video Production” is going to help, think again. A video professional is like any other professional; we have the experience, as well as the knowledge, to tailor your message to your audience in a positive way, so next time you think about making your own video, try having a professional do the work. You, and your bottom line, will be so much happier with the results.

Flashback Media Productions produces cost-effective, professional videos for web sites, DVDs and other purposes. See the difference. Capture your audience with moving images and compelling stories. www.flashback.tv. Email: videoman@flashback.tv