If you run a small business, you want to market it successfully. No matter how great your business is, without marketing, it will not maximize its potential.
So what are the best ways to put your small business on the map?
One of the best ways is through a video commercial. A video commercial strikes at the heart of your audience and is often the best way to promote your small business.
We’ve put together this guide to show you how to make a video commercial for your small business.
The Guide on How to Make a Video Commercial
Even if you run a small business, you can find great equipment to create a video commercial. Once you’ve invested in the best equipment, you are ready to start planning your video commercial.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. What’s the Story?
The first decision to make is the message you want to put across to your audience. Are you making a generic promotion for your brand? Are you selling a particular product or service?
Commercials are succinct messages. You need to focus on one topic for each commercial. We recommend opting for a specific message or promotion to get the most out of your video commercial.
A generic commercial will introduce your audience to your brand. These are best for showing on your website. A direct commercial is more likely to compel them to engage with your brand. These should be distributed in as many ways as possible.
2. Who Is Your Audience?
Next, you have to consider who your audience is. You need to conduct extensive research on your audience before you write the script. The audience you speak to is your target market.
You will have to look at your target market’s age, geographic location, interests, spending patterns, etc. among a variety of other metrics. This will help you decide how to communicate your message with them.
This would be a great time to speak to a marketing or branding agency to understand who your target market is and how to speak to them.
3. Brainstorming
Now you come to the brainstorming process. In this process, take a sheet of paper and write about how you envision the commercial.
In this, you can outline the portions of your video commercial. If you are planning on creating a 60-second commercial then you should aim to outline what every 15 seconds will convey. You can write a four-part structure for the video commercial.
You can also use this step to determine the style and tone of your video commercial. Do you want to put humor in your commercial? Will it have a serious or urgent tone?
You also want to think about the setting of your video commercial. Will it be filmed in several locations or one location? Will it have a voiceover? How many characters (and actors) will be needed for the commercial?
Make sure you take your time with brainstorming. Once you are finished brainstorming, you can write your script for your video commercial.
4. Write the Script
Writing the script will take time. We urge you not to hurry through this. Take your time and make sure to revise your script several times. You should also show it to seasoned commercial directors to garner their feedback.
Your script should be written on a page that has four columns. The columns should show the timestamps and duration (Column 1) and then the video image, audio, and graphics in each of the three additional columns.
So, for example, Column 1 will state 0:00 to 0:15. Within those 15 seconds, you have to outline what will be shown to the audience within those 15 seconds. You have to detail what will be seen in the commercial as meticulously as possible.
Make sure that your script has a few seconds where your company’s name will be showcased. If you are promoting a product or service, have a Call To Action within the script.
5. Shoot Your Commercial
You are now ready to shoot your commercial. A video commercial production requires you to be detail-oriented.
Make sure that your visuals are up to par. You want to make sure that the lighting makes it easy to see the graphics, actors, and the setting of your commercial. Make sure that your audio equipment is of the highest quality.
An audience can forgive sub-par visuals but never sub-par audio. Make sure that your actors are speaking clearly. If you have a voiceover, make sure that it is also recorded clearly.
It is always best to hire a professional video commercial crew to help you shoot your commercial. You should schedule a few days for you to shoot your commercial. You should also schedule days to reshoot any scenes in case they do not turn out the way you need it to. If your commercial is to have a narrator, make sure that you schedule several days for the recording and any possible re-recording.
6. Edit Your Commercial
After you have filmed your commercial, you have to edit it. You can use a software application such as Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro for editing. We suggest hiring an editor or taking a few editing classes so you can understand how to properly edit a video. You can consult with a seasoned video commercial maker on how to best edit your commercial.
You want your commercial to have enhanced visuals and audio. Do not overuse any transitions or special effects that come with the editing software. Keep the editing simple so that your viewers can focus on the substance of the commercial.
7. Showcase Your Commercial
Once you complete your commercial, you are ready to showcase it. You can reach out to local television stations for showcasing.
We also recommend showing your commercial online. Using websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, or the video-sharing application LBRY, you can reach a wider audience.
You should always seek new venues to showcase your commercial. The more your commercial is seen, the greater chances you have of your small business gaining exposure.
Let’s See Your Commercial
Now that you know how to make a video commercial, we want to see your commercial. Follow the steps in this guide and you’ll make a great commercial for your brand.
We’d like to help you promote your brand. Check out what we offer for your brand.
