Welcome to the Use Video blog
Use video
In this blog we will explore the best and most effective ways of using video for business. I decided to start this blog because it is a subject not often covered. There are plenty of blogs on how to use video cameras, how to use various video editing systems, video search engine optimization and all of the individual skills needed to create a video. However there are few blogs that cover the strategy that must be in place before you pull out a camera or even write a script, if you want your business to truly benefit from your video.
Video as a business tool (I like the term “killer app”)
For many years now I have thought of the videos I create for clients as tools. I see myself as a tool maker, creating tools that enable businesses to accomplish certain things. Like tools, they can be designed to accomplish a specific task (like a sparkplug puller) or they can be designed so that they are useful for a variety of purposes (like a pair of pliers). Often clients come to me looking for tools that do a variety of things (like a Swiss Army knife). Unfortunately, while one can use a Swiss Army knife to accomplish a variety of tasks, it is not especially good at any of them. I know of no hairstylists who use the scissors on a Swiss Army knife to achieve the latest look. A carpenter would not use the screwdriver on a Swiss Army knife to build a deck. And the only time a chef would use the knife for cooking would be as a challenge on Top Chef. Videos that are created to solve business challenges are no different — the more they are tailored to a specific task the more effective and useful they are.
Strategy for efficiency
of course creating very specific videos to achieve very specific tasks can get expensive. Expense has always been the biggest problem with video, and it still is. Even with the falling cost of production and editing equipment and the explosion of businesses and freelancers who provide video production services, good video takes time to create. “Bad” video should not be dismissed as an effective option in some situations, and we will discuss the effective use of “bad” video in this blog. In order to cut production costs and still get very specifically targeted videos, I like to employ a strategy that includes reuse and repurposing. We will discuss various ways that you can shoot several videos at once to achieve economy and specialization at the same time. There is nothing better than getting three specialized videos for the price of one unfocused, ineffective waste-of-time.
Uses of video
Having been in the video business since 1978 and owner of a video company since 1992, I have had plenty of time to think about the many ways to use video in business. I have actually created videos for about 80% of those uses. In this blog we will explore some of the more interesting, unique and most misunderstood uses of business video along with proof that video does work. And I’d like to define “business” very broadly. A demo video for a public speaker is a business video because it generates business for the speaker. Same goes for videos of actors, singers, poets and authors because it builds and documents their career. For our purposes, the term “business” certainly extends to nonprofits, schools and government agencies.
Transparency
I’m very bad at being duplicitous so I feel compelled to confess that I am writing this blog in part to build my business. While that’s obvious to most, it’s often the elephant in the room that many people ignore. I will offer as much practical and useful information as I can so those who find and read this get something valuable. Readers can apply this information to make their own videos better, to help build their own video production businesses, or to more effectively use the services of a video production company (such as Ludlow Media Solutions). I anticipate that many topics will simply flow out of me since they are the things that I find myself repeating to clients over and over again. Perhaps by posting them here, eventually I will have clients who come to me from this blog and are ready to create strategically planned, effective videos that make a huge difference in their business.