Have you been considering video content for your brand? Your instincts are right on point, because consumption of online video is growing and how! It is said that by 2020, 82% of all Internet traffic will be through video. In other words, the time is ripe for you to begin developing strong, on-brand video content and reigning in some followers.
But most brands don’t have the requisite skills and capabilities to develop video content in-house. That’s why they choose to partner with the specialists – external video agencies. If you’re considering doing the same but are apprehensive about how to choose an agency, don’t worry. Just run through this checklist, ask the right questions, get answers to each and you’ll find your dream video agency in no time.
1. Who Are They?
Making videos, and making mistakes while making a video, can be pricey. This is why it’s critical to know that your project is in the right hands. Get to know about the agency by finding out who works there. Ask around about them. Find out who the Director and Production Director are, what they have worked on before, and what their reputation is. Are they easy to work with? Try your best to get these questions answered to know if you’d enjoy working with them.
2. What’s Their Creative Ideology?
As someone in charge of a brand, you have clearly laid-out objectives and a strategy to achieve them. The best creative partnerships occur when everyone on the team agrees with those objectives.
Discussing your partner agencies’ creative vision and checking whether they’re passionate about your project is important. It makes sure they’re not just interested in doing your work for the revenues only. When a video agency speaks with passion and has a unique vision for your brand content, that’s how you know they’re ready to come on board for the right reasons.
3. What’s Their Communication Style?
Are they averse to feedback or constructive criticism? Or worse, do they think that they have to do everything you tell them to, and offer little to no input? It’s easy to work with an agency that fosters open communication, especially because you’re going to want timely updates on your project, and you’ll want to know that the creative vision and objectives are being met. Ask them about their ideation process, how they plan to keep you updated, and how they plan to avoid miscommunication with regard to briefs/ changes.
4. Do They Have The Skills You Need?
This one’s easy to check. All the information you need is in their portfolio. Browse their past work and make sure there’s consistent quality. If you have a basic idea of the type of video you want made, check if they have already done something similar in the past. Many agencies have big brand names as part of their client list, but don’t let that faze you. Make sure this agency can feed your industry, and if not, that they understand its needs. In their portfolio, check for things like production value, good storytelling, visuals that support the story instead of distract from it, and creative style.
5. How Do They Measure Success?
It’s not just the Director’s vision that needs to be met, it’s your brand’s goals and objectives. As mentioned before, the first step to starting off on a project is agreeing on its goals. So find out how the video agency plans to meet them, how will they measure success (Number of views? Media mentions? Increased site traffic?) and what their distribution plan is to achieve said goals.
6. How Easily Can You Reach Them?
It’s ok if your video agency isn’t in the same city as you, great work can happen from anywhere, as long as there’s communication. If you love their work and are confident about their ability to meet your brand goals, it’s alright if they’re in a different time zone. However, if you feel the need to be completely involved in the whole process and can’t travel too often, perhaps look closer to home. These are a few things you need to be clear about before signing them on as partners.
7. What Value Do They Bring To The Project?
You can’t look past costs and budgets, your video agency needs to fit the bill, in every sense of the word. The best practice is to be clear with them on what you can afford, can’t afford and how quickly you expect the work to be done. And if you expect great quality work in a short time, expect to pay a high price for it. If you have a humble budget, you’ll have to measure your quality expectations accordingly.
There you have it, the main questions to ask yourself before choosing a video agency. Ideally, you’ll want to compare a few with this checklist in hand. The best creative work is produced when there’s symbiosis between the creative team and brand, so never settle for an agency you have doubts about. Only sign on with a partner who you feel most comfortable with.
