The power of video marketing and its benefits on a company’s branding are one of the most effective ways to promote any business in the world. As this marketing tactic isn’t going anywhere, it’s time to think about how you can incorporate it into your business, starting with how to choose a video production company you can actually trust.
This isn’t a boring, generic checklist that leads you to a mediocre production team making forgettable marketing videos. This is the guide to help you hire a top-rated video production company that creates highly engaging videos designed to convert leads into loyal, paying customers.
Before you hire the first person with a camera you find, take a few minutes to look through what actually matters when hiring a team. From promo videos and product demos to powerful social media ads, choosing the right company is the difference between a successful campaign and a pointless clip sitting on your site with zero views.
When you’re figuring out how to choose a video production company, it helps to think about it the same way you’d judge any vendor: on three separate levels. First, the product or service itself, the actual videos they make. Second, the specific person or people you’ll be dealing with directly. Third, the quality and reputation of the business as a whole.
That third point matters more than people expect. When you hire a company, ask exactly who you’ll be working with, and check whether that person has real, verifiable credentials. A team that puts an Emmy-winning producer directly on your project, rather than passing you off to a junior account manager, is a very different experience than a company that can’t tell you who’s actually running your shoot.
How can you choose a team to work with before seeing what they’re capable of? Effective video production companies will provide easy access to a portfolio of their work.
That way you get a clear vision of their talents and the experience they’ve developed over the years. It also provides a means for you to see their ability to use animation as well as visual effects while determining whether they can fit your style, voice, and branding needs.
Taking a look at Google reviews is one of the most reliable ways to find out which video production company is actually the best fit.
A recent survey found that more than 82% of consumers consult online reviews before making a purchase or hiring a company. Positive reviews stand as proof of a team’s dedication to customer service and their ability to create great content, while negative reviews often foreshadow a bad experience. Many companies also showcase client testimonials on their website to give you an even clearer picture.
As a business owner, you’ve likely done real research to narrow down who your target customer is. But knowing their age range or gender isn’t enough.
The most important thing a video team needs to know about your business is who you’re actually speaking to, on which platform, and as part of what marketing strategy, because all of that shapes the scripting process. A team that understands your sales process intimately can make a video that speaks directly to your customer base, not a generic version of it.
Platform matters just as much as message. A YouTube ad has about five seconds before a viewer can hit skip, so the opening has to earn attention immediately. Instagram and Facebook reward a different rhythm entirely. A video production company that treats every platform the same way isn’t thinking strategically about where your video actually lives.
It’s also worth paying attention to how a team operates on set. A company that keeps its crew lean, rather than padding a shoot with people standing around, usually reflects a business that understands corporate video production is not the same game as a Hollywood production, and prices and executes accordingly.
With a massive spread of videography devices in the world, ranging from expensive camera equipment to smartphones, anyone can create videos now. But only a small percentage of people claiming to provide value for a company’s video needs can truly deliver.
A team could easily create a fun, entertaining video with no purpose or goal behind it. People do it on YouTube all the time. But a truly exceptional video team will pair entertainment and engagement with a marketing emphasis to get people to take action and click through to the next stage of the buying process.
Knowing how to choose a video production company also means understanding the importance of marketing your business at every stage. Video plays a key role in moving potential clients through the marketing funnel, with different clips sparking different emotions at each step.
From developing interest in your product with an explainer video to helping buyers evaluate their needs, there’s content that fits every level of the funnel, and your production team should understand that.
One of the most essential things your video production team should understand is the effect video can have on SEO. Done properly, video keeps people on your site longer and boosts conversion rates.
As you learn how to choose a video production company, ask them where they feel your videos should be posted to benefit your SEO. A wise team will tell you that there are various types of videos that should be created to fit the specific purpose of where it will be shared. This often means using different videos for your social media accounts than the ones you put on your website.
If you were hiring someone to build your website, you’d expect them to have one of their own. The same logic applies here: if a video production company isn’t using video to promote their own services, that’s worth questioning. A portfolio of client work is helpful, but seeing how well they understand their own industry tells you a lot about whether you can trust them with yours.
Even after producing video content you love, you need to know where to share it. Your first instinct might be “everywhere,” but it’s worth strategically determining what will actually be effective.
Recognizing the best platforms to post on should be common knowledge for an experienced video production company. They can help identify social media strategies and whether a video should be promoted through paid ads or organic reach.
What is branding? With Nike, it’s the swoosh and “Just Do It.” For McDonald’s, it’s the golden arches and “I’m lovin’ it.” But a brand is far more than a logo or a motto, it’s how a customer feels when they think about a company and its products.
Whether you need brand videos or any content built around your brand, the essence of your business needs to come through in every second. A video production company needs to understand how to capture that vision.
Once a video is made, some production companies want to make things simple by using your site’s internal video player. Free tools built into platforms like Wix or Shopify aren’t always the right answer, they can be clunky, outdated, and hurt video quality.
Instead, the right approach uses paid versions of platforms like Vimeo and YouTube, which keep quality high while limiting buffering and load times.
“Time is money” tends to ring especially true for people running a business. As you figure out how to choose the best video production company, find a team that can confidently take over the project with minimal supervision on your part, and one that puts real, credentialed talent directly on your project instead of handing you off to a generalist.
That’s exactly what working directly with an Emmy-winning producer looks like: someone with real, verifiable experience taking ownership of your project from day one, not a name on a case study from years ago.
Ensure that you have multiple avenues of communication open to speak with someone at the company. This will allow you to stay as involved as you want to be throughout the process.
Companies that outsource script work can end up with both lower quality and less accountability. Even with beautiful visuals, a bad script can ruin a video, ask Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. A team with writers who work closely with producers throughout the process ensures every scene fits the visual and verbal needs of the project, without the delays and miscommunication that come with outsourcing.
It’s worth asking any video production company you’re considering how, or if, they use AI as part of their process. The right use of AI can extend a scene, build new environments, or add production value that wouldn’t fit inside a traditional budget, without ever replacing the real people and real footage your project actually needs. A team that can speak clearly to when AI helps and when it doesn’t is a strong sign they’re thinking about your project strategically, not just chasing a trend. Learn more about how AI-enhanced video production can add value to a shoot.
Video is built to stand the test of time, but like any content, it needs to stay current. If you’re only hiring a video production company for a one-and-done project, you’ll be starting from scratch again the next time you need new content.
Instead, work with a crew who can be there for the long haul. That relationship makes it easier to get new content whenever you need it, and it lets your production team develop a deeper understanding of your brand with every project. Learn more about the real benefits of video production as part of your ongoing marketing.
Look for a real portfolio, verified reviews, a team that understands your audience and sales process, and someone specific you’ll be working with directly, not just a name on a website. The strongest sign of a good fit is a company that can explain their process clearly instead of speaking only in generalities.
Judge on three levels: the product itself (their actual video work), the people (who specifically you’ll work with), and the business (their reputation and reviews). A company that’s strong on all three, not just one, is the safer choice.
Ask directly who will be running your project and what their credentials are. A company willing to put a credentialed, Emmy-winning producer directly on your project, rather than a generalist account manager, is showing you real confidence in their own talent.
Unsure of how to approach video production companies?
Unsure how to approach video production companies? Top Notch Cinema makes the process smooth and simple, answering most of your questions before you even ask them. You can expect the highest level of professionalism and quality work from our top-rated video production company.
Whether you need promotional videos, short ad clips, or long-form product description videos, Top Notch Cinema has a solution for you. Reach out to us online or give us a call today to learn more about how we can make an impact on your next ad campaign.
