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Video is a marketing tool that can be used to educate, entertain or engage better than most marketing tools because it compels the viewer to take action. It also drives organic results online. According to Forrester Research, a keyword-tagged video is 50 times more likely to appear on the first page of a Google search result compared with a traditional Web page.

What do I do first?
Creating web-video is similar to the creative process of any product or service. A story must be designed that evokes the right feeling from viewers, and if it is a branding piece, it must leave viewers able to recall the name and unique sales proposition of the service or product. If the video requires a call to action, then it must be clear and have an action that can be analyzed, such as a unique URL, e-mail or phone number that will help you track responses.

Firstly, one must determine a clear goal, such as whether it is to communicate a brand, entice recruits or present case studies. Once a specific goal is agreed upon, the creative team must present different approaches. Will the video present visuals through stock photos, footage and a voice-over, or will it be filmed with live people? Will these people be actors or firm professionals? In some industries, such as law, actors are not allowed to represent a real practice. Will the piece be humorous or will it be a traditional story line with a beginning, middle and end? Will music support the video or will it guide the piece as the theme music in a major motion picture to evoke emotion? These are all decisions that need to be carefully assessed before production.

Action!
Once goals are established and the direction of the piece is agreed upon, the fun begins. Shooting a short video should not take hours. If the ultimate piece is to be two to three minutes (research shows viewers drop off substantially for business videos after 2:30 minutes), your subjects should not be in front of the camera for more than 30 to 45 minutes.

Determine if the video is to be scripted and if words will be read off a teleprompter or cue cards. If the talent will be interviewed, will the interviewers be cut out of the final piece? Who will be writing the questions? If you leave this to your producer, it helps if they know your industry. Ask your video production team if they will perform research before questioning senior members of a firm or company. Ambience is also an important consideration, so agree on lighting. Will the look be natural or are you seeking something dramatic?

If the people starring in the video are experienced speakers, they may respond well in front of a camera with just a bit of guidance. If, however, the representatives are not “naturals”, consider hiring a communications consultant to work with them before the shoot.

The Cutting-Room Floor
This is where the magic happens and where random pieces of footage blend together with b-roll, music and voice-over to come together and form a powerful communications tool. The modern day business video is part movie, trailer, white paper and website. It needs to communicate the key ideas that are identified by the client with the production firm in the creative process.

It’s key to determine who will edit transcripts or audio. Will it be the client or the producer? Who will direct the visuals? Some companies have treasure troves of photos from their worldwide offices that they want included to make the piece feel more personal. Agree on as many components of the finished piece before editing begins in order to produce a video that meets everyone’s expectations.

Marketing and Distribution
Your video is in the can. You’ve signed off and agreed that it will reside on your website. This is only the first step in ensuring that your piece will garner maximum exposure. Web videos should be coded using proper xml code so that Google picks up the video and enhances the results of the Web page it sits on.

It should also be uploaded to as many of the major video portals as possible, including YouTube, Vimeo and DailyMotion. Proper descriptions should be included in the information section. Consider pushing the video out as part of an ongoing marketing campaign through e-mail and through social media links like Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook. To heavily promote a video you can even consider building an inexpensive advertising campaign through YouTube, Google, LinkedIn or Facebook where instead of driving clicks to a website, you drive them to the video.

Linda Sedloff Orton is president of Intelligent Video Solutions, a Rye, N.Y.-based corporate video production and marketing services firm for professional services groups. Linda can be reached at Linda@intelligentvideosolutions.com.