Marketing your video production business can feel like an uphill battle at times. With every new media channel that pops up, it seems like there’s no way to reach your target audience unless you have a ton of money to invest in advertising or you are willing to go all-in with the social media platform giants!
As you probably know by now, I am not a fan of big corporations that use their power to dominate the market and advertise heavily for themselves. It is totally understandable why most people get discouraged when they look around and see how many brands seem to be on top of the game.
That is why I will focus my marketing strategies on things that are cost-effective and dependable instead. These types of tools will help you gain exposure while supporting independent creative businesses!
There are several ways to promote your video production company outside of just posting about it on social media sites. You can do some done-to-death activities that may not work anymore, such as sending out mailers or putting up posters everywhere. More innovative ideas include holding a movie screening or having a prize giveaway.
And even though we mentioned before that you should always provide your contact information, this article will talk more about what kind of information is needed and where to share it.
Make a marketing plan
The next step is to make a mental note of all the ways you can market your video production business. You do not have to use every tactic, but it is important to be systematic in your approach.
It is easy to get distracted by the ever-growing list of opportunities, so try grouping them into categories or systems to help focus on one at a time.
This will also give you some basic guidelines for each category, which can help you determine if this strategy works for you. For example, you could group marketing strategies according to cost, such as doing things that are relatively inexpensive or free.
There are many ways to market your video production business, and no matter what style of business model you choose, the only way to succeed is by putting in consistent effort.
Create marketing materials
Now that you have your production equipment, run through some quick steps to get started marketing your video business! First, you will want to create marketing materials such as flyers, brochures, or even your own website.
When creating these materials, make them focused only on your business! No one wants to see pictures of yourself doing things or writing about topics other than how to start a career in video.
These can be done via print-based documents (like PDFs) or web pages that are designed using HTML or WordPress software.
General tips: use clear language, keep it concise, include links to related resources, emphasize benefits to the reader, and avoid too many advertisements.
Promotion: Use social media to spread word of your services and upload photos and videos of you providing service. Post reminders for yourself to update your online profiles so people can direct contact you if needed.
Interviews: Ask potential clients questions or invite them to do an interview with you so they can learn more about you and what you offer. Make sure to cover this in detail and clearly state who you are and what you provide.
Distribute your materials
As mentioned earlier, you will need to have some kind of distribution for all of your videos. This can be done through YouTube or other social media sites, advertising in newspapers and magazines, distributing flyers and posters at local businesses and movie theaters, and more.
By having many different avenues to distribute your content, it becomes much easier to spread your video production business’s name around. Plus, you are getting exposure for yourself as an entrepreneur which is always a good thing!
Running into issues with marketing your video production business may feel like a snowball effect. The more time and effort you put in, the more success you will see from your business.
Offer a service
As mentioned before, your main goal as an entrepreneur is to make money. However, marketing to gain new clients can be tricky at times. With that being said, there are many ways you can go about it.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by offering a service or product. By doing so, you create a space for yourself where people will come to you for help with their business.
By providing value, you stand out from the rest and get paid for it!
There’s no need to dive into marketing strategies right now but when you are ready, you can start thinking about what products and services you could offer.
Good services and products are always in demand so you have a good chance of finding some work if you aren’t already.
What we suggest is to begin with something simple first and see how things go from there. Starting off by offering a service or product is one of the best routes to take if you want to keep growing your video production business.
Establish a website
After you have filmed your video, it is time to start marketing yourself! The first thing you should do is establish an online presence. This can be done through establishing a YouTube channel, having a strong Facebook profile, and/or creating a business site or even two sites if needed.
Having a social media account is a good way to begin, but don’t stop there! You must also make sure that your personal accounts are blocked so people cannot contact you as you earn a living off of your work. It is important to maintain anonymity until your career takes off!
That is why most professional filmmakers have separate accounts from themselves as individuals. For example, if you named your company “Content Creator A”, then create another account like “contentcreatorablog” or something along those lines. Make sure to keep these fake identities up for only limited purposes though, otherwise your success will get in the way of your privacy.
Get a business card
Now that you have your camera, microphone, studio space, and creative tools under control, it’s time to start marketing yourself. You will eventually need a way to get in front of people to promote your services, so why not do it now?
A great first step is getting a simple business card. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have one yet or they are already too expensive, there are plenty of free ways to make yours happen!
You can pick any color scheme you like and design something unique to fit your brand. The best business cards feature your contact information, a short description about you and your service, and some links (to your website, social media profiles, etc.).
Create your marketing strategy
Once you have done your research, it is time to create your video production business’s marketing strategy. What will be your focus? Will you emphasize producing videos for YouTube or creating educational content that people can access anywhere?
You can choose to go all out with social media, SEO (search engine optimization), blogging, influencer marketing — whatever makes the most sense for your business and what tools you have in place at this stage.
Start small by giving yourself some of these tools before investing more heavily in others. For example, start experimenting with SEO on your own website first before developing an actual plan.
Influencer marketing is also dependent on having influencers in your field that other people look up to.
Find clients
Finding potential customers is the most important thing you can do as a video production professional. Starting your business does not mean that you are automatically given access to all of the media, marketing tools and resources needed to grow your business!
In fact, being surrounded by such things may even be a deterrent for some people. You need to understand that not everyone will always “buy what you sell”.
Clients come in many different shapes and sizes. Some want very formal services (like filming weddings) while others prefer more creative approaches (filming events or creating content for YouTube channels).
Some businesses only have limited budget constraints so they cannot afford high-end equipment and software. There are many ways to work with these clients if you know who their key contacts are!
But before you start looking for opportunities to create works for pay, make sure you have done an inventory of your current assets and possibilities.
This article will talk about several ways to find new clients for your video production business.
