Hiring a video production company is easy. But choosing the right video production agency for your business is much tougher. With countless production companies to choose from, it might feel overwhelming to find a company that can create the video content you’re looking for, at the right budget and in the right style. But by knowing where the pitfalls are and all the questions you need to ask upfront, then you’ll be well on your way to finding a video supplier that is a great fit for your brand. Below we’ve detailed the top steps to take when looking to hire the best video production company for your business.

Decide on a project scope

Start off by defining your project scope and what you want to get out of the video. You may be looking to sell more products and wanting video content that can champion their best features. Perhaps your brand has had a revamp and you’re wanting to reposition it to a new audience or you’ve launched a new app and you’re looking to drive return on investment through a Facebook campaign. Each of these types of videos will have a different scope of requirements, and may require a different sort of supplier, so always kick off with this step first.

Define your budget

Working out the budget for your video is a key step in the process as this will determine the appropriate suppliers within your price range. Video production costs can vary enormously depending on the scope of the project and the experience of the supplier and so it is important to define what budget works for your business as a starting point. Base your budget on the outcomes that you hope to deliver with your video, as well as taking into account the amount you feel comfortable investing.

Decide on the style of your video

The style of video you can choose from varies enormously, whether that’s animation, live video or a mix of the two. Documentary style videos create a more TV-like experience for the audience, whereas a product video animation is more functional and is there to be informative for the viewer. Whilst the video production company can advise on what style may best suit your project, it’s best to have an idea upfront as this will determine the type of supplier you approach.

Create a clear and concise briefing document

To make sure that you get comparative quotes between suppliers you will need to be clear about the scope of work.. We recommend including the below when reaching out to each video production company to make sure they cover everything in your quote.

  • Project description
  • The objectives of your video
  • Target audience
  • KPIs
  • Use of your video i.e. website, email, social media
  • Key deliverables, i.e how many videos, aspect ratio, length of videos
  • Style of video required, i.e animation, live filming, actors, voiceovers etc. Include any examples of videos you have found which match your ambition for the project.

Search for video production suppliers

Start off by looking for a video company with expertise in your sector. This may be a food and drink focused video production company or a sports video agency. Check out each agency’s previous work, looking for work that is similar to what you’re looking for such as the style, objective of the content or what the video is marketing. Going by recommendation is also a great way to find a new supplier to ensure that you’re using a supplier that is trusted by your peers.

Check their credentials are up to scratch

When checking out video suppliers, make sure to take a look at their credentials. Do they have case studies that can back up the quality of their work or valid customer testimonials and reviews that showcase how great they were to work with? Ask them for examples of work that match what you are looking for to get an idea of whether they would be the right fit for your project. Check out their setup such as team size, location and their skills and always research their capability to understand if they may be able to support in other areas beyond your video production needs, i.e amplifying your video through digital marketing.

Ask them how they quote

When gathering costs for the project, be sure to establish what’s included. Some agencies may may not include all costs in their quote such as travel expenses or location fees. To avoid unexpected costs, make sure you get clear on what’s included.

Compare the top quotes considering budget and credentials

When choosing between quotes, look out for any major differences between them. This might include things such as the number of day’s filming, how many rounds of revisions you are allowed at the edit stage or whether expenses are included or not. If they’re non comparable then whittle down to your favourite suppliers and ask for revised quotes so you can compare like for like.

For big projects with a large budget, asking the video production companies to pitch creative ideas or asking for client reference calls may also be acceptable, but don’t expect video production companies to do this for all projects.

If you’re looking for support with your next video project then do drop us a line, as we would love to help.