With so many DIY video tools and cheap production options for “explainer” or other type of tech solution marketing video, it’s reasonable to question the $5,000–$15,000 cost of a professional production studio. Here’s how professional specialists earn their fees.
Viewer-friendly tech solution marketing video
You’re involved in sales and marketing. That makes you an advocate for your solution.
The video pro is an advocate for the viewer. They’ll look at your messaging, personas, and customer pain points with fresh eyes. They’ll ask questions like “Doesn’t the viewer already know this?” and “Are these the same pain points your competitors talk about?” as they work to make sure your video story is fresh and interesting for the viewer.
The video pro is thinking about how to hook the viewer in the first 30 seconds. While your messaging documents describe the product in context, the writer of your tech solution marketing video will start by trying to nail down how much knowledge — context — the viewer brings to the video. This is good discipline that comes with experience. It’s worth paying for.
Communicating technical differentiators
Marketers sometimes fear getting too technical or “down-in-the-weeds.” A good video producer will be confident in their ability to depict technical values clearly. And will give you confidence, too.
Why is this more important? Because IT buyers, in particular,
are more interested in technical stuff than most marketers think they are. The table below, summarizing research in the SpiceWorks tech community, identifies some startling gaps between the types of content buyers want to consume and what marketers produce. What’s clear here is that IT buyers want to get down in the weeds. They’re interested in knowing why you made the technology choices you did.
What IT Buyers Use vs. What Tech Marketers Produce
| Marketing Content | IT Buyer | Marketer |
|---|---|---|
| Free product trials | 90% | 58% |
| Technical spec sheets | 95% | 73% |
| Product reviews | 99% | 60% |
| Articles | 93% | 80% |
| Infographics | 55% | 73% |
| Interview / Q&A with product experts | 70% | 54% |
| Product briefs | 83% | 67% |
| Webinars | 80% | 69% |
| Case studies / ROI studies | 72% | 82% |
| Videos | 87% | 77% |
| E-books | 51% | 50% |
| Whitepapers | 71% | 77% |
| Source: Spiceworks survey of 346 tech marketers and 467 IT pros around the world | ||
Exploring new avenues for video
Video has four key advantages over other media when it comes to engaging the viewer:
- human faces
- human voices
- human emotions
- movement to draw the eye
Every professional video producer knows this — and knows how to deploy these advantages in all types of video — expert interviews, explainers, case studies, customer stories.
A good producer may suggest making several short videos instead of a typical overview. Or come up with an affordable series idea built on whatever you contacted them about. If you’re not sure exactly what you want to do, you’ll be glad to be working with someone who can come up with alternative ideas quickly.
An agile production process for new product introductions
Customers are discovered to be using the product in unexpected ways. A carefully thought-out message is found not to resonate. A feature you planned to lead with won’t be ready.
An experienced professional producer anticipates such shifts with an agile production process that “locks in” a little as possible. For example, if you develop the video using a temporary narration, you can refine the messaging as the video production moves along. You not only avoid delays and expensive rework, you also get a video that reflects your latest thinking on how to frame your message.
