Video Marketing

I received an e-mail today offering some advice about on-line marketing. One of the suggestions, which of course as a video producer I was delighted to see, was to use more video on the web. However, where I felt less inclined to agree was in the suggestion that "With a digital camera, it is easy to shoot, edit and upload the content". On the face of it this statement is true - cameras are cheap and readily available, editing software is also easy to install and use, and anyone can upload a video to Youtube, Vimeo or other such sites. However, this is not the whole story. It's a big mistake to just use video for the sake of it. Like all creative content, the more thought and effort that goes into the process, the more watchable the outcome. The same with technical quality - anyone can point a camera and edit a simple sequence but it takes experience and patience to create that broadcast style professional look. If you go down the point and shoot, amateur route, you run a serious risk of damaging or undermining your brand's hard won professional image by associating it with very obviously homemade video. There are circumstances where user generated content can work, but for most businesses it's a serious mistake to attempt the DIY approach with video marketing. Please, at least talk to a professional and get some advice, even if you don't end up using them.