To begin, this article is tailored for companies that have never produced a video. However, for those of you who have, perhaps you’ll read something that will help you on your next video project.

I decided to write this article because there has been a peak in interest from many companies over the last year or two in producing a video primarily based on the emergence of YouTube. But, more on that later.

Over the past 20 years Rick Davis Productions, Inc. has produced more than 100 videos for companies large and small. And while we have produced projects from 1 minute point-of- purchase videos to 30 minute shows, the majority of company videos we produce are two types:

The Corporate Video-This type of video tells the company’s story. This includes its history, its longevity, expertise and who they have done business with. In short, it communicates to prospects all the elements of the company!

The Product Video- This video focuses on a specific product of a company. It highlights the features and benefits while demonstrating the product to the prospect. The bottom line- here is why you need this product!

But no matter what type, I’ve found companies wanting to produce a video ask us the same three questions.

1. How do we get started ?

I’ve discovered many companies who haven’t produced a video had actually considered it for some time. They just weren’t sure how to get the project off the ground. However, an initial consultation will help cut through the myriad of ideas and focus on a clear objective.

During this process we interview you with a series of questions that ultimately come down to two basic elements:

What are you trying to communicate?
Who are you trying to communicate to?

Once the company is comfortable with the objective and the direction of the video becomes clear, the outline and scripting process can begin. This leads to the second question.

2. How long should our video be?

Our answer to that is, as long as it takes to effectively communicate the video message. In other words, if it takes three or four minutes to tell your story, great, if it takes 10 minutes, that works too.

Many companies seem more focused on the length of the video than its content for fear of boring the viewer. The truth is if the video is compelling enough the viewer won’t realize how long it is anyway.

That being said, my experience has found videos around five to seven minutes work well. For those of you who think that isn’t very long, you may be surprised how much visual information can be communicated in that amount of time!

3. How much will our video cost ?

That’s the 64,000 dollar question, not that a video will cost that much to produce! But seriously, even though video technology and distribution has evolved over the years, the cost perception of producing a video remains somewhat of an enigma.

I’ve had companies think it takes $50,000 to produce a video, while others have thought just $2,000 will get the job done. Actually the answer lies somewhere in between, but that’s a big in between !

To begin, let’s dispel the myth that the longer the video the more it costs to produce. While the length of the video is a factor, the ultimate cost is based on how long the video production and editing takes.

Therefore, a 3 minute video may cost more than a 7 minute video, while a 10 minute video may cost less than a 5 minute video.

Sound even more confusing ? Think of producing a video like buying a house, how many square feet do you need or how many rooms do you want ? The script of the video is like the blue print to a house.

Once the video script is written and approved we determine how long it will take to shoot and edit the video, then we can provide an accurate cost estimate.

Anyone who attempts to quote how much a video will cost without seeing a script is really trying to fit a round peg into a square hole.

The bottom line, if you can’t justify the investment to produce a video that effectively communicates and engages your prospect, you are better off not producing the video at all.

Remember, a poorly or cheaply produced video will not represent your company or product well.

This brings us back to the beginning of the article when we touched briefly on YouTube. This phenomenon when strategically utilized allows companies to market their company or product virally worldwide, and it’s free!

Why YouTube?

  - YouTube exceeds 2 billion views a day, nearly double the prime-time audience of all three major networks combined !

- 24 hours of video is uploaded every minute to YouTube !

- The average person spends 15 minutes a day on YouTube !

- Many major brands using YouTube include Nike, Disney and Xerox. Even the White House has its own YouTube channel! 

But, did you know YouTube is much more than just a place to post videos? Many companies don’t utilize the many marketing benefits of YouTube. Here’s how:

Brand your YouTube Channel
First, create a YouTube channel (URL) name that reflects your brand or product. We research to see where your company site is positioned for keywords. If it doesn’t rank for some competitive keywords, place a YouTube video there to optimize it by integrating those keyword titles and tags.

Improve your Google search position
Second, position your company to potentially dominate page one of Google search for that brand name. Because YouTube is a Google property, it’s often easier to get a YouTube video a higher Google ranking than a corporate web site! Plus, when you combine YouTube with other brand web properties such as your corporate web site, blog etc. you will surpass the Google position of your competitors!

Increase web site traffic
Third, you’ll increase traffic to your company web site by adding a link in the text on the right hand side of the YouTube video. You can also place your video on various other video hosting sites to maximize its exposure.

So there you have it ! I hope this article has helped shed some light on all the considerations needed to produce an effective company video.

Rick Davis is President of Rick Davis Productions, Inc., a full service production and media company.


Go to YouTube.com/RickDavisProductions to view samples of company videos.

Then give us a call at 402-596-1115, or simply fill out the form to set up a no-obligation consultation!