Whether you’re looking to create a video for the first time ever, or you’ve done it before but are now working new types of video into your marketing regime, getting started with the process can often feel overwhelming as you figure out your goals, budget, and how they all can work together.

First, when it comes to budget, I’m a firm believer in hiring professionals to help you get the most for your money. It’s so easy to sit back and watch a video and have a sense of what you like or don’t like, but when it comes to actually planning and producing that video…well, it’s a lot more involved than the average person might realize.

You should absolutely consult with a video production company to get a clear idea of what can be done, and to discuss all related budget options. Here are some of the things you’ll talk about in order to arrive at a quote for your project:

1. What type of video are you looking to create?

First things first, you’ll want to know the goal behind creating a video, and what type of video will help you achieve that goal. It’s great to be influenced or inspired by what another brand may have done with video, but you should also consider if that same idea will translate to your brand and help you achieve your ultimate goal.

Here are some basic video types any video production company should be able to help you produce, and an idea of what they can help you achieve:

• Brand overview – a high-level intro piece that allows new customers to get to know what your business, product or service is all about.
• Lifestyle video – Introduction-level videos don’t always have to be full of detailed information. They can simply evoke what you are about! They can show powerful imagery paired with great music to be motivational, inspirational, and really speak to your brand image.
• Product demo or Process video – This type of video goes a bit deeper than the general introduction. Shoppers who really want to dig in and understand your products or services will watch a video like this.
• Micro-content video – Short video (15 – 30 seconds) that is eye-catching within the first 3 seconds and can be watched without sound. These are perfect for capturing views and would-be customers from social media feeds.

There are so many more types of video that achieve various goals, so be sure to hone in on what you want this video to do for your business.

2. What is your budget?

I’m sure you’re thinking, “Wait a minute. Isn’t that what these questions will help me figure out?”

Yes, you are absolutely correct. But also, if you are seriously planning to produce valuable video content for your brand, you should consider a budget range that you could potentially work within. There is still a lot of discussion to be had before reaching a final plan of action (and a cost to go with it!), but having this range will help you be more efficient in determining your real options.

3. What is your timeline?

Timeline can potentially limit the options when it comes to how or where something is filmed. For example, if you need to locate a local coffee shop to film in, it will take a little time for your producers to find a good location that is clean and functional. They’ll need to make sure permits, insurance and even details like power accessibility are in order.

In some cases it can even prove more cost-effective and efficient to have a set built in a studio. This way there are less concerns with shutting down a business for a day, or worrying about permits and other precautions.

Timeline can also directly affect the amount of hours allocated to post-production. If you’re aiming to create a video that is lengthy or intricately edited, you most definitely will not want to sell yourself short on post-production time.

4. Who will be featured in your video?

Often, businesses can create powerful video content featuring their own leaders – CEO’s, managers – or any trusted employees. However, there are many reasons why businesses may cast an actor with experience to be on-camera:

• Performance – Sometimes people are not comfortable on camera, and the engagement factor of the video can suffer. It’s hard to keep a viewer engaged if the person they’re watching seems uncomfortable, or is hard to understand or pay attention to.
• Creative options – Perhaps there is a role in the video that will benefit from an actors ability to perform it in different ways, providing options for the editing phase.
• Demographics – A certain type of person may resonate best with your targeted demographic – younger versus older, man vs woman, and so on.

Depending on who you need for your video, and the time it will take to get a good on-camera delivery from them, this can affect your budget.

5. How will you viewers watch your video?

Right now one of the most important questions you should ask yourself is how the video will reach your desired viewers. I say that this is so important right now, because the year is 2017 and we now have so many affordable options to us for broadcasting our own content! Consider these distribution options:

• Your Website
• Popular Video Hosting sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
• Facebook for sharing horizontal videos, but also short video ad promotions.
• Instagram (up to 1 minute videos horizontally, or 15 seconds vertically)
• Snapchat (which requires vertical video)
• Professional Video Hosting platforms like Vidyard, Wistia, Kaltura and more.

Depending on which of these avenues you wish to use to capture and engage viewers, your video production company will want to know that going into production so they can plan accordingly for video format and for proper editing to various specifications and file delivery.

Sure, there’s a lot more to dig into and review once you start speaking with a trusted expert at a professional video production company, but considering these points before you pick up the phone will help save you some time. A member of a trusted video production company can guide you through the rest of these discover conversations to help you arrive at a solid plan that falls within your budget.