You’re probably used to selling a tractor, trailer, or piece of equipment to customers face-to-face. In this increasingly digital world, video is the next best thing!
Here’s the thing: When it comes to your job, you’re great at what you do! You’ve put in the hours, you know your equipment inside & out; but then an opportunity like video comes along that you have no experience with.
Our team works with clients who have this same problem. That’s why we created this guide to share exactly what you’ll need to make your own commercial!
1. A Measurable Goal
Are you trying to sell a product or service? Publicize an event? Increase brand awareness? Having these goals in mind is the first step towards creating a successful video. The next? Establish a measurement of success.
Maybe your goal is to sell two tractor packages this month. What would accomplish that? For one of our clients, this came in the form of a short commercial on Facebook, highlighting features their customers ask about. If they got two leads from this video, it would be a success!
2. A Platform
Once you have your goal in mind, it’s time to consider which platform will help you best accomplish it. Platforms have different algorithms, and videos will perform differently depending on a number of factors, like video length. For example, on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, we recommend that videos are approximately 1 minute long. This is the ideal length for users to watch and for Facebook to promote.
The average engagement rate for Facebook video posts is 6.13%. (For those who don’t know, likes, shares, and comments all count as engagement on Facebook, as well as clicks on links, videos, and photos). For text-based or photo-centric posts, the average engagement rate drops to 3.6%.
Check your measurable goals again. If you’re hoping to sell a tractor package, you’ll want that engagement rate at or above average!
https://www.facebook.com/1549995688604420/videos/301640150858395
3. An Engaging Script (Or At Least a Game Plan)
Now that you have your goal and a platform in mind, it’s best to figure out what you’re going to say and what you’re going to shoot before hitting “Record.”
A script isn’t just an opportunity to write the words, but also to describe the shots and the overall concept for the video. This starts out with a Video Treatment, also known as a description of your video. Here, you’ll define your goals and set up expectations (include the information we’ve already talked about, like measurable goals, platform, and video length), then establish the concept and your approach.
For example, if you’re wanting to create a 1-minute video for Facebook selling a tractor package, you might include the action you want people to take after watching the video (like calling your store) as well as the emotions and takeaway you want your audience to experience (like trust in your company).
After this, it’s great to split your script into two columns, one with your shot list and the other with your words, so you can see these happening side-by-side. Timing is an important consideration. You wouldn’t want your salesperson talking about the lifting capacity while seeing a shot of the back of the tractor; the audience would want to see that lifting capacity in action!
Here are some questions to ask yourself when creating your script:
- What kind of audio do we want? This can be on-camera speaking, voice-over, or maybe just music.
- What is the primary shot? Maybe you want someone speaking directly to the camera!
- What are the supporting shots (also known as B-roll)? Consider getting close-ups of features, shots of your store, birds-eye shots of your location, etc.
- What kind of experience do you want your viewers to have? Are you wanting them to get excited, instill confidence in your products or services, or get to know your business better?
- How do you talk to your customers in-store? If you want your current customers to engage, and potential customers to get familiar with your business, don’t write words you wouldn’t say yourself! Think of this as a polished version of what you’d say to a customer standing right in front of you.
Keep in mind that the first 3 seconds are crucial on social media platforms. That feels like an incredibly short amount of time, but in those 3 seconds, the viewer decides if they want to watch and engage with your video or keep scrolling. Have something right at the top that catches people’s attention, like faces.
4. Your Phone (Or Other Technology Already Available to You)
You don’t need fancy equipment to create a successful video! These days, your smartphone most likely has a camera that captures high-quality footage, and a mic that records solid audio that works well for voice over.
However, keep in mind that when using widely-available technology, there are variables you need to take into account. Capturing clear video and audio on your phone for an outdoor shoot will be impossible on a windy day. Without a separate microphone, the wind will be picked up on the audio, potentially drowning out your words! Other shots like that birds-eye view call for a drone. We recommend starting out within your means, keep videos simple, and catch people’s attention.
5. Video Editing Software
If you have an Apple device, most come with iMovie, which is great for cutting together small videos. More expensive options include Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere, and there are always tutorials on YouTube to figure out how to use these programs best.
Editing Tips:
- Want music, but want to avoid copyright claims? You can find royalty-free music from multiple places (our team uses Audio Jungle & Envato)! These options may not be free but will be available to you for low costs.
- Use your logo! Dropping your branding in a video makes it immediately recognizable as your content. Add in a phone number, email address, or URL at the end of your video and call people to action: Get in touch! Buy this tractor!
- Watch other videos! It’s great to look for inspiration. Which commercials inspired you to create this one? Borrow ideas from them!
Once you’ve edited your commercial to your liking, it’s time to export and post.
But wait…what if I don’t have the time or know-how to make all this happen?
We’re here to help y’all out! The team at Romega Digital has worked with other companies like yours and helped them create videos that get noticed. Brands like Branson Tractor & Club Car engage and reshare the content that we’ve helped our clients create. Brand awareness videos, like this one here, reach audiences of thousands, getting more eyes on their brand.
