According to eMarketer, U.S. video ad spending will nearly double from $7.7 billion this year to $14.4 billion in 2019. This growth is being largely fueled by mobile video, which is forecast to increase 50% in 2016 and 30% in 2017. Video is a critical part of companies’ marketing strategies, but it is one that many marketers struggle to master. In its webinar “Getting Video Projects Done on Time and on Budget,” ProofHQ outlines where video projects can get hung up and how to steer clear of the snags.
Here are some takeaways that any marketer can use:
Be clear about your direction and your budget
Whether you’re working internally or with a vendor, know what you want to accomplish. The more you define your goals, the easier it is to know you’ve achieved them. Expectations can often outstrip the budget and lead to project creep. Define your budget so you don’t waste time spinning your wheels on ideas the budget cannot accommodate.
Stay on track and be direct
Give particular attention to the review and approval process. This is where many of these projects get bogged down. Location and schedule of collaborators can be a huge contributor to timeline slippage. Are you dealing with remote employees? Geographically diverse team members? Create a plan that accommodates everyone’s schedule and time zone. Also be clear about feedback you and your time provide. Generalities require clarification, which complicates the communication and drags things out. Instead of, “Can this be a little bigger?” try “Can we make this a minimum of 200 pixels?” instead.
Encourage proactivity and stick to your vision
It is not unusual for team members to wait for others to provide feedback before they provide theirs. This is a natural human tendency, but it amplifies timeline drag. Another way to prevent falling off track is to be concrete about vision and commentary. Team members should indicate which version of the video they are commenting on. Otherwise, it is easy to chase issues that have already been resolved.
The Wrap Up
Before sending a project out for review, explain each stakeholder’s role and assign a final decision-maker for each stage. This will keep things moving and prevents confusion. Video is a huge component of effective marketing, but delay costs money. Any steps you can take to speed your time to market improves your bottom line.
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