There are millions of people around the world who want to hire a video production company, so why not you? Video production is a thriving industry, whether it’s video for the web or TV commercial. Here are some tips to help get clients coming in fast enough that you won’t have to eat ramen noodles every night at dinner.
1 | Recruit current customers or friends as referrals
Make sure both of your referral partners know what they are doing. If they don’t, you can lose potential customers who think, “Well if my friend couldn’t help me then I don’t need this guy.” If done right though, word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to find new business.
If you’re just starting out, chances are most of your business will come from people you know. Start asking friends and family right away to spread the word. If you have a large network on LinkedIn it can be a great place to get referral customers also.
2 | Be open to every opportunity
Saying no is sometimes good for your workload, but not for actually finding new clients. Make sure you are always available to do any job that comes your way. This includes the low hanging fruit that may seem like a waste of time or too boring, because one never knows where the next big client will come from. You never know when someone will seek you out and ask you to film their child’s three-year-old birthday party for no money.
By being open to every opportunity in the video production, one can supplement a lack of high paying jobs with various one time projects that might add up. These could include filming a wedding for a week, taking photos at an event or shooting some B roll for a local car dealer. It really doesn’t matter what these quick jobs are about as long as they have the potential to bring in more business down the road
Being open to all opportunities also means having your equipment ready and available at all times. This includes making sure your camera bag is always stocked with lenses, memory cards and spare batteries. You never know when you will be asked to film a commercial on the other side of town or if you’ll be asked to shoot some B roll for another client. Having your equipment set up and ready to go at all times will make it easier to take on small jobs, since they won’t require any additional preparation time.
3 | Invest in high-quality equipment
Cash flow can be an issue when trying to grow your company, but having quality gear can help attract potential customers who know what they are looking for and only want the best results. For example, if someone needs aerial shots done for their video production , they’ll probably reach out to companies with so they don’t have to do it themselves or hire someone who doesn’t have the camera necessary to give them HD drone footage. When a company invests in good quality camera equipment, they can give their customers what they need, and make them want to come back for more business.
Even though it may seem like a large purchase when looking at the numbers, investing in quality gear will help your business grow over time. Sure, cameras don’t last forever and you’ll have to buy new ones as technology develops, but if you can splurge on one good camera now (or even two), you won’t have to worry about buying new ones right away. Your investment should pay off within years, especially since video is becoming more popular thanks to YouTube and other social media platforms .
Investing in quality camera equipment not only attracts potential customers for today’s services, but also for tomorrow and years to come. Think about what you need now and in the future, and make sure your business is equipped for all of those needs.
4 | Network within your field
Attend meetups, conferences, and other events where professionals in your field will likely be around. Don’t spam people with promo material for free, but try meeting new people and introducing yourself.
If you’re not already in contact with people in your area that are doing video production, then reach out to some! Try sending them an email, call or Facebook message. Introduce yourself and tell them what kinds of services you offer. Maybe they know another professional (or two) that they could put you in touch with. They might even be interested in your service themselves!
Networking is about making friends and working together for the greater good of everyone involved. If one person brings a potential customer to the table, that’s great for their wallet, but it’s also great for yours! You can form business relationships where you both benefit from referrals if one day someone demands something you cannot provide; this way, when no matter what happens
5 | Pick up new skills
Never stop learning! You are only as valuable as you are versatile. Classes are always available on Lynda, Skillshare, Udemy, etc., so sign up for a few that interest you. Don’t forget about free resources like YouTube and Google that can help expand your knowledge.
There will always be new technology and techniques that come into the industry, so learn all you can about them to stay up-to-date with video production news . If you’re seeing a lot of companies switching from DSLR cameras to mirrorless ones, find out why. What are they using now? What is it about this switch that makes services better or worse?
You don’t have to know everything right away, but try to keep up with industry trends since things move fast! You won’t learn if you aren’t actively looking for new information, so subscribe to some newsletters or buy yourself a book on Amazon or another online retailer.
6 | Take advantage of online marketing tools
There is no shortage of places online where you can put out calls-to-action that link back to your website, blog or landing pages. Make sure you are not just using social media to share your latest blog posts though! People have become numb to promotional posts, so mix in some fun stuff that has nothing to do with work once in a while too.
Clickbait and controversial topics work well on platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Reddit. They get you more views and they catch people’s attention, so use these things sparingly but often.
Not sure what to post? You can always ask your community! People will tell you if they want more/less of something, and it might be helpful for you too since maybe one day you’ll run out of ideas (it happens)! Create a survey using Google Forms or another free tool , or set up a quick 5 question poll in Facebook Messenger.
7 | Have an email list & send newsletters
If someone likes what they hear or see from you online, they will want to know more about how they can hire you for their next project. Having an email list is the best way to keep them informed of new services and pricing options that you offer, as well as any special offers that could really benefit them.
8 | Stand out from your competition
With great power comes great responsibility… to stand out from the crowd! No one is going to pick your video production company if you are the same as everyone else. Make sure your website, blog, social media profiles, and other content reflect your uniqueness to build trust with potential customers.
9 | Tell a story in every video
People connect with stories. This is why human beings have been telling them for thousands of years while technology changes constantly. Every commercial should have some sort of story to it that connects with the viewer emotionally, even if they don’t realize it right away. And make sure you use music that matches what you are trying to convey (you can browse our library and sort by ‘mood’) ! Don’t keep blaring pop songs like everyone else does… at least not all the time anyway! (see #8).
10 | Be passionate about what you do
If you aren’t passionate about your work, why should anyone else be? It’s hard not to have some sort of a connection to a video production company owner who is passionate about what they do and how they do it. This passion isn’t going to magically make someone want to hire you for their next project, but there is no doubt that putting on a face of apathy won’t help.
Stay hungry!
