Companies and brands have to tell their stories more and more with images or videos in order to be seen in the fast-moving world of news. News is no longer only told face-to-face, but is "shared" and "liked" via digital channels. And thanks to smartphones, photos can be taken in seconds and videos edited in record time. More and more brands are photographing and filming wildly. Content is king. But beware: even with smaller video or photo productions, there are many stumbling blocks that can cost you dearly. That's why we have summarized the three most common mistakes in video production or a photo shoot:
Mistake 1: No story
To make a message easy to understand and relevant to the target group, every image or video must tell a story. As our brains are used to stories from an early age, we can absorb information with a common thread and emotional storylines more quickly and process it more easily. What does that mean? A story should have a protagonist who is confronted with a problem and can solve it. This creates the necessary tension to captivate the target group and an added value that the audience will ideally share with others.
Error 2: No rights
In the digital age, content spreads at breakneck speed - even content that was not intended for publication. We fall into the social media trap even more often: you can film and photograph (almost) anything for private use. In a professional environment, things look very different: People suddenly have to sign waivers, drones have to be registered, musicians have to give their consent. So make sure you are legally secure before a shoot or photo shoot and make a written agreement with all parties regarding the recording and use of the planned content.
Mistake 3: No plan
What good is a nice video or great image material if nobody knows what to do with it? Then all your efforts will have been in vain. Of course: all material should be used for your own channels. But make sure you have a plan. Think about which of your channels the images or videos could fit into and when what is planned on these channels. Are you writing a blog on your own website, for example with a "making-of" text about the shoot? When will this go online? Are you planning to upload a video to the YouTube channel? Are you making a small teaser beforehand? Are you planning a link to the image gallery in the next newsletter? Which images are suitable for this? And should the media also include the images? Then think carefully about which media you want to write to with which storylines. And: Make sure you remain available for queries!
Want even more insider knowledge about content production? Our free guide shows you how to tell stories in powerful images and prepare them for all channels. We know all the stumbling blocks of brainstorming, planning, production and distribution and show you what you need to pay attention to. And we hope that you will be spared these mistakes in your next video production!