“How long should my construction video showcase be?”
This is a question we get all the time and for good reason. The obsession with short content and fear of short attention spans is everywhere, and it leads business owners to believe that all content they publish needs to be super short or it will be ignored.
After 14 years in the video production industry, our experience is that what’s far more important than how long is where the video appears. An appealing, well-produced video published where viewers are receptive to watching it simply gets the attention it deserves — regardless of length.
Consider this for context: There are plenty of video ads you can’t wait to skip just 5 SECONDS in, yet you may be happy to watch a 30 minute walkthrough video or “How-To” demonstration, especially when you’re trying to learn a new skill or are considering a large purchase.
That’s what we mean when we say “It’s not how long, but when”.
What stage of the customer journey is your customer in? Do they know nothing about you? If so, then a 30 second intro video is about all you should ask.
Are they in the final stage of deciding between your company and another competitor? Then there is little doubt that the potential client would be willing to watch a well produced 5 minute video that outlines why you are different from your competition…. especially if they are considering a costly or lengthy commitment.
A great example of this is the work we’ve done with GMM of North America, one of the industry leaders in Stone and Granite Countertop CNC machinery.
VIDEOS CREATED AS PART OF A SALES PROCESS GENERATE BETTER RESULTS.
In GMM’s case, we made a 30 second short video aimed at a granite and stonework fabricator that knows little to nothing about GMM’s CNC machines. This version was tight and punchy, giving a quick overview of the best features of the machine and how it saves time and costs.
Any information that would be distracting for this viewer was omitted.
The idea there was to sell the value of a fabricator considering such a product in the first place.
For the customer who is already familiar with the GMM brand, but hasn’t decided to buy yet, we created a longer 3-4 minute video being a bit more detailed and sales-focused. Here, the assumption was that the viewer is already looking into CNC machines, so we instead focused on the versatility and precision of this model to illustrate why their search for the right one was over.
This version struck the right balance of being informative enough to answer questions yet also very clear about next steps.
The final conversion video we produced is a customer testimonial. This video was created strategically with a titan in the industry speaking to many of his personal initial reservations and how the product has surpassed his expectations. This video is responsible for answering all of the potential customers’ objections, and essentially closing the deal.
We’re excited to show you the story we can tell about your construction projects. Call us today and we’ll set something up!
IN FACT, FEW THINGS BUILD BRAND AWARENESS LIKE VIDEO PRODUCTION.
A great example of this is a brand video we produced for The Fourth Elm. As a local construction company in a business full of strong competition, they were looking for a video that showcased the right kind of energy.
By including a story about an exciting project they were working on alongside team members sharing what they felt made their work environment special, the piece demonstrated the youthful enthusiasm of the team. There was a theme of relatability and being down to earth throughout, and it gave them a modern vibe that meaningfully set them apart from competitors.
That video was also versatile, working just as effectively for generating public interest as it does as an orientation video for new team members.
Frank L Blum’s 100th anniversary video is another take on this concept. Their brand video was a story of the company’s beginnings, showing how the company’s rich and longstanding history in the Winston Salem community has informed who they’ve become. It’s a vision of triumph even after the founder’s untimely passing, and of good people coming together to build lasting, recognizable staples in Winston Salem.
While a piece of content that leads to a few phone calls is always welcome, becoming the go-to authority in a given service region brings a level of sustainability one can build a legacy with.
Public familiarity with your brand gives an instant leg-up during a sales call, the bid process, or even simply networking around town. People are far more willing to trust a name they know, whether they’ve done business with you yet or not.
USING VIDEOS STRATEGICALLY FOR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FOR HIRING OR INTERNAL USE.
A company welcome video, featuring the company’s history and philosophy and what makes working there unique and a cut above. Employees share their experiences being new on the job, and how they’ve come to see the company after years being there.
Safety videos: There are a tremendous amount of regulations, best practices and company-specific requirements in the construction industry for both the company’s team and subcontractors. As part of the onboarding process for new team members and contractors, we’ve filmed training videos that combine procedure and process with brand culture stories to keep it fresh and interesting. This way they are a powerful orientation piece that sets the new hire up for success.
Honoring milestones and highlighting great team work. Creating company videos to acknowledge the hard work of the team and celebrate passing key milestones are touching ways to build morale, and they fit in naturally for viewing at company appreciation events — whether for customers or internal.
Each of these pieces are compelling stories that communicate a lot of information efficiently — far more so than a brochure or a social media post could.
Call us today to discuss your next project!
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