News
Social media video that slays
22nd July, 2020
Video is king on social media
If your social media strategy doesn’t include video, your business is losing out. Did you know that Facebook has over 8 billion video views per day? If that isn’t a reason to start taking it seriously, maybe social media marketing mogul Gary Vee can convince you;
“If you’re not making some kind of video content right now, you’re losing. Period.”
Whatever your goals for your social media presence, video can ensure you smash them, so let’s talk about how you make sure your investment in video really pays off.
Get clear on your goals
What do you want to achieve with this video campaign or these pieces of video content? Do you want to grow brand awareness, increase your following or get people sharing your stuff? Maybe you’re looking to make sales to the 72% of customers who would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. Whatever your goals, they will not only affect the video itself but which platforms you decide to share it on, how and when.
No goals, no point. Learn more about how your goals inform the entire video production process here.
The best social media videos come in small packages
Shorter is better when it comes to video on social media. Not only is 47% of value in a video delivered in the first 3 seconds, with attention spans not being what they were making sure whichever platform you’re sharing to you give them the good stuff up front is the way to go.
Ensuring the first few seconds to a minute of your video is the most engaging also increases organic reach; keeping people watching and smashing that like button tells the platform that people love your video and therefore to show it to more people.
That doesn’t mean that videos over 3 to 5 minutes aren’t worth investing in; if you have a story to be told then give it the time it deserves, but consider some also having some cut down versions which still retain the core message.
While we’re talking about small packages, social networks compress videos so maybe keep the 4k magic for your website or YouTube channel.
Are you optimised for social?
Most video content on social media is consumed on mobile devices so if your video doesn’t look great on a smaller screen, no sale my friend.
Not only that, showing while telling is key when it comes to videos on social with over 80% of users scrolling with their sound off. Nobody’s whipping their earbuds out so they can make sense of your video so whether you opt for visuals which stand on their own or burn in captions, it has to make sense without sound.
See how Manchester City FC and British Study Centres used video to increase website traffic.
Consider the platform
If you’re intending to post a 3 minute video on the ‘gram you’re going to have a problem. Keep them to under 60 seconds for Instagram or utilise IGTV for longer videos, making sure the first minute grabs the viewer. Each Stories (9:16) post is just 15 second and yes, people are also watching Stories with the sound off.
You can post vertical or horizontal (16:9) videos to IGTV but whichever you choose, ensure they look great when on the Instagram feed at 4:5, and don’t forget a thumbnail that looks badass when cropped square.
“Videos that are an average of 26 seconds receive the most comments on Instagram” – Hubspot
For Twitter, 30 seconds or less is ideal considering the concise and fast paced nature of the platform. Although threads are growing in popularity, shorter is still better when it comes to video.
Facebook continues to try to make Watch happen, recommending videos of 3 minutes or more but the data says only around 6% of Facebook users are bothering to look at any Watch content at all. The average length of the most engaging videos on Facebook is just over 70 seconds so we vote you ignore Zuck and keep them short and snappy.
Meanwhile, over on YouTube, 10 minutes or more is the gold standard for content but keep ads short; few people are watching 2 – 5 minute ads even to support their favourite creator.
Let’s chat about creating devilishly handsome social media videos for your business.
Pulling it all together
The most successful brand videos on social media are ones with a clear goal, a defined audience and which consider the platform. Your viral YouTube video probably won’t do as well on Instagram unless you tweak it for their audience and requirements.
We’re all about getting the most bang for your buck so ask your video production company to provide cuts for your social media platforms while you’re working with them and store them with your social content so you can reuse them whenever you fancy.
Ready to work with a video production company who knows the power of social? Get in touch.
The video production process
6th July, 2020
The video production process explained!
With viewers retaining 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text, video is key to any marketing strategy so we want to walk you through the video production process so you know what to expect when working with a production company.
Whether you’re looking to increase brand awareness using social media (social video generates 1200% more shares than text and image content combined) or create a slamming marketing campaign that skyrockets sales, video content is the difference between mediocre and magnificent. So let’s get into the nitty gritty, how do you even make a video?
Planning is for pros
Getting clear on what you want to achieve with your video content and your overall campaign is essential. Standalone videos are powerful but for maximum effectiveness they need to be part of a cohesive marketing strategy.
The planning and pre-production stage is where you and your marketing team decide on the messaging, the feel, the call to action and every other part of the video. Getting this right at this stage saves time and money later on; do you really want to have to re-edit or reshoot an entire video because you forgot a key piece of information? We vote no!
You’ll also want to think about the delivery method for your video at this stage to ensure the final cut is optimised for whichever method you choose.
With your detailed brief in hand you can then move on to the next step, the thing most people think of when they think about video production, the actual production!
Production
You might be surprised to learn that this is usually the shortest part of the whole process but less surprised that it’s the most expensive!
Depending on the type of video you’re creating, costs can include videographers, directors, actors, travel and food, drone pilots, studio or location among other things. Don’t panic; a great brief helps to keep production costs down as the video production company knows exactly what they need to bring your vision to life.
Looking for a little behind the scenes peek at our own production process?
Post-production is an art
Everything that comes after Ben shouts “that’s a wrap” is post-production. This is the editing stage where the best shots are chosen and assembled into a rough cut. You can expect to see lots of cuts during this process as your editors work to ensure your message comes across clearly and the video looks just as you imagined.
As you work with your editor, you’ll notice they get to know the style you like and can start to predict which shots you’ll choose, this makes each rough cut quicker and closer to your vision than the last. They will also be able to offer you suggestions for edits that may not have been part of the original brief but that add to the aim of the video, the best video content allows for a little artistic license in post-production.
It’s from this main output that any shorter videos are created for social media, as teasers or as shorter ads once the campaign has kicked off.
Finishing
Once you’ve given the OK to a final arrangement of clips, any visual effects or other extras can be added. These are the flourishes that add a little extra sex appeal to your video. Once these are confirmed the video is considered “locked,” meaning no more edits will be made to the visuals.
Now all the other things that make your video stand out can be added such as colour grading, music or audio effects and sound levels. You’re so close to seeing the completed version and releasing it out into the world, the excitement is almost unbearable!
Congratulations; it’s a devilishly handsome video!
The final cut has arrived in your hands, now you just need to introduce it to your audience. Don’t worry, we still get nervous when it’s time for our baby to fly the nest but, if you’ve put in the planning time and worked with an amazing team, there’s really nothing to worry about… apart from ensuring the rest of your marketing materials support and enhance the incredible video you’ve just created.
Sportable: revolutionising rugby
26th June, 2020
Named as one of the sports companies to watch by Giles Morgan, Sportable are changing the face of sports with their performance tracking technology. DHP were excited to be brought on board to create a series of videos to explain what they offer and how it’s going to improve player performance and fan enjoyment.
Our videos are embedded on Sportable’s website offering everyone from rugby players and coaches to enthusiasts the opportunity to learn more about their incredible, game changing technology and we’re excited to be a part of it.
Sportable’s game changing tech
Sportable are working closely with Gilbert on the launch of a new, smart rugby ball which offers real-time 3D tracking, kick pass trajectories and high accuracy spin-rate up to 600 rpm. The instant insights provided by their technology are revolutionary for match officials, coaches, players, commentators and fans alike.
Their ‘Smart Ball’ has been tested and adjusted over four years and the final product trialled by England Rugby’s senior and Sevens teams as well as Bath and Leicester Tigers to ensure it performs exactly as a standard ball while in play
Ross Weir, Director and Co-Founder of Progressive, said “Sportable and Gilbert’s smart rugby ball has the potential to revolutionise how rugby is played, watched and officiated” and we couldn’t agree more. With matches restarting, we can’t wait to see how this improves the game for everyone.
Wearables are where it’s at
The talented team at Sportable have also created the world’s first impact wearable, and you thought your Apple watch was fancy! Specifically designed for rugby their vest measures forces in scrums, tackles and body checks delivering objective insights for coaches and fans.
As sports fans ourselves, we’re ready to see this implemented in games to speed up play, reduce referee errors and give us some juicy stats to dissect at the pub later!
Communicating the complex
One of the reasons we’re so passionate about video is that it’s a great way to make complex things easily digestible. The ball is the most important part of Rugby so making it clear that performance isn’t affected by the chip and explaining all the things it can add to the game was key in selling it to anyone invested in the game.
We’re proud of what we delivered and Sportable’s Chief Technology Officer, Pete Husemeyer, was equally pleased with our work.
“DHP are phenomenal partners and have really helped propel our business to the next level. Every brief has been handled smoothly and diligently, executed with incredible flare and expert understanding. The whole team is amazing to work with and truly go above and beyond. We’re so proud of the content they have created for us and will continue to work with them in the future.”
Video marketing and sports
We explored in our sports marketing article how sport is more than just the game which is why our sports projects include passion, excitement and leverage the communities built on love of the game. From smart balls to new boots to sporting education, we know both industries inside out which makes our videos truly stand out.
We can’t wait to work with Sportable again and to hear what their next ingenious idea is. With their talented team and amazing partnerships we know the sky’s the limit for them.
Let’s chat about your video needs
Good news for digital marketing and eCommerce
10th June, 2020
Not everything is awful!
Let us take you on a little tour of the digital marketing and eCommerce space right now. Armed with stats (we love stats), like the fact average order values are up in grocery, pharmaceutical and general retail sectors, and some creative suggestions, we’re going to help you find silver linings in the COVID clouds and turn them into brand recognition and sales.
People are still buying
Maybe not in the numbers or amounts they used to, but they are still buying. In fact KLAVIYO, who’ve been surveying its network of 30,000 businesses throughout the COVID-19 crisis, found that at the end of March 28% of respondents said sales were going up.
Spending is shifting; people are being more careful with their cash but they’re not only buying essentials, they’re looking for distraction and fun too. Tweaking your marketing to focus on the benefits of your products and services and implementing an upbeat strategy could help your business start to see an increase in sales right now.
Where people are buying is changing
Predictably, being as we can’t go out, more people are buying online. SEMrush found searches for “buy online” have reached up to 27K+ searches per month globally, an 80% increase since the start of the year.
Make sure your website SEO is including words like “buy online” and “shop online” alongside other keywords for your product, service and business. Ensure your marketing makes it very clear that people can buy online and also explains delivery information, this doesn’t need to be in very quick T&Cs talk but can be a part of the campaign itself. Additionally, if you’re not already, consider including shopping on social media to make buying even easier for consumers.
Video is key
Looking for something to do, people are spending more time watching video content on platforms like YouTube, which has seen a 15.3% increase in website usage since January. With stats like that, video marketing really is essential right now. Whether you invest in paid ads across platforms (IGTV ads have just arrived) or are focusing on organic reach with creative video content slotted into your social media strategy, there has never been a better time to reach people through video.
Not to toot our own horn but we make devilishly handsome videos for all sectors, give us a call for more details.
Your audience is moving
Twitter is the darling of the pandemic having seen a quarter-on-quarter increase in active users of 14%. Reaching these news hungry audiences with smart marketing tactics offers brands and businesses an opportunity to increase visibility and find new customers.
Messaging apps have also seen a huge increase in usage with 46% of people spending more time on them than before. Creating shareable content is a great way to leverage the power of messaging as people share your epic videos with their friends. Free marketing? Don’t mind if we do!
If you didn’t know, you can also advertise in some of those messaging apps and also use them to allow potential customers to connect with you easily.
ROI is going up
With many brands reigning in spending on ads, cost per click is down making this an ideal time for eCommerce to focus on digital marketing, and for many other brands to get some ads out there. Many influencers are also seeing an increase in engagement meaning even more people are likely to hear about the brands, products and services they’re shouting out.
Need some help with your video marketing?
We’ve worked with everyone from established brands like Sky and Nike to start ups just working out what their brand voice sounds like. Get in touch now and speak to our amazing team about your marketing needs.
Sports marketing sans studio
12th May, 2020
Sports never stops, why should your marketing?
Every sports fan knows that sport is more than the game. It’s a community and a passion that doesn’t go away just because the season is over or there’s no events on. Sport is a way of life and we think marketing needs to realise that.
At DHP, we know that you don’t need to be in a studio or on location to score a home-run with your video marketing campaign and, because we’re team players, we’re going to share how.
Prepare for name dropping!
Nail it like Nike
Nike asked us to create a really eye-catching promo for their new shoe, the Nike Inneva, to help launch the product globally. With only a two week turnaround time there was no time to organise models or locations so we tore the shoe apart. Digitally speaking.
With the Inneva being designed to mimic the biomechanics of the human foot, we wanted the unique construction to be centre stage so we set our animation experts to work peeling back the layers of the shoe. We showcased the woven mesh growing and moulding itself to the shape of the wearer in an organic way, like ivy around a tree. Beautiful but strong.
The film was shown in-store, online and broadcast to the Nike tribe around the world and is still one of the projects we’re most proud of.
Classic moments, new message
There are some sports moments we all want to relive (and others we’d rather not!) so why not give the people what they want and use them in new marketing campaigns.
To announce the release of Pro Wire’s contender series we used classic MMA footage to remind fans how it feels to see memorable moments unfold, sparking their desire to not only watch new events in real time but get access all areas and personalised content for their favourite sport.
Smack-down!
Nitrocharge your next campaign
What makes a great marketing campaign, in our humble opinion, is creativity, understanding the target market and flawless execution. Adidas agree, which is why they came to us to promote the release of their new football boot ‘Nitrocharge.’
They held football trials around the World to find the perfect team of Nitrocharge players. The chosen few were invited to play on the revolutionary Adidas Power Pitch in Rio De Janiero, Brazil. We were brought in to create a series of films to document the event.
But guys, that’s definitely not “sans studio.” Well spotted, we actually used a multi-camera setup including several drones and a 90 meter dolly track while on location but we wanted to show off our nifty VFX skills! Visual effects are a great way to give any footage a fresh new look so you really don’t need a studio.
Looking for a marketing hat trick? Our golden shoe worthy team is ready and waiting so get off the starting blocks and get in touch now.
The creative geniuses of video marketing
4th May, 2020
Devilishly creative marketing
Here at DHP one of the things we pride ourselves on is our creative marketing, in fact, we like to think we’re creative geniuses. Cocky? We don’t think so, in fact we’ve created this whole blog post to back up that statement.
Are you ready to take a peek at the process behind some of our sexiest videos? Let’s do it!
Paint. Speaker. Action.
To generate excitement for an A-list charity event hosted by The Who front-man Roger Daltrey and artist Jake Chapman you might think you’d need a huge production team, a set full of celebrities and lots of fancy effects. Instead we opted for simple, stylish and, of course, sexy.
The event was a fusion of pop music and art so we took some red, white and blue paint, created The Who’s classic Mod emblem and used the vibrations of the band’s music to send drops flying. Shooting at 250 frames per second allowed us to capture the paint being projected off of the mini-speaker in slow motion and ensure a stand out video which was featured on a website, invitations sent out to the exclusive guest list and screened at the venue on the night.
Not bad for a video created and shot entirely in the studio but once could be a creative fluke…
From bikers to brushes
When innovative hair brand, Tangle Teezer, asked us to create a video to announce their support of the Teenage Cancer Trust we knew it needed to be extra special. Our team looked high and low for inspiration and they found it in a motorbike display video from the 1950s. We did say they were creative geniuses!
To contrast the black and white of the original video, we made our display team of Tangle Teezers bright and bold but equally impressive with their synchronisation skills. The entire video was created in the studio by our animation experts, no location, model or other extra expenses and the end result was a fun, on-brand way to display the variety of products and shout about an amazing charity partner.
Third time’s the charm, right?
Men in makeup
We were excited when the hottest brand in beauty, War Paint, contacted us to create a top-line video campaign for their men’s makeup line. Danny’s passion had to come across in the final cut but it needed to focus on the strong brand identity and message that they have built.
With men’s makeup still being a bit taboo, we combined beautiful product focused shots with a powerful, masculine feel to challenge the stigma and stereotyping. Over a one day shoot we used four models to demonstrate the diversity of men and versatility of the product, finally delivering an impressive campaign to a very happy War Paint team.
You even got to see us in action there!
Ready to give your marketing a creative makeover?
From big brands to B2B and anywhere in-between, our devilishly talented team can bring some sexy to your marketing with our creative twists.
Convinced? Great, drop us an email and let’s get creative.
The full service video marketing agency
30th April, 2020
Eye catching video without studio time
Amazing video content doesn’t have to mean studio shoots or even live action. While we love being on-location (we wouldn’t be a great video marketing agency if we didn’t!), we also excel at other video styles. We’re basically the Mary Poppins of video production; practically perfect in every way!
Let’s get animated
Sure we keep banging on about our award winning animation team but if you had an award winning animation team, you’d be shouting about them too!
Whether you want to build hype for your upcoming release, tell the world about your new brand or create some engaging internal videos for staff, animation has something to offer.
Building hype
Your latest offering deserves the best. It deserves eye catching, scroll stopping video marketing from an agency with all the skills.
Our work on an online campaign for The National Maritime Museum for their Plague, Fire and Revolution exhibition aimed to draw viewers into the cut-throat world of Samuel Pepys.
With so much to distract people online, ads have to stand out so we combined stop motion animation, dramatic music and evocative wording to pique viewers’ interest. Working closely with Blast Design and illustrator, Bradley Jay, we separated the layers of each illustration in order to add dynamic movement and depth to the film. We then added impactful visuals and sound effects to bring the exhibition to life.
Keep it simple, stupid!
Not everything needs to be fancy, flashy and full-on. We’re a big believer that sometimes less is more and simple wins out.
When the Wellcome Trust asked us to create an animated piece of video content to visualise their new brand and strategy direction, we knew that simple was the way to go.
The project showcases how the combination of simple graphic design, dynamic animation and a clear voice over can create a compelling and descriptive brand film.
Straight forward, to the point but still sexy. Yeah baby!
DIY filming, professional post-production
Maybe animation isn’t your scene but you also don’t want the costs of an all singing, all dancing studio shoot. Why not do the filming yourself and let us bring that professional video marketing agency vibe in post?
We’ve been working with Charles Stanley Direct on their cool and creative series of interviews with their employees. Simple screen-recording software and some willing staff members are being turned into branded, polished videos which they’re proud to share across social media and on their website.
Whether you’re looking for branded vlogs, motivational to-camera shots or, like Charles Stanley Direct, interview style videos, post-production can give any video you film the edge.
The video marketing agency for you
With a multi-skilled and creative team, we have the ability to create striking video content that meets all your brand’s requirements and exceeds your expectations.
Whatever your vision for video, drop us an email and let’s chat about how we can make it happen.
Beating the Corona Outbreak with Video Marketing
26th March, 2020
Get ahead of flattening the curve
We’re the socially conscious, caring sort here at DHP so spreading the coronavirus through our team and the rest of the UK isn’t very on brand. Many physical options for both communication and advertising are becoming impossible as the COVID-19 pandemic becomes evermore serious. Fortunately, we have a whole host of ideas to not only keep your business afloat, but also to help you up your video marketing game without anyone needing to even be in the same room as someone else!
Animation FTW
Whether you’re looking for quick visuals to get information out there or a more involved, storytelling project, animation is a great way to get your message across.
For internal comms, animation can make potentially dull content far more accessible. Ideal for staff training or updating them on how you’re managing the developing coronavirus situation, especially when working remotely.
Both B2B and B2C businesses can benefit from animation too as strong branding is easily achieved in this medium. Selling, entertaining and informing can all be made more engaging and easier to digest by a talented animation team. It can also work out cheaper; with no on-location expenses, animated videos are an option you should definitely consider.
47% of marketers say they have reduced the number of support questions after going live with their animation video.
Reuse what you’ve got
Got some videos from last year’s promo or a series you filmed back when you first started experimenting with video marketing? Re-tailoring the footage in your archives can give it a whole new lease of life.
You’d be surprised at the magic a great editor can work on your old videos, turning them into a totally new story or tweaking them to tell an up-to-date message.
Pandemic or no pandemic, reusing your content is just good business sense, unless you’re the type to throw an outfit out because you’ve worn it once! You do you, but at the moment we think splashing out on a whole new shoot might be overkill.
90% of online shoppers say they find videos useful when making purchasing decisions.
Consider the cutting room floor
You remember those great shots that didn’t make the final cut? The moments that didn’t quite fit that campaign? The outtakes?! Drag that footage out of whichever vault it was put in “just in case” because this is the just in case scenario!
Outtakes can work really well on social media, especially during a time many of us need a laugh. They show a more human side to your brand and lighten the mood.
Other unused footage can be turned into a whole new video, or series of videos, maybe even inspiring a whole new campaign. A few fancy editing tricks and you’ll have an amazing marketing video that fits the current climate and still promotes your business.
Visual information is processed 60,000 times faster than text.
Think outside the box
If you’re wondering how your business can survive this you’re not alone, but with a little out of the box thinking all businesses can leverage the online space and keep selling. It’s 2020, we might not have flying cars (I know, we’re bummed too) but we do have the technology to bring us closer, even as we socially distance. With so many ways to connect with consumers, employees and investors online, we’re more surprised that it’s taken a global pandemic for people to realise the power of digital and video communication.
In case you hadn’t noticed, we weren’t really “in the box” to start with but if you’ve been sticking to the traditional (tired!) ways of video marketing, there’s no better time to discover all the new, creative options. Not least because, as COVID-19 increases social distance and lockdowns across the world, more and more businesses will be modernising their marketing strategy.
If you want to be ahead of the curve while we flatten the curve, drop us an email.
Stats: https://www.realsalesvideo.com/14-powerful-statistics-about-animation-videos-and-their-use/
DHP DOES TRAVEL!
11th November, 2019
At DHP we love travel and have a pedigree of work in the industry, we recently put this short edit together to showcase our experience in this space – check it out below.
We would love to know what you think, give us a shout if you’d like to know more or talk through any potential projects – [email protected]
How to leverage user generated content
5th August, 2019
Sharing is caring
User generated content is an amazing way to engage your audience, make them feel appreciated and impact your bottom line. What does it mean and how do you use it in your social media marketing strategy? Sit down and let us illuminate you.
What is user generated content?
Put simply, user generated content (UGC) is anything posted online by consumers. That 5* review on your Facebook page? UGC. That Instagram photo of your customer sipping a milkshake in your gloriously air conditioned cafe? UGC. That YouTube video review of your services with 10k views? UGC.
So why is it so powerful? Because word of mouth is still the gold standard in marketing and UGC is the digital equivalent. If somebody loves your product or service enough to post online about it without being paid to do so, it must be good. When you share those posts on your brand’s social platforms not only do your followers see your great reviews and happy customers, you give the user who shared it the warm fuzzies (don’t lie, we know you love the warm fuzzies) and encourage other people to do the same.
How do you use UGC in your marketing?
There are a range of options depending on how much content you have and how creative you want to be with it. We think mixing it up is the best option; variety is the spice of life.
ReTweet/ReGram/Share
First you can simply re-post the original post, being sure to shout-out the user, a thank you wouldn’t go amiss either. Simple but effective and a great way to drop in this kind of content to your feeds. Reshares like this are also a great way to populate your Stories, we shared 10 more Stories ideas in our last blog post.
Collages, carousels & albums
If you’re overrun with UGC, you lucky devil, sharing every post individually might be overkill. In that case why not include several in one post. How you do this will depend on the platform your posting on but keep in mind that Facebook has albums, Instagram has carousels and collages work everywhere, just make sure you tag everyone in them!
Video
We know, we’re like a broken record, but video really is the key to social media right now. Whether you make a simple slideshow from the images, videos and comments singing your praises or you opt for something more fanciful, video offers you not only the UGC warm fuzzies but also a very sexy boost in the algorithms. Win-win!
Want to find out how we can make your user generated content even sexier? Drop us an email.