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Creative Start Ups Video

The conveyance of confidence: The importance of getting your startup video content right

By Casper Horton-Kitchlew, Designer

Movidiam

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The Drum Network article

This content is produced by The Drum Network, a paid-for membership club for CEOs and their agencies who want to share their expertise and grow their business.

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January 5, 2017 | 5 min read

Startups are precious things in business: their culture is celebrated and embraced. They typically offer fresh thinking and disruptive ideas into the marketplace. Walk into a startup office and you're likely to find a load of smart looking people under 35.

Start-up video content

Movidiam explains why startups need to embrace video content with confidence

However, before any of them think they’ve made it they should look over their shoulder. Last year, over 600,000 new businesses were registered in the UK, up by 4.6%. This year the numbers are even more startling, with averages of 80 new companies born every hour.

Startups with a developed product or idea face a challenge - how can they convey confidence in what they’ve made and what they can do, and at a stage where image and brand are vital, how can you stand out among so many?

Getting personal

Show your face and open the door to the story of your company. Narrative is crucial to establishing an affinity with your target consumer. We’re bombarded with marketing messages so your business’ story is vital to overcome the barrier between you and the people your company can help. With this in mind, it’s crucial to get your message out in a personal manner - after all, startups are personal: with small teams and hands-on roles, you should be able to connect to people as an exciting and new company. However, despite consumers respecting the fresh image and culture, often new companies don’t convey it as well as they could. As a result their marketing gets ignored.

Marketing emails from a small to medium software or web app company are typically opened by under one in four to receive it, with a click-through rate at just 2.4%. Integrated video can change this.

Hype up that email

While it’s impossible to write a personalised email to everyone you need to market to, using a video is the ideal way to show who you are and give a better sense of your personality. Techniques such as video email signatures, help contacts feel more connected, and if you don’t have the budget or time to produce a professional video, a simple homemade gif can turn a drab email into something personal and engaging. It doesn’t have to be ground-breaking to be significant; ToutApp tested using video voicemails to contact key clients, with time saving stock messages used in bulk. The result? A rise from a typical 5% return in response to 13%.

Does it have to go viral?

Video is engaging and can attract subscribers - just look at the success of some YouTubers. We're not talking about going viral here - although a great way to get incredible exposure, no one wants to be yesterday’s flash-in-the-pan. If you can curate and produce a brand vision and story, and then roll out great content weekly, you will generate exposure, and more importantly a familiar audience. With a familiar audience you're on your way to developing a customer base that will be the source of your first sales.

Startups with style

Developing a video style is a big part of your brand, and simply not something you can afford to ignore. Options within this are pretty varied: many startups go with animated videos such as the Bengees , created by Ton Dirkx to make managing their image easier. Animation also has the benefit of being directly editable later on in its lifetime, although live shoots usually produce a finished film faster. The good news is there are thousands of professionals in both fields contactable on Movidiam. With results that speak for themselves, the technology to record videos at our fingertips and now a platform to connect with film professionals, there’s no reason to ignore the change in how businesses market themselves: if you’ve got it, flaunt it - show off your startup charisma with video.

Casper Horton-Kitchlew is a designer at Movidiam.

Creative Start Ups Video

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Movidiam

We provide a smarter way to hire for video and advertising campaigns. With demand for quality content rising, Movidiam enables frictionless access to a curated world-class...

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