Video content is taking the world by storm, so it’s not surprising that all businesses are now concerned about presenting well-made, engaging animation videos to their customers. No matter your field of specialization, you definitely need an explainer video to connect with users, share data about your unique business values and benefits, and clarify some complex concepts.
So, when the time to choose a provider comes, how do you pick the top service provider? How to make sure you don’t overpay for marketing and empty promises? What are the key criteria for determining the company’s reputation and reliability? Here are the pro tips for wise and reasonable provider selection.
Do Your Homework
The first and most important task you must complete before going online to search for a video production vendor is clearly identifying your goals and expectations. Focus on the purpose of this video and outline what you want to see in it. Why did you decided to make this video? What idea should it communicate? All these points are vital, as you won’t be able to tell a production company what you need until you know this for yourself.
A large piece of project focus work also relates to your brand’s analysis. Once you’ve identified the goal of an explainer video, it’s time to combine it with your unique brand identity and see how they work in synergy. Remember, users long for consistency, so all explainer videos should be your brand’s extension first of all.
Go to the Web and List Candidates
Now you need to go to the Internet and google “explainer video production companies for hire.” You’ll see tons of results in the Google search, but your task is to weed out the irrelevant findings. We strongly recommend working with companies that don’t position themselves as jacks of all trades.
It’s hard to imagine that a company working with design, web development, music production, and many other unrelated things can create a great explainer video for you. So, domain-specific expertise and years of dedicated work in this market are vital signs of qualification you should consider.
Additionally, we recommend choosing the vendor’s location with caution. On the one hand, working with a production company in Eastern Europe, Asia, or India may be a cost-effective solution for companies on a budget.
On the other hand, hiring a provider far from you bears a risk of considerable time difference, no overlap in working hours, and communication hurdles. Thus, it would be best to double-check all these parameters in advance to see how an outsourced provider manages the downsides of remote work.
Study the Companies Portfolios
A portfolio is a video production company’s shop window that helps potential clients assess its staff’s competence and determine whether its style and approach match the clients brand identities.
Finding that match is critically important, as a superstar production agency may fail to deliver what you expect simply because its designers follow a different creative trend. Thus, it’s always much more reassuring to work with companies that share your style, have works that you like, and find fitting your brand personality.
Evaluate the Candidates Online Reputation
Partnering with a company without checking its reputation is like buying a pig in a poke. You never know how your partnership will go and what underwater stones you may expect from that endeavor.
However, these risks may be minimized if you study the company’s reviews across several objective review websites and talk to a couple of its past clients to find out what they liked and disliked about the partnership. You can make a much safer and more informed decision based on these insights.
Check the Pricing
The cost of explainer videos varies greatly, with some companies raising the price due to their location (e.g., Western Europe or North America) and reputation.
The truth is that most top performers charge for the name, not the quality, and you can find dozens of companies with a similarly high standard of video production at a lower cost. So, study the Web and go farther than the first page of Google shows you. You’re sure to find video production superstars yet to be discovered.
Another aspect related to pricing is the complex of hidden costs some companies conceal between the contract lines. In this case, you may be attracted by a lower price and will then need to pay extra for every tiny revision or update, overpaying for the service in the end. So, it’s vital to check the company’s pricing policy and work with those offering transparent fees without surprises.
Talk to a Consultant
Don’t be afraid to ask if you’re unsure about the company’s offer or need to clarify the details. The good idea is to schedule a call with the agency’s representative and ask all the questions that trouble you.
This call will help you achieve several goals at once; first, you can get acquainted with the company’s staff and see how they manage client relationships. Second, you can assess the quality and promptness of communication. Third, you get all questions answered and can make an informed decision about hiring this provider.
Don’t Jump into the First Train
As you can see, choosing an experienced and capable provider of explainer videos is a long and tedious task. However, all your efforts will pay off. First, you won’t pay extra for substandard work, which will save time and nerves. Second, you will receive high-quality videos that will indeed make a real difference for your business.
Finally, you will acquire a lifelong video production team to which you can entrust any future projects without the fear of messing things up.
In other words, you will need to do thorough due diligence only once, thus receiving a trusted partner for many projects. However, don’t throw the list of other candidates in the trash; nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. You may always use several worthy alternatives without extra research hassle.
