Over the years, IdeaScale has taken the time to capture the voices of their customer on video. These videos are viewed by prospects, shared by our sales team, appear in review sites, and more. Here's how we create an inspirational customer testimonial video.
Budget:
~$6,000 - $8,000 for video services end to end, plus associated client nurture expenses (travel, meals)
Pre-Production
Identify a local videographer with experience treating enterprise-level subjects. Ear-marks: fast communications turn-around, high profile client roster, diverse online video portfolio of short form video. Send creative brief outlining requirements (including introduction to brand, project description, sample work that you enjoy, target audience, environments that the video might be shared in, and any style choices to avoid).
Source a winning client. This client has probably already agreed to a case study (therefore has already gotten past the initial legal hurdles) and is on friendly terms with the support and account team. An ideal client is one who wants to promote their success story for their own PR benefit, as well. They should also be a recognizable brand and a truly compelling story.
Identify Storyline. Set up a meeting with the client to understand the storyline that you will be developing. This should be at least 30 minutes. From there, develop a rough story outline with this as the starting point: introduction to client, problem, solution, and results. Write up the answers to these questions and share with the client so that everyone is on the same page.
The list of questions utilized by IdeaScale to guide discussion:
Who are you and what is your role?
Tell us a little bit about company and its vision.
Tell us your crowdsourcing story.
What problem were you trying to solve with our platform?
What kind of changes have you implemented as a result?
What is the benefit of using our solution?
How can others benefit from using our solution?
Source a location. Location should have excellent light and an environment that reflects the story you’re telling. A good potential location is either on-site at the business or within your own office.
Work with the videographer to set expectations. Work together to develop the storyboard and a schedule for shooting. Schedule at least 3-6 hours for production set-up, shooting, and break down. It might be a good idea to have them arrive a day early at the venue in order to be comfortable with setting up on the day of. They might need to hire additional help for multiple camera angles, tracking, lighting, etc.
Production
Arrive Prepared. Ensure that the client arrives properly attired and manicured for camera so that no time is wasted in unnecessary prepping. Advise the client to avoid bright white and patterns. Have some toiletries on hand for them to freshen up.
Rehearse. Be sure to touch base with your client in advance and make sure that they are familiar with the answer content you will be covering. Run through a round of questions between interviewer and subject so that they are comfortable responding in that format.
Shoot Multiple Times. Run through each round of questions at least three times. Different expressions or turns of phrase will emerge that will be more compelling than others.
Celebrate. Take the client out to dinner and definitely make sure that they order dessert. It’s no easy task being in front of the camera.
Post-Production
Gather any additional assets. If imagery is supposed to punctuate the video throughout (this is recommended as it will give more scope to the story rather just a talking head), dedicate somet time to sourcing material from the client and from websites like Shutterstock that have imagery that helps you tell your story. Make sure that the videographer has the best digital quality assets you can provide and understands how you want to use them.
Identify subscription/free commercial music. No video will look complete without an upbeat, non-distracting – listen to several selections in the background before arriving at a decision. Some websites include (a short search reveals far more): http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/
Edit. Allow the videographer to put together a first cut that assembles the best takes of the questions and tells a coherent story. Then go through minute-by-minute, second-by-second and tell the videographer what can be removed and how the tone or the story arc might need to architected from the material you have.
Polish. Continue to edit down so that it is close to three minutes and tweak the sound so that it plays well on all speakers. Work with the videographer to get a clean edit and add any other remaining details (making sure that font, timing, imagery, assets, all work together).
Seek approval/feedback from client. Share this draft with the client and tell them that it is now ready for them to share with their network. If they have feedback, do try and accommodate it.
Sharing
Homepage Posting. It can be good to promote the new video on your homepage for a time since it will offer a good first glimpse of your product and share new material with those who often stop by. Be sure to link through to the YouTube video so that each play is counted. It can later be retired to a dedicated landing page.
Blog Post. Be sure to introduce the story to your social network by expanding on lessons learned and video messages by sharing it on your blog. The post can be short or long, but adding more relevant keywords will surface it more often.
Social media Sharing. The video is shared through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Our Linkedin Company Page, Linkedin Group, Employees Personal Linkedin Feeds, App.Net, Instagram, Vimeo, and Youtube. Be sure to invite employees to add it to their signature lines and share with their networks.
Email. Take the opportunity to share it with relevant networks – with current prospects or customers, but also with individuals similar to the subject of your video. This will be an opportunity to show how your product might impact them.
Partner/Channel Communication. Be sure to share your success with your partner network who will also be eager to celebrate your success and continue the narrative of your story.
Events. At events or in speaking opportunities, this can often punctuate the rest of the presentation. Even when you can’t attend an event, this artifact is often a lightweight portable version of your story that event coordinators will share or utilize.
Sales Presentations. This piece of collateral can be shared as the cornerstone of a sales presentation or forwarded to prospects as it becomes relevant.
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