Offsite’s speed and quality can give builders a powerful marketing advantage, but the message must be presented right
by Chad Davies
In today’s world, big ideas need strong videos to help them stick. In the offsite industry, videos can show customers how you construct higher-quality buildings in less time. Unfortunately, there’s little guidance in this space on how to create great video content.
In this column, I unpack some concepts used in a video testimonial my company produced for Entekra, a design, engineering and manufacturing company that provides a Fully Integrated Off-Site Solution (FIOSS) for residential and commercial construction.
I show you how to implement similar strategies into your next video project.
Before continuing, please take three minutes to watch the video at OffsiteBuilder.com
While Entekra is a B2B company, the same strategies work when marketing to potential homebuyers. By integrating the following five concepts into your video workflow, you will communicate a clear, high-quality message to any customer.
1. Steal their attention
Watch any video with a million views online — the beginning is always interesting. The first few seconds are vital to the success of your video, so grab your viewer with an interesting quote that teases them about what’s to come.
In this video, we used a moment where Entekra’s client, Ray, is talking about the tremendous efficiency gains his operation realized using Entekra’s system. The quote is short and hints at potential discovery for the viewer. This does a better job of “stealing the attention” of your viewer than jumping straight into an introduction of Ray would have.
2. Don’t show your logo
Audiences are turned off by logos, so don’t waste their time by adding them to the beginning of your video. If you’re required to use company branding on the video, add it to the very end.
This is an Entekra video, but there are no signs of Entekra self-promotion until the very end. Ray does a great job telling the viewer everything they need to know about Entekra — no logo is needed.
3. Mix up your footage
Audiences must be stimulated, and constantly re-stimulated, throughout your video to hold their attention. You can provide this stimulation by using different types of shots.
Try to use at least three types of footage for each of your videos. Examples include multiple interview angles, drone, production, assembly, installation, finished product, time lapse, and animations.
4. Music Matters
The universal language is music. Adding music to your videos can help set the tone for viewers and will help bring your video to life. There are a ton of subscription-based music services you can use to search for and download a variety of tracks. Check out: Audio.com, Musicbed.com, Soundstripe.com, and Epidemic Sound.
Picking music can be tricky, but typically you want to use tracks that are relatively mellow and have no vocals. The music should be low enough so it doesn’t take away from whoever is speaking, but not so low that it makes your video feel sluggish and boring.
The point here is to decide what emotion you want to impart to the viewer. Fast-paced upbeat music is exciting, while violins and pianos signal a feeling of sophistication and luxury. Finding a great song can take hours, so take your time and be patient with this step.
5. Keep it short
Once you hit the 3-minute mark, you risk losing your audience. Remember, your job is to find the most important bits and throw away the rest. Your video should communicate a cohesive message. If you say too much you risk saying nothing at all, so get to the point early on.
The off-site construction industry is booming, but your video production strategy might still be developing. Whether you’re producing a testimonial to provide “social proof” or creating a process video to explain your advantages, keep these five concepts in mind to ensure you’re retaining your audience’s attention.
I’m always open to feedback or additional questions; if you think I missed something, let’s chat. You can reach me at [email protected]
Chad Davies is in the business of bringing your buildings to life. His photography and video production background spans 12 years across all facets of the real estate industry. He founded Davies Imaging Group in 2016 to help homebuilders, developers, and construction companies communicate their work online.
