Video has become a crucial part of digital marketing over the past decade, and there’s no chance of it dying anytime soon, especially when you think about the fact that people under the age of 20 watch 18 hours of video a day on average.* 

But compelling video content is a challenge for most of us to create. It’s a process that requires both technical and creative knowledge, and since most of us don’t have in-house video storytelling and production teams, it can be expensive. 

I nearly wrote a newsletter about being “bootstrappy” with video content, but the truth is, you can’t shoot with your phone and edit in iMovie and get brand-quality content. (If you’ve seen those Hello Fresh commercials with the muffled sound, you know what I mean!) That’s why it’s all the more important to learn to identify the right video partner or agency and how to best work with them. 

Here is my advice for how to do that: 

Make sure you share a vision. Does this video partner understand and buy into your brand, your guidelines, your business goals and vision for the video? You should be able to figure this out in conversations before you hire them. Also, ask for references and work samples just to make sure they look like they can actually bring that vision to life for you.

Do their capabilities match what you need? For example, if you want to create a high-production commercial type video with actors and a set, are they able to find and cast actors and use a commercial studio? Are they accustomed to hiring lighting and sound professionals as well as running a camera and editing? Not all videographers have experience running a complicated production like that, so learn in advance what they can do. Ask for examples of their work and don’t be afraid to ask for their specific contributions in the work they share with you. 

Might you really just need one person? On the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s possible you only need a single video storyteller. If you’re producing stories based on individuals telling stories or just looking for someone who can record an event, you probably just need to find a professional who has the right equipment and experience as a one-person-band. You can still get amazing work without a huge crew. 

Learn what you’re getting. Ask them for a scope of work or detailed estimate in advance if you aren’t sure. You don’t want to be surprised to learn that YOU are the scriptwriter, scheduling coordinator or the boom operator (that’s the person who holds the big microphone, which probably would be fun now that I think about it!). Do they determine and help get wardrobe and makeup for people in the video? Do they do the post-production and editing work or do you need to find another person to do that? Find out!

And after you’ve identified your video partner: 

Brief them and collaborate. Write a detailed creative brief and meet in advance so they understand your objectives, the audience you want to reach, the channels you’re planning to use and general ideas for your video. Give timely feedback (learn how many rounds you get before it starts costing more). Don’t be afraid to ask for their opinions and direction; they’re often going to know better than you do about what is going to work. 

Ask for storyboards. If you’re doing a project with animation or stock video, or even a whiteboard video, see if you can review a storyboard before the video work begins. (This is how you’ll make sure they’re sharing your vision.) Give as many comments as needed to make sure you’re aligned before the real work starts. 

Learn how they like to receive feedback. Many video partners will send you a link to your video on third-party platform player (like Vimeo or frame.io) with the ability to write comments and certain time stamps in the video, but sometimes they just send the MP4 file and you have to figure out how to give feedback on your own. Find out if they prefer written comments emailed to them or if they like to review with you while watching the piece. 

Although this list is just a starting place, it will help you get your video content off the ground and set you up for a healthy experience with your video partner. May it bring you a library full of engaging, quality content that your audience loves!

*Not an actual statistic but based on observations of my own tween and teen kids.

— Shayla Thiel-Stern, Uncommon Teal