As with so many small businesses, when the pandemic reached our community last spring, the landscape shifted at Roll.Focus. headquarters and the future was looking questionably bleak. Video and broadcast contracts that had been slotted in for the entire year dried up as live events and tourism promotions cancelled one after another. It was frustrating to stand helplessly by while our clients grappled with the hurdles placed before them. All was quiet in our studio – after all, non-essential shoots and live broadcasts did not jive well with newly-placed lockdowns – but that did not mean we could let the work stop.
So we did what every company does when they’ve got some time to think – we went into planning mode. One of our producers, Aidan Collins, brought forward the idea of converting our in-person workshops into online sessions. It was just what we needed in such a time of uncertainty. If we couldn’t come provide video content for you, it did not mean we couldn’t help you do so yourself – especially at a time when online visibility for your brand was (and continues to be) more important than ever.
The newly launched Video for Business online workshop was created for businesses and organizations who want to create and produce their own marketing content in-house. Through our years of experience in the field of video production, we have mapped out a 24-episode series aimed at assisting people using anything from their smartphones to high end cameras.
Led by Roll.Focus. executive directors Mike Walker and Amanda Eyolfson, the workshop is designed to teach the fundamentals of video production. It puts a focus on your story and your strategy, walks you through a gear guide, and provides learning tools to maximize your shooting and polish your product in editing. You’ll also gain personalized feedback on your own video project and downloadable resources such as script and shoot plan templates – all so you can release video content you’re proud of to your customers. For those not quite yet ready to invest in the $250 CAD workshop just yet, there’s always the option of our free Video for Business eBook to take the first step.
No matter how it’s done, being visible to your customers through video content creation helps your bottom line. It creates transparency, fosters relationships, and reminds them what you have to offer. We can’t count how many times in lockdown that we depended on the reminders from our favourite shops that they were open for business, or used video to communicate with our own customers, or learned a new skill ourselves.
Some of our clients that demonstrated the best grit and innovation were those that took their events and offerings and adapted them into an online video format, whether recorded or live, and we were grateful to be able to help them make that transition. So don’t hesitate to connect with your customers today – whether you are giving a store tour showcasing your merchandise, a how-to tutorial, a business tip, or announcing a sale – it’s time to get started.
More reading: How to create effective video messages
