Top 7 Tips for Producing a TV Commercial or Video
Producing a TV commercial can seem like a daunting and expensive task. Fortunately, with today’s easy access to television production tools, creating a television commercial is within your grasp. A word of caution: while making a TV commercial can be relatively easy, producing a GOOD one is much more challenging. Don’t get so caught up in the production process that you lose sight of your advertising goal: you’re not creative unless you sell!
Here are 7 steps to producing your TV commercial:
1. Set clear goals and a budget
Know and communicate your marketing goal. Determine your budget and develop a plan. What do you hope to achieve with your TV ad? Where, when and how often will it run? Ad placement can affect your overall production budget. Consider low-cost options like cable or local ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS affiliates. Or look up your local cable provider in the CAB directory and contact their advertising sales division for rates.
2. Determine your target audience
Television is still a mass medium, but you better know your target before you shoot! Who are you trying to reach and will your message resonate with your target audience? For a reasonable monthly fee, DemographicsNow.com offers access to comprehensive market data to help you understand your customers.
3. Write your script
Prepare your message and determine its content. Be sure to refine your script and storyboard, a visual representation of each shot in your ad, until you’re convinced the commercial is ready to shoot. If you’re not a screenwriter, consider hiring an ad agency or freelance writer to craft your ad. NationalTVSpots.com offers scripting services as part of their television commercial production packages. Find screenwriters and screenwriters on Guru.com.
4. Plan the session
You will need to decide the “creativity” of your TV ad. Considerations include tone, rhythm, mood, style, music, etc. Should it be humorous? Dramatic? Animated? The clearer your vision is prior to shooting, the better television you will produce. Specializing in producing low-cost ads for entrepreneurs and small businesses, Cheap-TV-Spots.com will help you focus your TV spot on what makes your business unique.
5. Consider the video ready-made
Dramatically reduce production costs by using existing advertising video footage and simply adding your audio message. For around $500, SpotRunner.com lets you choose from an extensive library of high-quality ads that you can customize with your own message.
6.Using cable production services
Many cable companies and network affiliates offer production services to small businesses. If you’re going to place your ads with them, you may be able to negotiate deep discounts on production costs.
7.DIY
Cut costs and stay in full control by shooting your ad yourself. Software called “Visual Communicator” from Serious Magic allows you to create professional videos with just a webcam and some pre-packaged graphics and effects.
Lastly, a few other things to keep in mind…
oFocus on a single element of your ad: a product, a service, or an event. Or highlight what makes your business unique: fast response, high quality, free delivery, or friendly service.
oIf you decide to go it alone, creativity is still key. A good idea with lower production values is still better than a clever ad that doesn’t get your point across.
oSome local television stations will provide commercial production services for an additional fee when you purchase a commercial program.
oThink of other “places” for your finished TV ad, such as streaming video on your website.