Top tips for creating a video brief

Posted by Charlotte Goldthorpe on 19th August 2019

Do you want to create video content which inspires people and drives results? Here are Charlotte’s top tips for writing a clear and effective video brief.

What is your objective?

Your first question should always be ‘why?’. You don’t need a video for everything, so make sure you know why you're doing it. A good place to start is by setting some objectives outlining what you’d like to achieve. If you want to increase traffic to your website or change employee perceptions, make sure you write that down.

Who is your audience?

When creating any new form of content, it’s important to think about who you are targeting. Make a list of your target audiences and what you know about them already. Then note down what you'd like them to think, feel or do in response to your video.

What do you want to say?

Be clear on what you want to say by sticking to one or two key messages. If you're workig with a creative agency on an animation, have your statistics ready to share with them, and if you’re featuring interviews with real people, put forward case studies you know would be happy to take part.

Where will you share the video?

The production of your video will differ depending on where the footage will be distributed, so it’s important not to miss this out in your brief. Always consider where your audience is most likely to see your video content. Will you share your video on social media, on your website or at a conference?

How long will your video be?

Deciding where your video will be shared can help you decide how long it should be. YouTube used to rank videos based on views and likes but it now rewards videos that keep viewers on the platform. Currently, this means that longer videos fare better, but that doesn’t mean you should make all your videos longer to beat the algorithm! The most important thing is to create original and relevant content. 

If you’re uploading video to other social platforms, bear in mind that there might be a time limit. At the moment, Instagram allows you to post a video which is less than 60 seconds or to choose a 60 second section of a longer video to post in your feed. Instagram TV (IGTV) allows videos of up to 10 minutes long, and for those with a large follower or verified accounts, up to 60 minutes. Remember to keep your videos interesting and ask your followers what content they'd like to see more of.

What are your timescales and budget?

Whether you’re promoting the launch of a new product or service, or highlighting an awareness campaign, make sure you’re working to an achievable deadline. It’s useful to have an idea of your budget too – the more guidance you can give, the smoother the process will be, especially if you’re employing an external agency like us.

Looking for a video producer? Our in-house team are experienced at shooting and editing video for a range of platforms. If you'd like to find out more, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us on info@capitalbmedia.co.uk or call us on 01226 766900.