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116 P a r t I I Producing Your YouTube Videos

Why Create a Professional Video for YouTube?

When the vast majority of YouTube videos come from consumer camcorders or
webcams, why go to the expense of creating an expensive professionally produced
video? There are some good reasons to do so, and some equally good reasons not
to.

Advantages of Professional Videos

One of the main reasons to produce a professional video is that it looks profes-
sional. Let’s face it: The average YouTube video looks amateurish, which is what you
expect when amateurs are doing the shooting using consumer-grade equipment.
That’s fine for many businesses, but if you’re in charge of marketing for a large
multinational corporation, you might not want your YouTube presence to look as if
your cousin Billy Bob did the filming in his basement.

This is why you see companies such as Apple, Ford, Nike, Samsung, Southwest
Airlines, and Xerox spending big bucks to create videos for their YouTube channels.
Their videos might lack the immediacy of webcam-produced video blogs, but they
pack the much more powerful punch that their brands demand. In fact, many of
their YouTube videos resemble traditional commercials—or, in many cases,
extended versions of commercials.

Tip

On YouTube, you’re not limited to 30-second spots, as you are with tradi-
tional broadcast commercials. You can take advantage of the longer length
to present a more detailed message.

When you go the pro video route, you get more than just a better-looking video. In
most cases, you get a better produced video, all the way around. When you hire a
professional video production company, they’ll provide expertise to help you
develop your concept, write your script, coach your on-air talent (or even provide
their own professional on-air talent), create great-looking sets, and do everything
else it takes to create a professional video, from start to finish. You get the complete
package, if you want it.

So, if you represent a big company with a big message and a big budget, going with
a professionally produced video makes a lot of sense. In effect, this is what your
customers expect; anything less would invite cognitive dissonance into your brand
message.