Secrets and Tricks of the Trade from Studio4: Gigasavvy’s Content Creation Studio
Today video consumption rates are at an all time high. At the time of writing this blog more than 89% of all consumers say that they would like more video content from the brands they follow, and 52% are more likely to share video content than any other type of content.
At Studio4, we pride ourselves on creating visually striking and scroll-stopping content that doesn’t just entertain the consumer but also elevates your brand’s key business objectives. It’s a fine balancing act—keeping your content production on schedule and within budget while bringing to life big ideas that captivate your audience.
So, how do we do it?
Be Clear and Specific with What Your Content Should Accomplish
First things first, define what you want your content to achieve. Are you looking to build brand awareness and affinity, generate leads, or convert directly to a sale? Where will this content live? With this information, develop a content creation plan that leverages each media channel accordingly – including TV, radio, paid and organic social media, as well as your website and supporting OOH and print.
Each piece of your campaign should feel interconnected, yet native to its platform. Spoiler alert: simply resizing your content for different platforms won’t cut it. Audience demographics and media consumption habits vary on each channel. You need to tailor each piece to fit its specific medium. This starts in the content creation process; rather than waiting until you start editing.
How Will Your Content Resonate with Your Audience?
Here’s a nugget of wisdom: make sure your content goes beyond entertainment and resonates deeply with your audience. We call this the “Core Human Truth.” What will resonate with your viewer as a human being even if they aren’t in the market to buy your product or service?
People see over 5,000 ads every day. If your content isn’t captivating, it’s just white noise. Connect with your audience first and they’ll justify their interest with reason later. Think of television shows. They specialize in engaging long form content creation that connects with audiences in order to sell advertising time to brands. If their content isn’t entertaining, they aren’t able to sell advertising and the show goes off the air.
As advertisers, we need to keep this simple fact front and center. Just like any television show, if the content you are creating isn’t entertaining, no one will stop their scroll long enough to hear the life-altering message or key selling points that your brand has to offer.
So, What’s the Plan?
Now, it’s time to build out and develop a comprehensive view of your content creation needs. Determine the resources required, the content production schedule, and how to bring your big ideas to life. It’s one thing to brainstorm a brilliant idea. Executing it, and executing it well, is a whole other ball of wax.
Content production requires meticulous planning and a team of extremely talented individuals. Don’t underestimate the effort needed to transform a great idea into reality. Even some of the most influential user generated content creators (if they are doing it consistently), have a team of people working behind the scenes to ensure it all happens.
Work the Plan (With More Planning)
Congratulations. You have a well-informed content creation goal, concept and plan. It’s go-time — almost. Welcome to the pre-production stage. Now it’s time to start storyboarding your concepts, developing shot-lists, identifying locations, sourcing vendors, casting talent, and scheduling resources. Here is where the project kicks into high gear, and it is not for the faint of heart.
There are hundreds of moving pieces, if not thousands, and all of them need to flow together like a well-composed song. At this point of your content creation workflow, small decisions have to be made. Communication is everything. Regular meetings are one of the primary keys to success.
Stick to your plan with the tenacity of a bulldog. But—and this is a big but—be prepared to pivot when necessary. The production process is a minefield of unexpected obstacles. Professional athletes stick to their game plans but pivot gracefully under pressure to achieve the best outcome. You should adopt the same mindset. Flexibility within a structured plan is your best friend in content production.
Finally, The Actual Content Creation
All of your hard work and planning pays off here. If your goal-setting, concept development and pre-production work has been thorough, your actual content creation should be a breeze. Everyone should be fully aware of and aligned to your creative vision and have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Now it is a matter of managing the shot list and keeping the time before your models’ hair falls flat and you lose your light. Hip-Hip-Hooray – the wrap party is on its way!
Time to Cut it Up
You thought you were done once the cameras stopped rolling? Think again. The real work begins in the editing room. Martin Scorsese once said, “If you don’t get physically ill seeing your first rough cut, something is wrong.”
Brace yourself; your first cut might be a disaster. It’s normal. Lean into it, learn from it and hold on tight to the original vision. In the world of advertising and creating content this is where the most small compromises can sneak in, leading to a death-by-a-thousand-cuts scenario. This is where the phrase, “If you try to appeal to everyone, you’ll end up appealing to no one” can really rear its ugly head. Stay flexible but never lose sight of your initial goals and the emotional impact your content is supposed to achieve. Always keep in mind WHO it is meant to resonate with.
Another key insight within the editing process is to always be on the lookout for creative ways to maximize the output from your footage. This isn’t about quantity over quality; Far far from it! It is about getting the most bang for your buck with all of the amazing content that you already have in the can.
That’s a Wrap
We covered a lot. Here’s a streamlined content creation workflow strategy for you:
- Set Clear Goals: Define your content’s purpose and its intended platforms.
- Understand Your Audience: Create content that resonates on a human level.
- Comprehensive Planning: Outline resources, timelines, and content production plans.
- Follow the Plan: Stick to your plan but be ready to pivot when needed.
- Edit with Vision: The first cut is just the beginning; refine your content while maintaining the core vision.
- Maximize Content: Get the most out of your footage without compromising quality.
Content creation, content production, and content production studios may all sound like buzzwords thrown around to appease the SEO gods (and yes, this article was written just for them), but they encapsulate the essence of what we do. Great content isn’t just about looking pretty; it’s about achieving real business goals and making your brand shine. So, next time you’re planning your content strategy, give a nod to the algorithms, but never forget that the real magic happens in the execution.
Gigasavvy is an award-winning content creation, brand and creative agency that position clients for long-term success. Connect with us to chat about how we can produce impactful content for your business.
