Do you find it a bit of a challenge to figure out what the best photography and videography agency is? Are you looking for a company that has an extremely professional team, understands your advertising requirements, and has done amazing work for clients in your relevant field? Would you like to know a few tips on how to choose a professional photography and video production team that are capable of delivering on your marketing needs?
Let’s find out what kind of preparation you need to do on your end before reaching out to a company that provides these services. We’ll also let you know how to search for a services provider, what sort of criteria you can use to shortlist them, and what questions you need to ask them before handing over your marketing campaign to them. Whether you’re looking for a food photography expert for your restaurant, a production house to shoot your next batch of corporate videos, or video content for your social media channels, this guide will help you choose a company that can deliver results.
How To Decide Which Video Production Services And Photography Services You Need
To find a photography and video production company that can create relevant content that is in line with your brand, can handle the scope of your marketing project, and understands how to reach your target audience, you first need to decide a few things on your end. This involves understanding what exactly you hope to achieve, how much you’re willing to spend on this marketing campaign, and what sort of content will help you reach your business goals.
List Down Your Business Objectives
First, you need a clear idea of what you’re hoping to achieve for your business by enlisting the services of this agency. Are you attempting to get more diners to visit your restaurant? Is the objective to get more travelers to visit your official website and make bookings at your luxury resort or hotel? Or is it simply to increase the brand awareness of your business among your target audience? Whatever your vision for this project is, note it down.
Figure Out Your Marketing Goals
Next, you need to set realistic marketing goals based on those business objectives. This would help you track the performance of your marketing project after you hand it over to your services provider. These goals could be the number of visitors you hope to receive to your website, the number of subscribers on YouTube, or the number of Instagram followers. For a business in the hospitality industry, this would be the number of bookings you hope to make from potential customers.
Decide Which Type Of Content You Will Need To Get Made
You could observe your competitors get some ideas here, but most types of content will be pretty obvious to you. If you’re an award-winning restaurant, then a food photography expert will be the first thing on your list. If your business is in consumer electronics and you’re launching a new appliance, then you might need to do a photo shoot that shows off your final product. If you’re trying to increase guest bookings at your hotel through Instagram, then you need to invest in photography services for hotel marketing that really captures your luxurious interior spaces but also the scenic beauty of your surroundings.
On the other hand, video content might prove to be more effective with a product marketing video that captures your product’s most visually appealing qualities while highlighting its best features. If you’re a new business intent on establishing your brand and conveying your values to your target customers, then a brand marketing video production might be what you need. Of course, your photography and video production partner may recommend a different approach, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of brainstorming about what sort of content to get made.
Decide Your Budget
In the next phase when you start discussions with your potential photography and video production partner, you will get an opportunity to receive a quote that will really tell you how much it will cost. However, its always best to have an idea of how much you’re willing to spend before getting into these discussions. This is especially important for a small business with a limited budget. This budget will naturally depend on the type of content you’re planning to make. Food photography for a restaurant will not cost as much as a high-quality video production that is used for advertising a high-end luxury golf resort. If your videos require animation, aerial footage captured from drones, or licensed music, then it’ll definitely add more punch to the visuals, but at an additional cost.
Research And Shortlist The Professional Video Production And Photography Services Providers
Next, you can start researching possible service providers that are capable of delivering the results you desire. To come up with a list of names, you can ask colleagues in your respective field for photography and videography production companies that come highly recommended. You could even do a quick Google search which is sure to yield some great results. Look for companies that specialize in your chosen field, and provide the full range of professional services you need. Shortlist the best candidates that seem to fit your brand, and the style you’re going for. More on this in the next section!
How To Choose The Best Photography And Videography Agency
After shortlisting your list of candidates, use the following steps to really narrow down your search to a few photography and video service providers that you plan on meeting to discuss the full details of your marketing project.
Go Through Their Portfolio Of Photos And Videos
Now that you have your list of professional companies to focus on, the first step is to check out their portfolio of previous work. Does their food photography capture dishes in exquisite detail and make your mouth water instantly? Does their luxury hotel video make you wish you were at that destination? Does its corporate or branding video tell the story and vision of its client? Are these photos and images making an impression on you, and do any of them fit the style of your brand identity?
Check The Engagement Levels Of The Photos And Videos
If you’re satisfied with the quality of the photos and videos, the next thing is to look at the numbers. Everything may look pretty, but if they haven’t reached an audience and converted at least some of them, then you might need to keep looking. If these photos and videos are on social media or public on platforms like YouTube, you can easily gauge the level of audience engagement by looking at the likes, shares, and comments section. If the food photography makes viewers feel like ordering it immediately, they might express it in the comments. If a new product video gets them excited, they might say “already pre-ordered”. Comments like this indicate that the story they’re telling has ultimately resonated with their audience. If any of them leave positive feedback about the photos or videos and are itching to purchase their services then the photography or videography agency has done its job.
Browse Their Website For Details On Services
Their website will often convey details about how exactly they provide their photo and video services. If there’s a lack of detail or the company is being very vague about what they do, this might not be the partner for you. A confident team will give clear and concise descriptions of the entire process from their planning stages to post-production editing. Whether it’s food photography or a destination wedding video, the images and footage they capture have to go through an editing process to make them presentable.
Don’t pick a team that only does half the work or you’ll end up having to hire another company to do the editing. Video in general requires an extensive pre-production stage scriptwriting, storyboarding, and scheduling is done. The video shoot itself might require actors, models, props, as well as professional-grade gear, and the technical crew to handle it. Video editing is often supplemented with the addition of graphics, sound, and music. Check if the team you’re looking at mentions this type of production process. To learn more about this, read What Is Professional Video Production?
Read Customer Reviews To See If They Did An Amazing Job
Their official website may even include testimonials from corporate clients. Check these to understand what sort of work they have done like covering company events, branding videos, and corporate training videos. If these sorts of clients are from major brands and they’re satisfied, this could indicate the level of professionalism that you’re looking for. If you search the web, you could find sites that provide reviews of companies and their services. Google will also present customer reviews and ratings that you can check.
Meet The Team And Discuss Your Projects
Now you may be down to one or two of the most professional-looking photography and video services teams on your list. If they’re located near your place of business, head over there and meet up with them. If they’re overseas, contact them and schedule a video call.
Questions To Ask The Services Provider
Before you meet up with your potential service provider and plan the way forward, remember to keep your key objectives, advertising goals, and other ideas such as the concept for the project in mind. It would also help that you prepare a list of questions to ask them.
What’s Their Prior Expertise In Your Industry?
The portfolio on the web or on social media may not give details on their experience in your chosen field. While they have done amazing work for clients in other industries like restaurants, and travel, they might be new to something like real estate or property video production. Ask for details specific to your business or type of brand and evaluate their level of expertise in this area.
What’s The Timeline And Their Entire Process?
They make have already included details on their process online, but it’s always best to ask for more information. First, you should describe the scope of your project, what sort of message you wish to convey to your customers, and what your expectations are. Afterward, you can ask them how they would handle such a task and bring your ideas to life through their photos and videos. Don’t forget to ask about their timeline and when they are supposed to complete your deliverables. This is especially important if you need the project completed on short notice.
Do They Provide Any Additional Services Like Graphics And Web Design?
Some agencies also provide professional services like animation, graphics, and music that do a lot to complete the amazing images they create. On top of this, the website visitors you receive through the photos and videos shared on social media require an equally impressive web experience. If the company has a web design and development team, then your landing pages can be consistent with the quality, message, brand, and style of the photos or videos, helping more customers convert faster.
Do They Have Digital Marketing Experience?
If the agency also has experience in carrying out a well-planned digital marketing strategy, then this is an additional benefit you can receive. There will be many who are fully capable of delivering stunning images and breathtaking videos, but you can be sure there will only be a handful that will have knowledge on how to do online advertising and strategy. This could be the type of thing the team will not express on their website, so you might wish to ask this question when you meet them.
How Much Do They Charge For Projects Like Yours?
Bringing your concept to life will come at a cost, and you shouldn’t be afraid to request a quotation to check if you can afford them. Some professional agencies will have fixed packages of services and some are more willing to be flexible depending on the scope of work. Additional services like graphics, web design, and helping with your marketing and advertising strategy will add to the cost as well. Just make sure the team you hire to make your project a reality is one that you can easily afford.
Looking For A Highly Professional Photography And Video Production Agency?
Now that you understand how to select a professional team that has the talent, expertise, and technical know-how to create astonishing-looking photos and videos, it’s time to start looking for one. And you don’t have to look very far! SUJO Twenty-Two is the agency that can deliver on all your photography and videography needs. Not only do we have an exceptional team with creative flair and technical expertise, but we can also handle every stage of your project from concept, to planning, as well as shooting and post-production editing. On top of providing quality photos and videos that will be an instant hit with your customers, we also have the in-house talent to offer you graphic design, ad design, branding, web design and development, and more! Check out the SUJO Twenty-Two videography services, and let’s talk video today!
FAQs
List down the objectives about what you wish to achieve for your business like bringing in more clients or improving your brand awareness. Then decide which type of photo or video content will help achieve that, and set realistic goals to track your progress.
Yes. A professional agency will not only have the technical gear, and creative talent, but they will also have the experience to bring your idea to life. It will also save you the hassle of attempting to do something that is not within the scope of your business.
