Video is a great tool for conveying your message whether you're selling a product, providing information about your service, training purposes for your company or highlighting aspects of what your company does. Tell your story It's important to start with a story. Know what the message is you want to tell and list the key points that you want the audience to watch and remember the most. Keep your message short. The average length of time people will stay interested is about 1-3 minutes on the internet and it's important that you keep them engaged. Keep it short! Know your audience Your video won't be for everyone and it's important that your video is thought with your audience in mind. If you're selling a product, providing information about your service or training employees or instructing people how to do something, knowing your audience is critical. Your Video is an investment Keep in mind it is an investment and as any investment, you're return will be highly dependent on the quality of the video. If your story is one that can last a few years, it will have diminishing returns. Having a realistic budget is key. There are many productions companies and agencies that offer services to help produce your video and finding one could seem like reading Goldilocks and the 3 Bears until you find the one that's just right for you with estimates from the unbelievably inexpensive to what seems extremely overpriced. These estimates are based on what you as the client envision, expect and have as a budget. It's important to provide a realistic approach based on what you budget for your project. A suggestion is to start with an outline and script. The phases of production Pre-production : This is the most important phase. Discussion about your project should be well communicated. Describing in detail what your story is. Knowing what elements of your story are key. What is your story about; the people, the service, the product? or maybe a combination of all three or something else. Will there be graphics, animation? Will these elements need to be created or provided in some form? Knowing what crew will be needed and who will be wearing those hats? Production: Where the magic begins to take shape and the necessary crew is there to make it all happen Post-Production: The final phase and where the communication from pre-production begins to take shape. With good communication throughout pre-production and proper execution during production, post-production can be a smooth process. Sometimes considered the aspect that carries the brunt of the production budget, cost savings come preventing fixes and cleanup from production that pre-production and production avoided with clear and precise execution.