Here are five tips for making good videos online.

1. The value of production

Two years ago I had breakfast with Chris Anderson, founder of TED, the global platform for sharing ideas. I asked him why he believed that TED had become a phenomenon when video-formatting had existed for so long. He told me The value of production. We invest a lot to make the videos look good. He explained that they treat each presentation as if it were a music video, with a very good lighting, different camera angles, interesting graphics, audio mixes, and so on.

There is no doubt that the TED videos look extremely professional. And the lesson for modern marketers is to invest in having a quality video.

2. Audience

The first rule of marketing and communication is to be as clear as possible with your audience. Do not invest in making videos online just because “everyone else is doing it”. Be very clear about the audience you are looking to impact with your content. Are you selling something or just want to attract your brand to the public? Increase the knowledge of your company or reach a specific demographic sector?

3. Be professional

If you cannot do it yourself, hire someone who does have the knowledge. Certainly, this is great advice that applies from plumbing to surgery, but it is also relevant in this case.

Hiring a team that knows how to make videos costs money, but it can also help you save time, generate more creativity on how to reach your goals and allow you to focus on the whole picture instead of production problems.

4. Bow

One of the most important aspects of a good video – one that people actually see – is to tell a good story. Kittens always generate views but will hardly be aligned with the narrative of your marketing strategy. Tell a good story with nice characters, detail your travels and give them a strong conclusion. For example, avoid putting your vice president in front of the camera and better tell a good story of a client.

5. Location, location, location

I cannot tell you how many marketing and communication boards I have attended where someone proposes to make a video. Invariably I always say “Good idea, what are we going to do with it?”

A good example of a video strategy that knows how to connect with its audience is the startup Hear Notes. They made this campaign for their project in Kick starter where they emphasized the value and the history of its product.

We knew how important it was to get a good video campaign, said Patrick Donohue, director of Hear Notes. That’s why we invested time to develop a unique story with a quality production that offered a good image of the company.

Having video, even good video, is not a victory. To succeed, your target audience must see it, which means they must have a place where they can find it. The best and most successful online video marketing campaigns are designed with a destination in mind, whether platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Vine, Instagram, and etcetera.

When the idea of producing video comes out at the next meeting, be sure to answer these five questions in order: Who is your audience? What do you want to achieve with the video? Can you hire professional services? What will the story say? And how can they increase the value of production?