7:55 pm, April 14, 2020
Industry leaders predict a surge in business when the lockdown is lifted with customers who were looking for new cars or servicing work flocking back to dealerships and service centres.
But preparing for that now is vital – and that means communicating with your customers.
The best way to do that is with professional video messaging promoted through social media channels to not only your customers, but suppliers and staff too.
Here we take a look at your options.
What’s the best way to keep customers updated using video?
Once the lockdown restrictions are lifted, the key will be to get your message out to customers that you’re open for business as quickly as possible, as there’s no doubt your competition will be doing the same.
They will want to know how things will go moving forward, this could be regarding opening hours, stock availability, order procedures or delivery on new cars or servicing scheduling.
Producing a video is one of the most effective ways of getting your message out there, and there are two approaches – one slightly longer video covering all the elements you wish to cover or several shorter, more bite size videos.
How could I use these shorter videos?
The bite sized videos would be the most useful as a customer who’s interested in one service, for example used car sales, won’t want to watch a video about new car sales too.
By creating a series of short customer videos, not only does it put a face to the business but it’s also a more engaging process than simply sending an email. Plus it’s easier to track in terms of how many people have watched it and whether it’s been fully viewed.
Once produced the videos can then be uploaded to social media channels such as Facebook or LinkedIn, or the links could be sent to an email database.
While recording video messages on your phone will be effective, it’s important to ensure the videos have a professional look to them, you want to ensure the lighting is right to send a message, you can hear the presenter clearly, and what’s said is presented well and considered rather than improvised. This reassures the customers of the professionalism of the business.
Can I – and should I – be producing video content now?
Although it’s difficult to produce content during the lockdown, especially if you have limited staff through furloughing and access to work sites, it’s still worth maintaining a presence with your customers during the coronavirus pandemic.
During this time there’s a lot of uncertainty not only with how long the situation will last, so it’s well worth posting videos breaking down what they can do during the lockdown, whether this is basic information on how to keep your car clean, through to simple maintenance tasks and how to keep running costs down.
How can you use video to communicate with your staff?
Video streaming has proved a valuable tool during the lockdown.
Not only has it allowed staff members to communicate with each other, but it’s also been used by the newswires to interview key figures during the crisis, not to mention allowing families and friends to keep in touch with one another.
You can read our guide to the best communication tools here, but the importance of having visual communication is paramount in the lockdown.
Not only do staff members get to see a familiar face – which is good for mental health, but you also get to see the body language and facial expressions of participants, with leads to a more effective and worthwhile conversation. The other benefit is that it is an interactive experience, allowing multiple members of staff to join on one call.
What if I want to send a more professional message to customers?
An autocue is a great way to deliver a message to camera, without having to learn long scripts or film presentations in small chunks. If it works well for newsreaders around the country then it will work just as well for small businesses too.
Now while apps are available for tablets, they can prove unreliable, and without the proper mirroring equipment in front of the lens, it means that the presenters eye-line would look wrong and lower the production values of the piece.
Should I think about investing in a professional video crew?
Absolutely you should if you want to get a quality video that really sells your business – nothing looks worse than a poorly produced video as it can make even a big company look small.
In this case it’s worth getting a professional crew in to film which takes all the pressure of the visuals, sound and lighting, plus it means you get a professional looking video delivered shortly after filming.
OnCue communications video department – a sister firm to Car Dealer Magazine publisher Blackball Media – has worked with leading car manufacturers not only to produce high quality vehicle stock content, but also other elements of their business including internal communications, brand messaging and social media/marketing.
It normally takes around an hour to set up an autocue system for a professional video with a two-man team, one managing the camera the other controlling the speed of the script.
The video can then be delivered the same day, meaning your message can go from filming to delivery in just a couple of hours. The price for this service, including crew, equipment and a finished edit is around £1,450.
[Take a look at OnCue’s showreel here]
Is it worth considering a professional promotional film?
Another way of attracting new customers is by producing a promotional film, which would include several cut away shots of the dealership including aerial shots – depending on location, and sound bites from the team.
A professional film would capture a series of video assets that could be repurposed into several short videos matched with interviews by key members of staff.
This would help introduce the business to new customers and help raise a presence on social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as helping improve SEO ranking.
This is a great way of letting the public know that you’re back in business and make them aware of any changes that might have taken place. This can be shot in such a way that it can be relevant for a ‘welcome back’ video, then adapted so you have an ‘about us’ video.
The price for this service, including a two man crew, photography, drone and edit is around £1,950.
Article produced thanks to OnCue Communications
