New year, new New Year’s resolutions to make. But let’s be honest, those don’t typically last very long, right? While we won’t be able to help with your resolutions per se, we can help with your 2018 marketing goals. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular New Year’s resolutions in terms of video production. Whether or not you follow through with your personal goals, these resolutions can help keep your project goals on track.

Eat Better/Exercise More

Let’s call this creating “healthier” videos. By this, I mean, producing stronger, leaner content. Attention spans are getting shorter, so video is following suit. Social media has helped shaped the tighter packaging of videos, with ideal duration times falling between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Often times in production we use the term “cut the fat” which is incredibly appropriate for this resolution. This can be during pre-production referring to creating a script that eliminates extraneous information, but is clear, complete, and concise. Or in post-production, this can refer to the edit. Not everything captured during production will end up in the final video, and that’s okay. Only the best of the best should make the final cut. The “fat” gets left on the cutting room floor, and out comes a beautiful, polished video. If only losing fat in real life was that easy...

Spend Less Money

Of course, to produce a video, you will need to spend some money. But how much is the question? Budgets are incredibly important for both you and the production company. Even if you don’t have the first clue to what it takes financially to make a video, start collecting quotes from multiple vendors. Listen to what they can each offer for what prices and compare. The idea is to find the company with the best value: offering the highest quality for the right price. Like buying a car, you will find a variety of vendors offering products at varying price points. Are you in the market for a luxury vehicle or a mid-size sedan? While both will get you where you're going, the ride (and cost) will be different.

Learn a New Skill

This goal is all about expanding your skill set and perhaps even thinking out of the box. In terms of video production, this can translate to taking a new approach to your next video. While the tried-and-true techniques aren’t going away, if you are looking to shake up your marketing, work with the production team to develop a bold, unique concept. People often say that growth occurs outside of your comfort zone. The same could be said about marketing. Some of the most “out there” videos have received the most recognition. While you can’t guarantee that a video will go “viral”, you may catch the attention of a wider audience and create new customers.

A new year feels like a clean slate: a fresh 365 days to work with. What are your goals (both personal and professional) for 2018? Now is the time to accomplish them! Keep in mind these resolutions, and you can check “produce a successful video” off your New Year’s resolutions list.