A thirty-second clip can show what a page of words cannot: the steam off a plate in Fountain Square, a crew finishing a kitchen, an owner explaining what makes the shop different. Video marketing is the work of planning those clips, shooting them, cutting them for each place they will run, and getting them in front of the right people. This page covers which videos to start with, how a shoot usually goes, and what to agree before anyone presses record.
Marketing Agency Indianapolis is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
Which videos to make first
You do not need a film crew to begin. Most Indianapolis businesses get the most from a short list of plain, useful videos.
| Video | What it shows | Where it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Who we are | The owner or the place, in under a minute | Homepage, About page, Google listing |
| How it works | What a customer can expect, step by step | Service pages, social |
| The work | A job, a dish or a product being made | Social, Google listing, ads |
| Questions | Short answers to what customers ask most | Service pages, YouTube, social |
| Short cuts | Vertical clips cut from the longer videos | Reels, Shorts and stories |
How a shoot usually runs
- Plan. The agency agrees the list of videos, the message of each, and where each will run.
- Script. Short outlines, not speeches. Real people speak best in their own words.
- Shoot. Often one day at your place, timed so customers and staff are not in the way.
- Cut. One shoot becomes several videos: a longer one for the website and short vertical ones for social.
- Publish. Each clip goes where it was planned, with a title and description that say what it is.
Ask how many finished videos one shoot day gives you, and in which shapes. A wide video for a website and an upright one for a phone are cut differently.
People on camera
Anyone who appears should know they are being filmed and agree to it, staff included. If a customer appears, get their permission in writing. Customers telling how a job went are endorsements, and the FTC’s endorsement and consumer review rules apply to them: they must reflect a real experience, and you may be liable for what the ad says even when the person speaking is not.
Creators and sponsored clips
If you pay a local creator or send free products for a video, the FTC says that connection should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the video or post itself. A note in the comments is easily missed and does not count. Build the disclosure into the clip from the start.
Want a short list of videos for your business? Send the form and an independent agency can prepare a written proposal.
Who owns the footage
Agree in writing that you receive the finished videos and that you may use them anywhere, for as long as you like. Ask whether the raw footage comes with them, and whether any music has a license that runs out. Keep your YouTube channel and social pages in your own name, with the agency added as a manager.
Video and the rest of your marketing
Video lifts the pages and channels it sits in. A clear clip on a service page can help a visitor decide. Photos and videos on your Google listing show people what to expect. Short clips are the backbone of social media marketing Indianapolis businesses run. And if you want video, a new site and search planned together, see what a digital marketing agency Indianapolis owners hire should provide, or start with web design Indianapolis owners can use.
Tell us what you sell and what you want people to see. An independent agency can prepare a written proposal for the videos and where they will run. Asking is free and you never have to hire anyone.
Questions people ask
What video should a small business make first?
Usually a short video that shows who you are and what you do, for your homepage and Google listing, then short clips of the work for social.
Do I need permission to film customers?
Get their agreement in writing. What they say about you also falls under the FTC’s endorsement rules.
Do sponsored creator videos need a disclosure?
Yes. The FTC says a paid or gifted connection should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously in the video or post itself.
Who should own the finished videos?
You should. Agree in writing that you receive the files and may use them anywhere, and check any music license.
Your proposal