What to ask when choosing a video agency

Do you need to choose video production agency to work with for your next video project?

With so much choice out there, it can be hard to know which agency will be the right fit to partner up with. Will they be able to deliver what you need? Can they make sure your content cuts through the noise?

Here are some essential questions to ask to help narrow down the search and find a video agency that's right for your business and its needs. 

1. Do they have experience in your sector?

Do you think they'll be interested in what your business does? Do they ask questions that are relevant and specific? Have they worked for brands and businesses in a similar sector or area of expertise to you before?

If the video agency isn't invested in what you do, they won't understand your purpose or goals well enough to be able to ensure your video succeeds or come up with strategic creative ideas to reach your audience. 

2. Do they have strategists on board?

Starting the creative process without strategic insight is unlikely going to get you the results you want.

You may be thinking "but we don't need a strategy, we already have a brief that's ready to go" as I type this. And that's great! Any agency will tell you that they like prospects to approach them with clear requirements. If you want to make powerful, inspiring videos at scale, you'll need a video strategy that's centred around your goals and objectives, and based on a deep understanding of your audience and market.

However, your video agency should be able to help you identify more opportunities to create content and outline clear guidelines you and your team can work from. They should have an in house team of video strategists will help you to expand on or develop a content strategy that will take your video content to the next level.

3. Do they measure the success of THEIR video campaigns?

Do they make videos and then move on to the next? Or do they measure the success of those videos with solid analytics to continuously improve your campaigns?

Ask this question upfront to be sure you won't be stuck with a partner that does the creative bit, and then ignores how your video is performing against the goals you set in the beginning. 

If they don't have a way to measure the performance of your video, consider it a red flag. Any video agency worth its salt will be able to tell you how well your video content is meeting its targets. Regular analytical updates are key to tracking the success of your videos and finding out exactly what worked (and what didn't).

For example, Venture uses Wistia to get a comprehensive view of audience trends like rewatches, drop-offs, and interactions with your video. As well as get a look at the percentage of viewers who clicked play, percentage viewed, total time watched, CTAs clicked, and more.

4. Does the evidence speak for itself?

Go beyond the showreel. Do they have happy customer testimonials? What sort of stats do they show in their case studies? Do their videos seem well-produced and professional? 

Look for reviews in unusual places, or ask those who've worked with the agency for their opinion. 

5. Do they have the capacity to deliver what you need?

You should be clear on your requirements and approach agencies with a brief with clear objectives, that way they can tell you if they have the capacity to work on your project with you or not, so you're not wasting any time. 

For this, you should start working on your project brief, and be sure to include objectives and relevant information about your business and audience, as well as any key messages you'd like to convey.

You'll find that the process of putting together your brief will help focus your search. You can then begin to shop around with a clear idea of what you need a video production agency to deliver for you. Getting a head-start on this can help streamline those initial conversations and save you valuable time with your search.

Download our free video brief template below to kickstart this! 

6. Will they provide edits if revisions are needed?

Make sure your video agency of choice can specify if they provide edits and if so, how many revisions do you get? For storyboards, animation, Live-Action edits, as well as scripting. 

7. Can you picture yourself working with them?

At the end of the day, you'll work best with a video agency that you actually like. Do they make you feel understood, respected and cared for? Is there a culture fit? And can they meet more practical restraints like your deadline and budget?

If they tick most of the above boxes and you're genuinely excited about working with them, you may well have the right video agency for your needs.

8. Will they challenge you?

Finally, you should be paying for expert advice and guidance, not a lap dog. If you want exceptional results, rather than passively agreeing with everything you suggest, your agency of choice should have expertise enough to offer its own suggestions, insights, and ideas for your video content.  

This means sometimes they may challenge your assumptions. But only an agency confident enough to use their expertise in this way will get you the best possible results from your video. 

Is Venture the right fit for your business? Possibly so! To find out, it all starts with a simple conversation. Get in touch to ask us any questions and find out if we're the right video agency for you. If we're not, we'll point you in the direction of an agency more suited.