Utah-based floral designer Danielle Skillings spent six years growing her business through word-of-mouth connections when she decided she was ready to take things to the next level.
To do that, she called upon the power of video, enlisting help from her husband, Colin Skillings, who works as a tech videographer by day and shoots freelance commercials in his spare time. “We figured we would leverage my videography skills to try some online marketing,” Colin explains.
The result is an engrossing one-minute anthem that has generated buzz for both Danielle’s floral company and Colin’s freelance videography hustle, garnering more than 10K views since it went live and helping the duo drum up new clients left and right.
It even led to this very article, which came together after we saw Colin’s video on LinkedIn and had to get in touch. (Turns out, that’s the mark of successful video marketing in and of itself.) Below, Colin gives us the scoop on what went into making the vid — including the gear he used, the time it took, and why he thinks video is a worthwhile investment for small businesses.
(Like what you see? Colin is available for hire on Vimeo!)
Tell us about your inspiration for the video.
The video is inspired by the super talented YouTuber Daniel Schiffer, who filmed a friend making a salad dish. It was very creative; it popped up all over my social media feeds. I liked the style and wanted to try putting my own spin on it. I’m always looking to try new things, and this looked super fun.
How long did the video take to make?
The shoot took about three hours total, from start to finish. (Flipping the pruning knife took about 20 takes!) In terms of crew and set, it was just me and my wife in our kitchen. I had a break from freelance that weekend, so we shot the video on Saturday and it was done by Sunday evening. The edit came together more quickly than I expected — it only took about three hours.
Tell us about your gear setup.
I generally like to run pretty lean, so it was a really basic setup: Two LED panels (with pillow cases clamped on to diffuse the light), a Sony A7III, and a Sony GM 16-35mm 2.8 lens. Everything was shot at 120 fps. Nothing too fancy.
What was your budget?
We tried to keep the budget minimal since the video was just an experiment. I already had the equipment, we used our own kitchen, and my wife was the talent. Technically, the only money we spent was on the flowers, which cost around $150. We lucked out!
How much would it cost a small business to make a video like this with a video professional?
For a video like this, it would most likely cost around $1,000-$1,800. But that all depends on the scope of the project. The budget worked in our favor this time, but it hardly ever works out that way with most of my clients. Locations, talent, and props add up quickly.
Did you have a distribution plan for the video going in?
At first, we were both just curious to see how people would respond. We shared the video as a test on Facebook and Instagram. After it did well on those platforms, we put it on LinkedIn. I figured members of LinkedIn would be interested to see the organic results before we officially ran the ad.
How were you planning to measure success?
We figured if people outside our social circles responded positively, there was value. We both enjoy a like from our moms on social media, but we needed a bit more.
What has the response been like so far?
We got a lot of positive responses on Instagram, and Daniel Schiffer (whose salad vid inspired our approach) posted it on his story, which was super nice of him. A lot of people reached out to my wife for business, and after I posted the video on LinkedIn, it started gaining a significant amount of traction with people I didn’t even know. The video now has several shares, 10k+ views, and a lot of business owners have reached out to me to produce similar videos for their brands.
Why do you think video is important for small businesses?
It’s becoming more difficult to cut through the distractions of social media. In order to get your product and brand out there, you’ve got to get creative and make an impression. If you don’t keep people’s attention, you can’t sell your product. With video, you can tell a story and connect with customers in ways that other mediums can’t. A creative video can hold people’s attention longer than an awesome photo, so it just makes sense to use video for marketing.
What advice would you give small businesses looking to make their first video?
Don’t be afraid to be different. Change it up! You’re not going to gain customers’ attention if you are always doing the same type of advertising. Whether it’s the script or the visuals, you need to catch people’s attention.
Any tips for small businesses hiring a creative?
I think the biggest thing is don’t expect great work to be cheap. If you hire the right person with the right skills, investing in a video like this can dramatically change your business.
Any tips for creatives on working with small businesses?
As a filmmaker, reach out to small businesses with products you’re passionate about. I feel I’m the most creative when I believe in the product being sold. Also, always be practicing and experimenting with your videography. Don’t get stuck.
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