In this blog we explore why a showreel is an important marketing tool and give you our top tips to creating your own.
Now I know what you must be thinking, a showreel for marketing?
Typically, we know that a showreel of content is created by actors and filmmakers, to showcase who they are and what they do. But as technology and skill sets develop, marketing agencies and other creatives have started to make showreels too.
But why is it an important marketing tool I hear you ask.
What is a showreel?
Before we even start to think about making our own showreel, we need to understand what a showreel is and what it is used for.
A showreel is a short video that showcases who you are and what you do. It introduces your company’s portfolio, showcases your previous work, or it can simply show what makes your offering unique and different. Showreels are normally around 2 to 3 minutes in length, with 30-second cut-down videos created for use on social platforms.
How can a marketing agency use a showreel?
In recent years showreels have become popular, this is because of how useful they can be to showcase your business and access important information in a quick and easy way. But what are the main advantages of having a showreel?
1. Showreels allow you to attract new customers.
Having a showreel at the top of your website, using it on social platforms, or using it within a pitch or presentation, allows people to understand what you can offer them without them having to read through lots of information. It tells them everything they need to know in a fun, quick, creative way.
2. Stand out from the crowd.
Within the creative industry, it is important to stand out against your competitors and sometimes this can be hard. That is where showreels come in! Creating something that is truly well crafted, professional, and creative can help to immediately capture people’s attention.
3. Showcase who you are and what you do!
We all know that it is important to make a great first impression. Within the first few seconds of a showreel you want to capture people’s attention, showcasing why they should keep watching but also showing who you are and what you do at its best.
Our top tips for creating a showreel!
Now that we understand why and how to use a showreel, you might be thinking where do I even start? And how do I create a showreel? Well, we have got you covered! Here are our top tips for creating a showreel:
1. Determine the showreel’s purpose.
Before you start, think about why you are creating a showreel. It might be to showcase your work, attract new clients, show your agency’s skillset, or even your company culture.
2. Selecting your work.
When selecting what work you might want to show, ensure that this aligns with your showreel purpose. It goes without saying that these projects need to be something you are proud of.
3. Make it stand out.
Although what you can offer will ultimately make you stand out against your competitors, you need to think about how you can make your showreel different. This can be done through different animation styles, music choices, and even the pace of the video. It needs to tell your story.
Our Chalk & Ward showreel.
When we created our showreel, we aimed to showcase our projects. We have worked in a variety of different sectors and created a range of assets for our clients. Each client’s need was different and required a different approach.
When we came up with the idea, we knew that we wanted to have a variety of videos and stills within our showreel, but the stills themselves needed to have some animated movement. We teamed up with Neil from Forty-Four Sixteen, to help us bring our showreel to life through the art of animation.
Once the animated clips were created our Mid-Weight Designer, Emily then edited the showreel together. Check out our showreel below!
Conclusion.
As we have seen, a showreel is a good marketing tool, to showcase your work and offering and show why people should work with you. It delivers information in a fun creative way, making a lasting impression on the viewer.
We challenge, collaborate and create your vision to maximise the visual impact and communicate your message. Get in touch by emailing hello@chalkward.com or call 01392 666291 to learn more about our creative services and how we can help grow your business.
