Meet Michael Sharon | Owner + Producer

We’re so pumped about our conversation with Michael Sharon. Michael is an Owner + Producer and is also a content partner. Content partners help Voyage in so many ways from spreading the word about the work that we do, sponsoring our mission and collaborating with us on content like this. Check out our conversation with Michael below.

Michael , it’s been too long since we last connected. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with our community again. Some readers might have missed our prior conversations, so maybe you can kick things off for us with a quick intro?
I’m Michael Sharon, founder and creative director of 6162 Productions, a full-service, high-quality video production company based in Denver and Seattle that specializes in human-centered storytelling to maximize your brand engagement across the web. We’re proudly celebrating our 10th anniversary this year!

What is the value of professional video and how do you budget for it?
There’s definitely a time and place for making a quick social media video with your phone, but for most companies and organizations, it’s wise to invest in professional video. When you work with a professional, full-service video production company like ours, they’ll guide you through the process, starting by learning about your marketing goals, vision, and brand. They’ll help you maximize your budget by strategically using production days to deliver multiple videos you can use for a great campaign. They’ll bring creative ideas and expertise to your project and ensure that it’s a great experience from start to finish. Professional video should be used for brand or “about us” videos for your website, strategic cohesive social media campaigns, fundraising events or awareness campaigns, corporate recruiting or training videos, app demos or explainers, and more.

It’s hard to advise how to budget for video because the projects are so customized and prices span a large range based on production time, locations, number and type of crew members needed, editing time, number of deliverables and length of the video, just to name a few. If you have a video project coming up and want to get a sense of the cost, we’re happy to hop on a call with you to discuss. Fill out our get a quote form on our website to get started!

How do you create videos that resonate with your target audience?
This really starts with pre-production…or even in our first conversation with a potential client. We take the time to learn about your company, what problems it solves, who the audiences are, the tone of your brand, what’s worked before and what hasn’t, etc. We inquire about where the video will be shown because that dictates a lot. For example, if you’re showing your video during a fundraising event with a captive audience, you can make it a little longer and tell a more in-depth impact story than if it’s being shown on social media where you have less time to capture people’s attention. We collaborate with you to generate the best ideas that will resonate with your audience, stay in your budget, and achieve your goals.

What are some video marketing trends you’re seeing in 2023?
91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, up from 61% just six years ago and 92% of video marketers reported that video gives them a positive ROI (2023 Wyzowl report). Clearly, video is is ubiquitous and it’s driving sales, so now the question is, how do brands stand out online? Here are some thoughts:

-Shorter is better (15-30 seconds per video).
-Consistent content generation is key (adding video to social pages 3-4x/mo).
-Real people being authentic and talking to camera, even if it’s not very polished (Incorporating user-generated content).
-Vertical video for Instagram and TikTok. If you’re filming something for multiple platforms, film the subject in the center so that it can be edited for vertical formats.
-How-to videos are popular…and sell products! A recent study from Tubular Insights revealed that 1 in 3 millennials had bought a product directly as a result of watching a how-to video about it. And 70% of YouTube viewers watch videos to solve a problem they’re having with their hobbies, studies, or jobs. (Market Splash Social Media Video Marketing Stats)
-Humor and out-of-the-box ideas can make content stand out and make viewers want to share. In fact, video content on social media generates about 1200% more shares than text and image content combined.
-Track your metrics of success (email lead gen, views, site form fills, reach, etc) Many marketers and brands aren’t tracking this data effectively to know how/when to pivot to new video strategies to maximize ROI.

What are some ways I/my business can use video more successfully on social media?
That’s a great question and one that we addressed in a recent blog post. Some of the tips we included are: -Start with the end in mind. What are your goals? Why are you creating videos? Don’t do them because videos are popular, and everyone says you should. Videos should be part of your overall content marketing strategy and work to achieve a goal.
-Decide how many videos you want to create for a certain campaign or time period and what platforms they’ll be shown on. Then write the script(s), plan out each shot, and decide if someone will be speaking on camera or if you’ll be recording a voiceover and using text on the screen. Think about the tone you want to set and what kind of music fits best.
-Ensure storytelling is at the forefront of your strategy, even if it’s a short video. The video should have a character(s), a beginning, a middle, and an end. Stop the scroll by hooking viewers in the first few seconds with a compelling image (like faces or beautiful product images).

Thank you so much again for sharing all of this with us. Before we go, can you share with our readers how they can connect with you, learn more or show support?
You can learn more about the videos we create and how we work at www.6162productions.com. If you’re ready to get started, you can fill out our Get a Quote form (www.6162productions.com/start-project)! We work directly with companies and nonprofit organizations to create their videos and also partner with creative agencies to produce their clients’ videos.

Connect with us on Facebook (@6162productions), Instagram (@6162_productions), LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/6162-productions/), and YouTube (youtube.com/@6162productions) to see sample videos, behind-the-scenes fun from our shoots, and to get helpful video marketing tips.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.6162productions.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/6162productions
• Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/company/6162-productions
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@6162productions