Stock content - from images to gifs to videos - is ubiquitous. In addition to the paid libraries available online (think Shutterstock, Pond5), generic content like this is now available within pretty much every program you use today. While that is great when you want a quick clip to make your PowerPoint slide a little more engaging, should you be using stock video for your own marketing content? I mean, if you are making videos, shouldn’t they feature your own original footage with your branding rather than something generic? Should you be choosing video that anyone else can also use - to promote anything?
Probably not, but stock footage seems like the quick and easy way out compared to time it takes to shoot your own footage or the cost of hiring a production company to do it for you. Sometimes you just don't have that luxury. But it's a catch-22. You are able to source generic video quickly, but then you wind up having to adjust your brand and concept to fit the stock videos you can find, which can compromise your project, campaign, and company. But that's not the only issue.
Stock video is:
shot for the purpose of being used as stock footage - for the masses and not specific for your brand
generic-looking and you risk losing your audience either due to boredom or worse, because they see you as inauthentic
protected so you have to make sure it is licensed for how you are going to use it and that you have attributed it properly
wasn't made specifically for your project and using too much of it can depersonalize your content - ultimately hurting your brand's credibility
None of these problems occur when using your own original content.
Your video should support your brand and concept - not the other way around. You audience expects to see content from you that is real - not something they see everywhere else. And what's more, your content is YOURS. NOBODY ELSE WILL BE ABLE TO USE YOUR VIDEO FOOTAGE!
So how do you manage to get your own custom footage without spending a fortune or needing a ton of time? With online video sourcing. The Iconiq platform was born out of the most demanding market for new video content – the newsroom. News and media outlets have a constant need for the speedy acquisition of new video content and we've filled that need by creating the world’s largest network of videographers within a robust, cloud-based video platform. Now this solution is available to everyone to source affordable, custom video content, specific to your needs, and get it within hours.
Iconiq essentially empowers users to request and source videos online. You can send a request to customers for testimonials, influencers or to our network of over 120,000 on-demand videographers. These crowd video requests mean that our freelancers get immediately notified and multiple videographers can accept your assignment. They shoot the broll video footage based on your directions and then send the content directly to your Iconiq account. You can preview and select the footage you want to keep as it comes in to your library. You can then use the Iconiq platform to edit, share and use as you see fit.
Visit our website to sign up for a demo so you can see what brands, marketers and businesses of all sizes are doing with Iconiq. We can show you how easy it is to request non-stock, custom video content that is true to your brand. And how fast you can get multiple options to use for your next video marketing project!
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