Marketing Your Space with Video

Whether you are marketing a part of your office space for sublease, selling your building or aiming to recruit and retain top talent by showcasing your work environment, the look and feel of your office matters. Despite the inevitable paradigm shift that we’ve experience as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, for most industries, there is still a need for some version of commercial office space.

In any of these situations it is important to properly market your space through use of diverse multimedia. One way to do this is through video marketing. For example, for a sublease opportunity, a virtual tour of the space can be a great way to showcase the space to potential tenants to gauge interest without them even having to physically go into the space. This is especially helpful during the COVID-19 world we are living in where we continue to practice social distancing. Time and again, video has proven to be a valuable marketing tool because of its interactive nature.

Here are some things to keep in mind when creating a successful virtual tour video of your space:

Tidy Up

Decluttering and cleaning up your space is one of the best things you can do to really make it shine. Simple things like having clean desk surfaces, wire management and making office chairs in the conference rooms are at the same height and aligned with each other makes a huge difference.

 

Set the Scene

• Capture wide, establishing shots that show the exterior of the building and the surrounding area.
• Show close-up detail shots that highlight the unique features of the building and office space. Consider classic attributes like hardwood floors, exposed brick, and high-quality furniture, as well as innovative aspects decor such as living green walls or cool art.
• Create a buzz. Highlight the surrounding area, pointing out the cool restaurants, gyms, bars, cafés and attractive green space nearby.
• If the main lobby for the building is appealing, get permission from the landlord/property manager to capture footage of the space. Additionally, if there are common amenities within the building like shared gyms, cafés or meeting spaces that show well, include those.

 

Variety is Key

• Open the video with wider establishing shots, then focus on the specific details.
• Utilize long Glidecam or gimbal shots to provide an immersive feel to the video. Any movement should be slow and subtle to ensure the viewer actually feels as if they are walking through the space.
• Use locked tripod shots and simple panning shots to provide balance to the tracking shots, as there can be too much of a good thing.
• Use the right lens for the job. A Zeiss Batis f/2.8 18mm strikes a nice balance of showing enough of the space without much distortion. Additionally, the lens features internal stabilization, providing a smooth result when combined with a Glidecam, and stabilizing in post-production if needed.

 

Seek out Unique, Cool, Legal/Licensed Music

• Traditionally, royalty free music is pretty stale and uninspired. Websites like Musicbed.com, Audiojungle.net and Premiumbeat.com are a great place to start your search.
• Don’t just pick the first musical track you find and call it a day. Keep in mind that audio is 50% of video, and often times the first comment is positive feedback regarding the music. It can take a lengthy search to find the right track.
  
  

Use Titles to Highlight Interesting Space Features

 

Mix in Aerials

• Use a drone, the common name for a UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System). Be sure to use an insured, licensed professional with their Part 107 certification who is familiar with airspace restrictions. Anything within five nautical miles of Downtown Boston is in Class B airspace, which features tiered altitude ceilings and requires LAANC approval using an app like Kittyhawk.io. 
• Consider the location. A UAS is particularly helpful in suburban areas, as the altitude restrictions are more forgiving, and operations are more straightforward.
  
  

Short and Sweet

• Time is of the essence. By keeping your video under two minutes, you’re more likely to hold the attention of your viewers until the tour’s end.

To demonstrate the quality of your space, it is vital to properly market your office through diverse multimedia. Whether it’s for an upcoming sublease or sale, or just to demonstrate your company’s value to potential talent, a virtual tour video serves as an innovative and interactive asset.