You are watching TV at home and there’s a commercial break during which two ads play.

The first is a sleek, professionally made commercial that features attractive actors, effective background music, and a quick yet clear and comprehensible storyline. The second is a cheaply made production that was obviously shot on a smartphone camera with shoddy sound, poor lighting, and a barely understandable message.

Which product would you buy? For most people, the answer is obvious.

The way businesses present themselves in their videos — whether it’s on broadcast TV or streaming 0nline — has a profound effect on the way prospective customers perceive them. That’s why if you are going to make videos to promote your products, brand, or business, it pays to do it right.

 The Medium Is the Message

Mass media guru Marshall McLuhan once famously said, “The medium is the message.” In the 21st Century, this concept is more meaningful than ever.

Going cheap or low-cost may have its benefits in some situations, but it’s often the wrong course of action when creating a video production that people are actually going to see. Low-rent video looks bad, sounds terrible, and worst of all reflects poorly on you, your business, your brand, or your products.

Most people are only going to get one chance to make a split second decision about your company. So if they see a video that is cheaply made and unintelligible, they are probably going to take a hard pass.

Spending Money to Make Money

Professional video production is worth the investment. High-quality, great looking commercials or videos can make people sit up and take notice of your business. They can set you apart from competitors and make consumers choose your products over all the others.

Don’t use do-it-yourself video production. Spending your marketing budget on top-quality, professional video will often pay huge dividends in terms of more sales and enhanced reputation.