Many brands choose not to utilize video as part of their online presence because they think it costs too much money, takes up too much time, or amateurs waste their resources. But what if I told you that with a few tools and a little know-how, you can create professional-quality videos without the need for a video production company?
Video marketing has become an essential part of modern marketing. By 2020, we will see almost 80% of internet traffic coming from video content alone. Video is quickly becoming the standard way to communicate and interact with audiences over other mediums such as text and images. The ability to show instead of telling your potential customers and clients what you do helps to tell your story better than anything else can. It’s no surprise that companies like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Pinterest are all working hard to make their platforms more video-friendly. Not seeing results yet? That may be because you’re not utilizing video correctly! Here are some tips to help you make better videos that will engage your audience and keep them coming back for more.
Start with a script or storyboard
If you’re new to creating videos, it may seem like a good idea to just wing it when the cameras start rolling. While this can be fun and some of the best videos come from these impromptu sessions, if you really want to make a great impression on your audience, it’s best to put some effort into scripting out what you want to say or how you want the video to go. If you don’t have someone on staff who is experienced in video creation, consider hiring a freelance writer who has experience with these types of scripts. Hiring a professional writer will help ensure that each of your videos follows the same format and beats, making them feel more “produced” to your audience.
Make sure you have all of your equipment ready
Similar to the idea that just winging it can be fun for some videos, if you’ve got a hilarious outtake or behind-the-scenes blooper reel to show your fans, go ahead and film something like this spontaneously. However, many times it’s best to make sure before you start recording that everything is set up correctly. Do you need an extra person on hand? Is someone else handling sound for this video? Did they remember their headphones again like last time? Don’t forget that even simple things like checking your lighting or finding missing cords can ruin what could have been an otherwise great video. Cool Electronics to Own Today
Make sure your message is consistent across all of your videos
If you’ve just started creating videos for your business, it can be difficult to make them all feel like they are coming from the same brand/company. Taking the time to create a script or storyboard will help tie all of your messages together and make each video feel more connected to one another rather than an ad hoc collection of clips. This way, once potential customers have watched one video, they can immediately tell that other pieces on your channel are related because they share similar messages and terminology. One way to achieve this even further is by using consistent thumbnails or lower thirds that show up in every single video. It may seem tedious now but it could really pay off later if you’re thinking of adding subtitles or translations to achieve a worldwide reach.
Be aware of your surroundings and dress appropriately
It should go without saying that you want the person who is talking on camera to be dressed in a way that makes them feel confident and professional. If they are wearing something that breaks the “fourth wall” (for example, clothing showing logos for another company), it can turn off potential viewers who don’t like feeling like they’re watching an advertisement instead of a video featuring an actual human being. The same goes for anything else going on around the person while they are filming; make sure there isn’t any loud machinery running in the background or other visual distractions around them. These things may seem trivial but even just one of these things can ruin an otherwise great video.
Plan for editing
One of the most important things to remember when creating better quality videos for your brand is that you’re probably going to have to spend some time in post-production. This may be a relatively easy process if you’ve only got one person talking on camera or simple graphics involved but many times even these “simple” edits can take hours – especially if it’s not something that you do every day. If this is the case, consider hiring someone who has experience with video editing software like VEED to handle all of the details so you don’t have to spend your whole workday doing it.
At the end of the day…
If you want to get the most out of your videos, you need to take the time to plan them out properly. While there are many different types of videos that you can film – from trailers to product overviews or even live-streamed events – it’s important to remember that few (if any) will be truly successful without a clear message and good production quality. Once you’ve got all of these things figured out though, there is no limit to how many people could see your content!
