Think about all the times you scroll down your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed: what’s the type of content that grabs your attention the most?
Chances are that your answer is “video” and if so, you’re not alone.
Many users would say the same thing, and the fact that social media posts with video have 48% more views than posts with just text or images is proof.
Video marketing has, indeed, become an incredibly powerful tool among business owners and marketers, and there are even more statistics that attest to that:
- 81% of businesses use video as a marketing instrument (Hubspot)
- 85% of users want to see more branded video content (Hubspot)
- YouTube is the second most popular website in the world, only after Google (Alexa)
- Social media posts with video get shared 1200% more than posts with text and images combined (Wordstream)
- Nearly half of internet users search for videos related to a certain product or service before they visit a store (Hubspot)
- By 2021, video content is expected to generate 82% of internet traffic (Cisco)
The list of statistics about the popularity and benefits of video goes on and on, but these six facts should be enough to get the point across.
So, one thing is for sure: not using video on social media is a missed opportunity to give your audience what they want, while boosting your visibility, brand awareness, and even sales.
Now, at this point some of you might be thinking:
“Yeah, I already know all of this, and I’ve been posting videos online for a while”.
And if that’s the case, great! But are you creating the best video content you possibly can?
There might still be some untapped potential in your video strategy, and today’s article will help you identify and unlock it.
Keep reading as we go through the top eight tips for creating better video content!
Develop a consistent brand and tone
Consistency and repetition are crucial for building a successful brand, and that’s something you need to keep in mind with every decision you make.
So, before you start brainstorming for your next video, take a look at your brand style guide (if you don’t have one… you know what to do) and make sure that every single element is on-brand, from your logo to your theme colors, voice, typography, slogan, and more.
Once everything is nice and consistent, you need to make sure that you transfer this branding into all your videos.
However, because video is such a unique and dynamic type of content, there are even more opportunities to maintain brand consistency. You can (and should):
- Use the same jingle in every video
- Have a set of templates for your thumbnails
- Use similar lighting, camera setup, and filming style across your videos
- Always have your logo in the same spot
Follow these tips and eventually, viewers will start recognising your campaigns even if they’re just a few seconds into the video.
Establish a structure
Human beings crave structure because it helps us follow along and retain information.
Considering that one of your main goals with every video you create is not only to convey a message but to make sure the viewer remembers in the future. It only makes sense that you define a structure and use it in every video.
This way, your audience will know what to expect and they’ll be more open to watching until the end.
The million-dollar question is, what exactly makes a good video structure?
And the truth is that there’s no one-size-fits-all.
The right structure for your brand will depend heavily on your audience and your usual style of communication, and it’s something that you’ll discover with time, after some good old trial and error.
However, there is one standard setup that you can experiment with:
Quick information about the subject.
Possibly the most crucial part of any video, the first few seconds are the hook that will convince the viewer to keep watching (or make them keep scrolling). Make sure you use them well!
Introduction.
Once the viewer is sold on your video idea, you can get deeper into the topic. Use this introduction to frame the main portion of the video and make sure the user has enough information to understand the…
Base content.
This is the meat of the video and it should be the longest portion of it, where you include the main point you’re trying to make.
Catchphrase & outro.
To close off the video, simply include your catchphrase or slogan (always the same, to ensure the consistency we discussed before), and an outro, including the relevant CTA for the campaign.
This Instagram video by Dove follows a similar structure, which makes it easy to follow until the end and retain the message:
Be authentic
Viewers can smell inauthenticity from a mile away, so when it comes to your video marketing campaigns (and to your digital presence overall), just be yourself.
Are you funny? Then, get those jokes rolling.
Sarcastic? Then, add a touch of sass to your videos.
Serious? Then, keep it formal.
You get the drill, right?
No matter what your brand’s traits are, if you let the real you shine through your videos, they’ll resonate much harder with your audience, and you’ll be able to reach your goals more efficiently.
Be genuine during your live streams
Most types of videos can be scripted and filmed several times until you get the perfect take – but that’s not the case when we talk about live streams.
That shouldn’t stop you from making them, though, because 63% of people aged 18 to 34 watch live streams regularly.
The solution? Changing your mindset about possible mistakes.
The reality is that no matter how much you prepare ahead of time, you might still make mistakes on camera, and that’s a-okay!
Most of the time, your audience won’t even notice and even if they do, as long as you’re genuine in your attempt to correct your mistake, they won’t think too much of it.
Remember that video quality is important…
Video is a visual type of content, so the quality of the image is obviously important. Our three mottos when it comes to video quality are:
Make videos even if you don’t have all the fancy equipment.
Your video quality needs to meet minimum standards (which, nowadays, can be done with a good smartphone), but it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Focus on lighting.
Ensuring that the lighting is good and is not coming from behind the subject can make the world of a difference.
Set manual focus.
Not every device has this option, but if yours does, use the manual focus, so that the background gets slightly blurry, leading the viewer to focus on the subject.
… but the audio is even more important
Video quality can be ok(ish) and still make the cut (especially if you’re posting it on social media), but the same can’t be said about audio quality.
On the contrary, your audio needs to be crisp, in order for your audience to easily and clearly understand everything that is said.
Because, let’s be honest, we’ve all clicked on a video and instantly stopped watching once we heard the poor audio quality it had.
My suggestion is that you purchase a wireless lapel mic and hook it up to your phone or camera when filming your videos.
Use text and emojis
You know those times when you’re on the train and you come across a video that seems interesting, but… you forgot your headphones at home?
In that situation, you can either save the video to watch later or watch it without sound, which is something we’ve all done before.
In fact, according to Facebook, 85% of video is watched without sound, and that’s why using subtitles is almost mandatory.
By adding text and even emojis to your videos, you can still get your message across, even if the viewer isn’t having the full video experience you created.
As such, make liberal use of titles, subtitles, emojis, and animations in your campaigns.
Remove any “fluff”
The attention span of human beings has been on a decline for a few years now, and for a brand like yours, this means one thing: users won’t watch an endless video full of irrelevant information until the end.
For this reason, every time you create a video, there’s one crucial question you have to ask yourself: is there any “fluff”?
By editing out unnecessary parts of your script and cutting down the video length, you can more easily keep the viewer’s attention and get your point across.
Social media users love video content and, as a business owner or marketer, that represents an opportunity you can’t afford to miss. So, grab your phone or camera, attach your new wireless lapel mic to it, keep all our tips in mind and… get creating!
