Social media videos continue to push boundaries, with more than 5 billion people online and surfing the internet. Videos help entertain, influence, and create trust and connections between a content creator or brand and their audience. But in order to create amazing social media videos that are worth watching and sharing, there are some things you have to put in mind.
KEEP IT SHORT AND ENGAGING
It's important to keep videos short. Most people won't watch a video that lasts more than 15 minutes, so keep your clips brief and engaging. Chop up complex topics into smaller pieces and create a series of videos so people can get all the information they need in an easy-to-consume format.
PLAN FOR YOUR VIDEO CONTENT
Before you begin creating any videos, first establish a plan for doing so. This should include audience research, competitor analysis, brainstorming, scheduling, budget allocation, and delegation of tasks. All these will help you create more effective videos that align with your business goals. Whatever the reason may be for your social media videos, it's important to be clear about what you want to accomplish with them.
ADDING CAPTIONS ON THE VIDEO
You may want your videos to reach a global audience. If so, you'll want to make sure that they're accessible to people who don't speak your language or are hearing-challenged. Adding captions will help your content reach those users.
FIRST 5 SECONDS COUNT
Nowadays, people lose interest in what they’re doing after about five seconds—so you have to hold their attention. The first few seconds are key because that’s when you’ll capture them or lose them. Start off with a thought-provoking question, strong hook, inspiring quote, powerful visual, or appealing music.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE AUDIO
When filming on your phone, make sure to use a microphone to capture good audio. You wouldn't want your video to capture the sounds of cars passing, or dogs barking outside instead of the actual conversation. So, it's wise to invest in good equipment.
LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING
Yes, just like with pictures, lighting in videos will make or break your shot too. The lighting in your videos should be good enough to see all the details clearly. If you're indoors, try standing near a window or door where there's enough light for filming. You can also opt to take things outdoors. Using natural light is also about choosing when you want to film. The golden hour—just after the sun sets or before it rises—is one of the most popular times to film. Cloudy days are also great because they provide softer lighting and can look like cinematic videos.
STORIES ARE IMPORTANT
Crafting high-quality content is important to attract the audience’s attention, but keeping them glued to the screen is even more critical. To do so, you must create a brand that resonates with your followers, so it's important to create a personal connection with them and deliver a message that touches on their emotions. This will take your videos to the next level and give your brand even better results.
MAXIMIZE YOUR CONTENT FOR OTHER CHANNELS
It may sound convenient to post the same videos across multiple channels, but what’s really important is to optimize your content for each platform. Each network has its own requirements, so make sure you know the correct dimensions and specs for each one. This way, you can implement properly, according to the social network you choose.
As a summary, remember to put in as much as you can into your video, even though you don't have a lot of time. Plan ahead so that your video doesn't seem disorganized. Once your viewers start watching your video they will not stop until they finish watching it! Overall, creating videos for social media is an art and it must be treated and prepared with care in order to succeed. Think about the features you will include in your video, and consider the topic of conversation. Most importantly, take time to plan ahead. This article should help you get started on your social media video journey.