WHY ARE VIDEO CONTENT CREATORS IMPORTANT?

If you are looking to connect with your audience, video is a great way to build trust with them. Not only is it appealing to mobile users, but it can also engage even the laziest web surfer due to its passive nature. It is practical because you can cover any topic and explain anything via video.

IDEAS FOR VIDEO CONTENT CREATORS

The first step video content creators take is to determine what they want to build for their audience and developing a strategy. Ideas include:

Activities and events
Videos about who you are and what you offer
Testimonials
Tips, webinars, and how-to videos
Videos about the community
Home workouts
Members inviting people to join

TYPES OF VIDEO TO USE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

There is a multitude of options video content creators choose from when it comes to creating a video for social media. Here are some ideas:

INTERVIEW / Q&A

Informative interviews or Q&As get you involved with your audience by answering their questions. Meet with a team member, customer, or thought leader for a conversation and prepare questions beforehand or ask for input from your followers! You can do this style of video on Instagram Live, Instagram Stories, IGTV, Facebook, or post short videos on YouTube or your social channels.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES

People love to get a taste of what goes on behind the scenes, and this type of video is a great way to highlight your company culture and build trust with viewers by letting them see what goes on in the day-to-day operations of your business. Posting this sort of video would go well on Facebook or Instagram Stories, or posted as a short video on social media or YouTube.

LIVE VIDEOS

The majority of platforms now offer live streaming features, and users love this video format. Live streams make your brand appear transparent, and you can foster a connection with your audience through this in-the-moment interaction. This is a great format to use for Q&As, behind-the-scenes, and event content. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter all offer live streaming. You can also post short videos with highlights on social media after you finish the live, or post a video on YouTube.

GIVEAWAYS AND CONTESTS

Videos with this format are a proven way to boost engagement, and you can (and should) create videos promoting your contests. You can also make a video to announce winners or host a live stream giveaway where you pick winners on air from viewers engaging with your video. Any social media platform works for this type of video!

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REVEALS

Looking to share the big news with your audience? A video announcement is a perfect way to build excitement. Sharing this video content works well on any social media channel.

EVENTS

Tap into your followers’ FOMO by posting a video from your events, or even events that you attend (virtual ones included). You can either create recaps of live streams using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. All social media options are great for taking videos of events.

TUTORIALS AND HOW-TOS

Last but not least, we have video tutorials and how-to videos. This type of video happens to be one of the most searched-for content online, so it can be very successful for engagement with your audience. Since these videos tend to be a little longer, YouTube and Instagram TV are ideal to use. Be sure to promote your longer-form videos on your other platforms with a 10–30 second trailer.

TIPS FOR FILMING VIDEO

Before pulling out your camera and pressing record, you can set yourself up for success by taking some time to prep. The following tips will help you produce quality content.

Use Plenty of Light:

Natural light is best, and it’s softer in the morning or evening.

Use a Clean Background:

Use a solid-colored background for a professional and non-distracting look.

Prioritize Crisp, Clear Audio:

Audio quality is more important than video quality! Most people would rather watch a slightly lesser quality video footage than listen to indistinct and fuzzy audio.

Avoid Shaky Footage:

Try using a tripod or a sturdy surface for steady shots.

Work on Your Camera Presence:

Carrying yourself professionally has an enormous impact on how your content looks on screen.

Shoot from a Variety of Angles:

This technique adds visual interest. Try it on a how-to video or a product demo!

Plan Your Videos:

Taking the time to plan out your video helps ensure that the quality of the content matches the quality of your footage.

Promote Your Videos:

Making the video is half the work. You need to promote your videos to grow your following.

Tell a Story:

Thoughtful, emotive storytelling wins every time. If you’re looking to motivate, persuade or be memorable, begin with a story of human struggle and eventual triumph.

Use an Editing App to Trim Unnecessary Content:

For minimal editing, try options like iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, or the YouTube video editor. If your needs are more extensive, you can use a program like Adobe Premiere Elements, Final Cut Pro X, or Sony Vegas.

Keep it Short:

A fascinating scientist giving an enlightening Ted Talk might earn hundreds of thousands of views with a 15–20 minute video, but typically shorter videos are better.

Yes, it does take video content creators a lot of effort to create valuable video content, but these details will make your brand stand out from the crowd. Test them and see.

TIPS FOR POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Let’s take a look at how to tailor your video for social media. These suggestions are a strong start for making your videos shine across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!

Entertain, Inspire or Educate:

This is the number one rule to make your video valuable!

Be Attention-Grabbing:

Add an eye-catching title card to draw the viewer in within the first three seconds.

Don’t Require Sound:

Make sure your video works well without sound so viewers can follow along whether they play the audio or not.

Add Captions:

Videos without words or text-only can be very successful. If dialogue is necessary, add captions to make it easier for the audience.

Keep it Short:

Short videos perform best on social media. For Twitter and Facebook, this means 2–3 minutes. On Instagram, you can make videos up to one minute longer, but the old upper limit of 15 seconds is still a good length to aim for.

Let ’em Loop:

Videos on Instagram will loop automatically and short videos will do the same on Facebook and Twitter. Make sure to think about this when you’re making your video, as you can try to make a seamless loop that viewers won’t notice.

Upload Natively:

Instagram doesn’t give you a choice, but Facebook and Twitter allow you to share a link to a video hosted on another site (usually YouTube). You can also upload a video file directly, which is a ‘native’ video. The algorithm on Facebook prioritizes native video, which means your video is more likely to be seen in users’ feeds if you upload it natively.

While it seems like a lot of rules, these tricks are the key to optimizing your video content on social media. It’s all about testing and seeing what works best for you and your audience.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Although creating video content for your brand may seem overwhelming, video is effective at connecting with your audience. With all of the types of videos available to you to create and tips for making them great, it’s time to get started and become video content creators!

Do you need help creating great content for your brand? Contact us or get more digital marketing insights from our experts to get started!

TOP TIPS FOR VIDEO CONTENT CREATORS THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR BRAND