Whether you’re just stepping foot in the industry, or want to take your content to that next level, we’ve knuckled down on 10 tips that’ll help get you ahead of the game. Check them out below.
1. Set a goal
When planning your video content, decide on a goal and what you want to achieve. Successful campaigns always have a purpose in mind. Whether that’s to increase your website traffic or a call to action to buy your new product.
Your video also needs to hold value to your audience. Think about what will benefit them. It could be learning something new, or even just an inspirational message.
2. Get your creative juices flowing
Playing safe? Boring. No one wants to see a repeat of what’s been done before. Yes, take inspiration, but also get brainstorming your own ideas. Think outside the box, get creative and most of all, be a trendsetter, not a follower.
You’ll also want to try making your film short, snappy, and concise. After all, almost 60% of consumers said that a video being too long would put them off watching.
3. Plan your shoot
Do your homework. Plan, storyboard, write a shot list and even a script if need be. Not only will this save time on-set, but it’ll also make the shoot flow better. Everyone will know what’s happening and when – brownie points all round.
4. Location, location, location
Don’t just film anywhere, think about the purpose of the video. If you’re showcasing your facilities and employees, make sure to have a spring clean and choose the best backdrops. You might even consider shooting outside in natural lighting.
5. B-roll brilliance
You can never have too much b-roll. Whether you’re shooting just one film or multiple, these extra shots will complement the narration and help break up the monotony of a single interview shot.
6. Select the right soundtrack
Who wants to hear another elevator music style, corporate soundtrack? No one (we can promise you).
Music sets the tone and pace for the film. Inject a bit of energy with a hip-hop track, or use a simple instrumental to slow it down and add that ambience.
Make sure with whatever song you go for, you have the license to use it.
7. Don’t overdo effects
Hold your horses. Unless you’re doing a BTEC in filmmaking, stop with the overused transitions and cringey editing. The more attention you draw to this, the cheaper and more amateur your video will look. We’re not saying stay away from effects entirely, go ahead, but use them tastefully and keep it on-brand.
8. Subtitles succeed
If your videos are getting low engagement, the answer might actually be simpler than you think.
Most of the time, videos are muted on social media by default. And even so, 85% of all Facebook videos are watched with no sound at all. So how can we make this easy for everyone? Subtitles.
Think of the typical scenario of a commuter. If they’re using public transport, they’re unlikely to play a video aloud for everyone else to hear. Subtitles mean that, even without sound, your audience can still understand the message, resulting in increased engagement.
9. Bulk out your content
Cutdowns, stills, boomerangs, and social stories, are just a few of the many pieces of content you can milk from the main edit. Take its potential to the max by fully utilising all the footage captured and, get a content strategy in place to dish it out to your audience.
10. Optimisation is key
When uploading to your site, make sure the file size isn’t too large or your page load time will skyrocket.
For social, consider ratio. Whilst landscape is the standard for YouTube, portrait works best for Instagram, as users see more of the post when scrolling through their feed.
You’ll also want to think about things such as the title and what keywords to use, as this will affect how it reaches your target audience.
To wrap things up
Hungry for some more tips and advice? Visual content is our thing, so drop us a message here.
