Whether it’s a funny video that will go viral, an inspirational message, or a tutorial, videos are perfect for sharing on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and of course, Tik Tok! However, if you want to really make an impact on your audience, you will have to make some effort to turn your video from something amateurish to something more professional. Fortunately, this isn’t quite as challenging as it sounds. This article will explore some exciting tips and tricks you can utilize to get your social media videos from zero to hero in no time at all!
Importance Of Using Video In Your Social Media Marketing Efforts
Video is an excellent way of telling stories and conveying information. It can also be used to show how your product or service works. Because video marketing is a growing trend, you mustn’t ignore this opportunity and use it to the full extent to get the most out of it. In fact, video has become such a vital part of the social media landscape that tech behemoth, Meta (formerly Facebook), has begun to seriously worry about its nascent competition from the likes of Tick Tok and, to a lesser extent, Snapchat. Almost all industries and verticals now use video as a way to engage with their target market, and while some industries have used it for a long time, others are just starting to get on the bandwagon.
The primary industries that have popularized video marketing include real estate, fashion, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and more. When it comes to social media marketing for real estate and other “visual” industries, video is vital to stand out from the crowd and portray your message adequately. Video has become an integral part of the marketing mix in these visually-oriented sectors. Nevertheless, while making video has become easier than ever before, making it look attractive and using it effectively is another matter entirely.
How To Use Video Effectively
The first step to using video marketing effectively is understanding who your target audience is. You want to make sure that the message you are putting out in the video resonates with them. For example, if you target millennials, you will want to use a different language than targeting baby boomers. You also want to make sure that your videos are relevant and timely. In order for people to share it, they need to feel like they have something invested in the content, whether it’s an emotional connection or simply because they think their friends would be interested in what’s being said in the video. The final step is to ensure that your videos look and sound amazing…something that is often far easier said than done.
How To Make Your Videos Look Great
Videos are one of the most critical aspects of marketing as they allow you to visually tell your story and connect with your audience in a way that a text-based post cannot. But it’s not just about creating the video; it’s also about how the video looks. Professional-looking videos are a great way to grab people’s attention and get them interested in what you have to say. In fact, studies show that well-produced videos can increase conversion rates by up to 80%! Nevertheless, the key point is to make them look and sound great. Nonetheless, the question remains, how can you accomplish this?
Make An Intro And An Outro
An intro is usually a video that is played before the video content starts. It may also be called a video title card. An outro is a video that appears after the video content has finished playing. An intro can be used to provide context for the viewer, introduce what they are about to watch, and provide information about who created it. It can also serve as an advertisement for the company or organization behind the content. The intro should capture the viewer’s attention and introduce them to what they are about to watch. An outro is usually an animated sequence that appears at the end of a video, often with a call-to-action like asking viewers to subscribe to your channel.
These two elements are relatively straightforward to create and can turn an average video into something more appealing. The best part is that once you have completed your intro and outro, you can reuse them for every video, simply dropping them at the start of your video editing sequence. Just like a website, your video must have clear sections that set up the flow. If you don’t have the ability or the time to use an application like After Effects to create a logo animation, you can turn to an online service like Fiverr and pay a nominal fee to outsource it. Just ensure that you retain the rights to the end product to avoid any legal issues down the line.
Hook Your Audience In The First 5 Seconds
The first 5 seconds of a video are crucial to the success of your video. This is because you need to hook your audience as soon as possible. So how do you go about doing this? An engaging introduction like the one in the previous point will go a long way to captivating your audience. However, that can only go so far. Once your intro has finished, you must immediately grab their attention through beautiful cinematography, interesting audio, or a combination of the two.
Don’t Forget Your Audio
Audio is one of the most neglected aspects of creating professional videos for your social media profiles. However, audio is a vital part of any video and can make or break the experience for the viewer. If there is no good audio, it will be challenging to create good video content. While good audio can make a video better, there are some things that you should keep in mind when you’re producing a video. First, try to avoid background noises and clutter as much as possible. Second, try to avoid any type of echo or reverb in your voice if it’s not necessary for the scene you’re filming. Third, if any other sounds are happening around the camera during filming, try to mute those out as well, so they don’t interfere with your sound recording. This will require you to spend some money on decent audio equipment and learn how to use it effectively. Nonetheless, if you don’t plan on using voiceovers in your media, you will still have to invest in quality sound effects and background music. Regardless of how well you film your piece, if you don’t have the correct audio in place, it simply won’t look as good as it could have.
Set The Mood
But before creating any video for your social media channels, it’s essential to set the right mood. The tone of the video must match the brand’s personality and values. As discussed previously, your video should be engaging, attractive, and provide value to your viewers. Because you are creating a video for your social channels, you have to pay close attention to the video’s tone right from the get-go. These videos are meant to be shared, and if you hit the wrong note at the beginning, you will find it challenging to convince people to become involved and take action. There are several ways you can go about this, including:
- Setting the proper frame rate: Depending on the vibe you’re attempting to achieve, you might decide to speed up or slow down certain portions of the video. Slow motion can create a sense of luxury and elegance. Conversely, speeding up sections can make your media appeal to younger, more dynamic audiences, etc.
- Getting your sound on point: As previously discussed, audio has a vital role in your video, none more so than setting the scene. A simple background music change can tell the viewer a completely new story. Even if nothing is visible in the frame that produces the noise, adding background sounds may enhance your viewer’s imagination and add a sense of wonder and whimsy.
- Utilizing color grading: Video color grading can be used to create specific emotions such as fear, sadness, happiness, etc. It can also be used for aesthetic reasons like when you want a more film-like look or when you want to introduce different colors in your video to create something unique. Moreover, videos that appeal to a specific demographic might need to be more or less saturated, depending on the effect you are trying to achieve.
- Using light to your advantage: Lighting can make a massive difference in the atmosphere of a video. It can change the mood, it can change the tone, and it can even change the way that your viewers perceive objects around them. Different types of light can be used to create different moods in your video.
Social media users’ attention spans are short, so making a bit of an effort with the editing app you favor can really improve your chances of being noticed. By choosing the right tools and starting your video project with editing in mind, you can make your social media video stand out from the crowd.