Social media video content is becoming an essential asset to any social media strategy, especially when growing your community and generating brand awareness.
Here, we outline the best ways to create engaging video content from the comfort of your own home, and why creating video content in 2022 is so important to your social media strategy.
Why should you be filming videos for social media?
Check out the top reasons why you need to jump on the latest social media trend right now.
Reason #1 Video gets more reach and engagement
Ever noticed opening your Insta app and being fed video content almost immediately? This is because video content typically performs the best with most algorithms – which is based on the fact that video content captures a viewer’s attention for longer.
Instagram have even announced that they are slowly moving away from its original image-based platform and is now transitioning to video-based content, which says a lot about how the internet is shifting and how people are consuming content.
Not only that, but:
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Tweets with videos see 10x more engagement
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Instagram Reels receive 2x higher engagement
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85% of social media users want more videos from brands
Reason #2 Can be repurposed on other platforms
Video content can be repurposed on other popular platforms, such as TikTok.
Did anyone else download TikTok as a ‘joke’ 3 years ago and still actively use it to this day? Yeah, us too.
The TikTok craze is well and truly present, and it’s no wonder why. Not only does the app provide endless video entertainment, but for creators it’s a great way to gain organic reach due to TikTok’s algorithm.
Ensure you are repurposing your video content on platforms that your audience are most active on, such as Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok, Youtube and Twitter.
Reason #3 It appeals to Gen Z
Video content is known to appeal to the Gen Z audience, so if this is your target audience then you need to be using video content.
Reason #4 It’s personable
Creating video content is a more personable way to engage with your audience. Showcasing the face of your brand creates more of a humanisation and connection.
Social Media Video Tips
Wondering how to shoot engaging and high-quality social media video content at home? We’ve included 5 useful tips to consider when shooting video content at home.
1. Lighting
Possibly the most important tip, lighting is EVERYTHING.
Ensure what your filming is exposed to some form of light, whether that’s natural light or light sourced from a ring light.
For natural lighting, film in a location that is well lit with natural light during the daytime if possible.
In terms of ring lights, you can purchase larger ring lights, or more portable ring lights for iPhone or Android phones.
2. Audio
For the best results, we would recommend investing in an external microphone – however iPhone or Android microphones can also be used to detect audio although the quality may not be as high.
3. Setting up your camera
While most of us rely on multiple books stacked on top of each other or other household objects to position our camera – there are plenty other ways to properly set up your camera to capture beautiful video content.
To get even better results, here are some top tips when setting up your camera:
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Find a flat surface to avoid shakiness
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If you’re filming yourself, position the camera at eye level
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If you’re filming on your phone or laptop, ensure your camera settings are at the highest resolution. You can access this information via Settings.
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Invest in a tripod: You can purchase tripods suitable for cameras and for phones, or if you’re after a larger tripods or more portable tripod there’s plenty of choice!
Here are some links to popular Tripod products:
Location is super important when creating any video content.
By creating an aesthetic ‘film-set’ at home, this will have a huge impact on how professional your video can look. Creating a set will also help with consistency to build awareness of your brand.
Ensure your location is not cluttered - start by adding some plants, fairy lights, cushions or objects that relate to your video to create an intimate feel whilst staying on brand. Alternatively, invest in paper backdrops which further aligns with your brand.
How to edit your video
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iMovie (free)
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Splice (free)
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Instagram or TikTok apps: You can import individual clips shot on your camera and edit via Instagram or TikTok. You can also add filters, music, voice overs and chop individual clips in both apps (free)
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Davinchi Resolve (free)
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Adobe Premier Pro (paid)
Top tip: If you’re editing Instagram Reels, make sure you’re downloading finished reels onto your phone Photo Library. Do not rely on saving your Reels as drafts in Instagram. If Instagram logs you out, restarts or glitches all your hard work will be gone ☹
How can I make my videos more engaging?
1. Take a trend and run with it
There’s always a new trend circulating on social media, make sure you are jumping on this trend in a way that works for you and your brand.
2. Start with a strong hook to grab the user’s attention
The first few seconds of any video is crucial for your audience’s behaviour and retention – if your video doesn’t catch a user’s attention within the first couple seconds, they’ll quickly move on to the next.
Perhaps start off with an enticing caption which teases what your video is about, or if you’re shooting a food video start with a clip of the final recipe.
3. Include Subtitles
Not only do subtitles and captions make your videos accessible to people who are deaf of hard of hearing, it also enables users to engage with your video without sound or low volume.
4. Show your face on video
Showing your face on video will help deliver that personable feel which users naturally gravitate toward.
This also helps build trust with your views and can encourage engagement through influential metrics such as comments, saves and shares.
5. Understand what your audience wants
Understanding your audience is crucial when producing any type of content, and this certainly applies when creating videos for your socials.
Master this, and you’ll be unstoppable.
References
https://business.twitter.com/en/blog/how-video-is-reshaping-digital-advertising.html
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-video-statistics/