How to create videos for social media
We all know how increasingly popular social media videos are. From a business perspective, they also make very good marketing content.
Did you know videos on social media are shared a staggering 1200% more than text posts or image posts? So, creating this type of content for your business should be top of mind to help boost brand awareness.
How do you create videos for social media?
Why make videos
In a previous blog, we outlined how social media videos can help your business and the reasons why you should be investing the time, resources, and money into this area. Reasons such as building your brand, driving traffic to your social media channels and website, and increasing engagement to connect with your audience and grow your business.
But how do you create the content? There are several things to consider when producing social media videos. They include:
- storytelling
- type of videos
- language
- structure and script
- visuals and presentation
- filming and camera
Storytelling
Good storytelling is key. Take the time to flesh out a compelling storyboard with people or scenarios that your target audiences can connect with and care about.
Adoni Media’s Founder and Managing Director, Leisa Goddard, says: “You don’t want viewers to just hear your message, you want them to listen and remember it.”
Aim to evoke a strong emotion in viewers. It will help to create a sense of connection between them, and your video, and ultimately, your brand.
Types of videos
What makes an interesting video? There are so many content ideas for making social media videos. They include explainers, how to’s and guides, interview and Q&A videos, behind the scenes, live broadcasts, news updates, testimonials, mini case studies, research findings, interesting information and statistics, thought leadership videos, and company culture videos.
Language
While there is a time and place for videos to be off-the-cuff, most social media videos will benefit from a script. When deciding what to say, make sure to consider:
- key messages
- company values/beliefs
- what is interesting
The language used on social media is different to what you would use in a boardroom or industry report. While it will be more colloquial, there are still some rules to remember:
- avoid industry jargon
- use easy-to-understand facts and figures
- use first person and visual language
Timing is key to creating an engaging video. Use the first 10 seconds of your video to hook your audience in. Use pauses for dramatic effect and slow down – don’t speak too fast so your audience can clearly hear what you have to say.
Structure and script
There are three parts to structuring the script of a social media video.
Nailing the opening
Your number one goal is to stop people from scrolling. You have just 3 seconds to get the viewers’ attention. This is why you need a compelling hook to reel your audience in.
Some ideas to ‘hook’ your audience include starting with an interesting fact, with the words “What if…”, or asking a compelling question.
By playing on the viewers’ innate curiosity and desire for learning, you can easily engage them and keep them around for longer.
Body
Next is to keep the viewers’ attention long enough for them to hear the key messages in your video and to remember them.
Short, simple, and creative content does just that. Use creative visuals, get to the point, and cut the fluff.
Construct up to 3 key messages. Research shows most audiences won’t remember more than 3 points.
Your messages must be audience-focussed so think about what matters to them.
Closer and Call To Action (CTA)
Sum up and give a strong CTA. A CTA is an action you want the viewer to take after watching your video.
This should be linked to the video’s purpose. For example, if your video is educational, you can direct your audience to where they can find out more information.
Visuals and presentation
When creating your video, there are 3 main components – what you say, show, and spelling.
Once you have decided on the content (what you want to say), it is important to consider what you will show and how you will spell it. When creating your video, think in pictures.
Ask yourself, what can I show the audience? What is visually interesting? How can I show it? Consider angles, framing and lighting. Where will you stand? What is in the background? What is the light like? Noise? Will you use a voiceover? It is important to consider what the final product will look like.
Not only should all content be “on brand”, but it needs to include branding such as your logo, slogan, and company messages.
Spelling is important, but often overlooked when it comes to creating social media videos. Videos shared on almost all social media platforms now automatically start or play without sound. In fact, 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Including subtitles not only increases the accessibility of your video but can help get your message across, whether the viewer is watching on mute or not. Using subtitles and text in your video will help to increase audience retention and engagement.
When it comes to presentation there are 4 elements to consider.
Voice
Nerves are normal and your voice is what will give them away. Prepare your voice. Find a quiet place and hum to warm up your vocal cords and level out your tone. Count to 10 in varying pitches to loosen vocal cords and breathe.
Standing/seated
Stand tall with your shoulders back, head high, and arms at your side. Or sit tall, but in a comfortable position that you can stay in for a while. Point your toes towards the camera and turn your body square to the lens.
Hands
Gesture normally but be mindful of the framing. It is easy for an audience to switch off and not concentrate when you are watching a static video with little movement. Don’t wave your arms around frantically but do use them to elaborate on your messages and key points.
Facial expressions
Look into the camera. Think about what you usually do when you are talking to someone face to face. Be natural and try to relax. Keep your camera at eye level and maintain eye contact with the camera.
Filming and camera
When it comes time to film, there are 3 main elements:
Background
When you are speaking on camera, you want people to focus on you and what you are saying, not your background. It is best to use a solid clean background, but don’t use a white wall.
When you position yourself, we suggest being about a metre away from your camera. A great way to measure this is to make sure there isn’t a huge gap between the top of your head and the top of the frame of the shot. Make sure your shoulders are in frame to ensure you are not just a head on a screen.
Lighting
You don’t want a window in the background as this will impact lighting and turn you into a dark, grainy silhouette. Having a window in front of you will create the best natural light. Facing a well-lit window is the best way to light yourself up on camera.
If you cannot be near a window, the second-best thing is to use lighting equipment. Having good lighting will improve the viewer experience, just make sure it doesn’t cause any harsh shadows across your face.
What to wear
It is best to wear solid colours as they are not distracting and unlike small patterns/stripes will not get warped by the camera. Wearing bold colours, such as red, blue, or green can help you pop on screen.
From trust and stability if you wear blue, through to strength and authority if you wear red, colours have different meanings and can enhance your look and what you are trying to convey.
When it comes to filming your video, quality matters. Make sure to use a decent camera and microphone – most modern smartphones will work. There has been an increase in videos filmed vertically with 65% of people saying brands using vertical video are “more innovative”.
Why use a vertical video? When watching landscape videos, the viewer is often directed to look left to right. In a vertical format, there is no clear horizon as it shifts depending on the framing. This creates an opportunity to direct people’s eyes by panning up and down and utilising the height of the vertical space.
Adoni Media offers Presentation and Social Media Video Preparation Training. These sessions teach you how to create a video, to know what to say and how to deliver it, and to improve presentation techniques. You also learn how to identify ideas for good video content and what to pitch to your marketing team.
