People are visual creatures, and that is why social media channels are flooded with photographs. Every business utilizes photos to tell their story. They showcase images of job sites, product endorsements, lengthy articles, and colorful sales materials. However, the one thing that has the power to stand out the most to a potential client could be a less-used feature on your smart phone: the video camera.
Why Video
Many businesses are seeing the enormous benefits of adding video content to their online presence. It’s easy and it’s worth it! According to Top Floor Tech:
- 97% of marketers claim that videos help their customers better understand products
- 81% of businesses are now using video as a part of their digital marketing strategy
- 90% of consumers claim a video will help them when making a purchasing decision
A large reason for this trend is because videos can convey a considerable amount of information in a quick 30 seconds. Videos have the ability to help your company reach new audiences, tell a detailed story, and build trust. When customers can “see you in action” they feel more confident in hiring you. They begin to feel like they know you before you ever meet in person, and this motivates them to want to work with you.
For example, if you share a video showing a before/after story of how you can transform a project, then they can really visualize with a much deeper understanding what the journey of their own project might look like. And the best benefit of all? The return on investment (ROI) on a video is 100%. Unlike having to spend money on paper mailings, you can take a high-quality video with the smart phone you already have in your pocket and post it to your social media sites for free!
4 Tips to Easily Create Quality Video Content
To ensure you are able to share a professional quality photo to your businesses’ social media sites, you will want to pay attention to the way you use the video settings on your phone.
- Holding your phone landscape (sideways) is preferred for most platforms
- You also want to take the highest quality resolution (measured in frames per second) that your camera will allow, with 4K resolution being the best choice
1. To Zoom or Not to Zoom
You can easily find this option within your camera app or in your phone settings. You will also want to frame the video that you are shooting to meet the goal of your messaging. For example, a close-up shot works great to zoom in on a specific object like a lighting control system when showing how to program it, or if you are recording something with a lot of talking like a testimonial from a customer. However, a wide shot is better at capturing the full landscape views around a job site and might better show the scope of the larger projects you and your company are able do. Remember to move slowly as you pan around and record. Nobody wants to watch a video that moves to quickly and makes them dizzy.
2. Audio or Music
Pay close attention to sound and lighting. If you aren’t ready to invest in an external microphone, be careful how you film with audio. It’s better to edit your video later on and display it without any sound or with music overlaid rather than lots of machine noise, or hard to hear talking from someone far away. Music can easily be added to your video within your camera settings, or with free video editing apps.
3. Consider the Surrounding Light
When it comes to lighting make sure you choose a good time/day for your video shoot. Always have the sun behind you not in front of you, and pay close attention to shadows and areas that may appear too dark or too light on film. This can easily be fixed by simply moving the direction in which you are facing, or by tapping on the middle of your phone screen to utilize the “auto lighting and focusing” feature.
4. Don’t be Afraid to Edit
Lastly, take more video than you think you might need. You can use the EDIT feature in the camera roll on your smart phone to cut the video down to only show the part you want to share online. Remember practicing is free! Take as many videos as you want, and simply delete any you don’t like. Once you have determined the clip you are going to use, make sure to include a few sentences about your video in the post to entice the viewer and to explain what content you are sharing.
Whether you are new to taking promotional videos, or you have tested the waters recently on adding video content to your social media feeds, now is a great time to use this powerful tool in marketing. It gives customers the opportunity to see you in action without having to ever visit you at a previous job site, and your relatability will shine through much more powerfully than in a still photo or text alone.
Finally
Whether it’s marketing support, social media account audits, or design support, Central is the right partner for your business. Our highly experienced Marketing teams has decades of experience to help you identify best-practices and implement initiatives that deliver results. We’re ready to help you grow!