Continuing our series on online video – the most recent being this one – we realize that most of our clients aren’t General Motors, and won’t be creating videos with truly high production values anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean that the medium isn’t for them. Video can tell a story easier and quicker than a written page, and it helps to humanize your company. And now, video that accomplishes those things is within reach of nearly every firm.
So what may be needed is a basic guide to getting started and producing videos on one’s own, or with minimal help. And we found a nifty one in Jeffrey L. Cohen’s recent post over on SocialMediaB2B; so from his tip list, we’ve summarized the ones that weren’t redundant with those in our recent post (noted above)…
Keep it simple. Online video works best when it’s about one idea, two at the most. If you’ve recorded a longer interview with one of your content stars or customers, you can easily edit the footage into several shorter videos, each about one thing.
Compose like a photographer. Photography pros often compose shots using the rule of thirds, which places the most important items along six imaginary grid lines that divide the field into equal sections. Pay attention to TV and movie shot composition, and imitate what you like.
Use a tripod. Shaky hand-held video is disconcerting for your viewer and marks you as an amateur. You can use a simple full-sized tripod or a more portable table-top model. There are even inexpensive mounts available for attaching a smartphone to a tripod.
Shoot in clean, well-lit places. Harsh shadows or uneven lighting can be distracting, especially when shooting an interview. And using a part-office / part-storeroom that resembles TLC’s “Buried Alive” won’t say terrific things about your company.
Think mobile. Be sure your video is easily viewable on a mobile device, since more than 23 million Americans watch mobile video. Mostly, this means using more medium shots and closeups than long shots.
Use stills. You can use still pictures to augment your video. (Check out any of Ken Burns’ Civil War documentaries for some superb examples.) They’re great for scene-setting or to help make transitions.
Don’t forget branding. Create simple title slides that feature your company logo. A black screen with plain-white words that happen to include your company’s name somewhere just isn’t enough to visually connect the video to your company.
Keep it short – like under 5 minutes; 2-3 minutes is better. If you’re using video for a how-to with a number of steps, just create that number of short videos; and be sure to title them appropriately, so viewers can easily tell where they are in the sequence.
Director’s cut. Editing is critical to the quality of your video. Use it to tighten up conversations and remove extra footage, not to give viewers headaches by cutting wildly between multiple shots. Use simple transitions, not fancy spins and wipes.
Music kicks it up a notch. Using simple music during the title cards adds an amazing degree of professionalism to the video. Continuing it at a lower level “behind” the entire video imparts a bit of aural texture …assuming good basic sound quality.
Call to action. Your video should end with the company URL or a landing page, letting you specify the action you want people to take after watching the video. If your video platform supports embedding links in the video, be sure to take advantage of it.
Maybe it won’t put your name in lights, but following these pointers to create compelling videos will definitely make your site a more engaging place for your prospects! Please share your experiences with online video in the Comments.
Some businesses tend to forget about the power of video when creating a content marketing strategy. They think that it needs to be very fancy. Often, that’s not the case. You don’t need a professional camera or editing equipment to film a demonstration or a presentation. It’s very easy to upload it online and then share it in social media.
Great tips, very insightful. I’m not sure if I agree with you on the music. During the title sequence makes sense but wouldn’t (even quiet) music running over the dialogue be distracting?
Thanks for the comments, Nick and Debbie!
@Debbie: it certainly could be – it really depends on the music itself. While we wouldn’t recommend anything too punchy (a salsa number might be a bit too lively and distracting), some subtle background music can help support the mood you’re trying to create with your video or extend the personality your site design evokes (corporate/professional vs. something a little edgier, for example).
Debbie – If you want to check out a great example of video content marketing, check out some of the videos on Salesforce.com. They have an incredible video content marketing strategy and there’s always subtle music in the background of their vids.