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Jan 20, 2023
A survey revealed that 88% of respondents in the 2022 Content Marketing and Visual Storytelling Survey say they’re not using video to its full potential, and 86% say they only get average or below-average results from their video campaigns.
If you feel like your videos aren’t generating the results you want, it could be because you don’t have clear goals.
Without a solid video strategy to guide your efforts, you won’t be able to create the right content for your target audience and measure results.
But a strategy will only go so far in improving your business’ video performance.
You also need to use the right techniques to make your videos pop and provide the value they’re looking for.
Want to create more professional videos that you can incorporate into your West Palm Beach web design to capture your audience’s attention?
In this article, we will share with you practical tips that will help your videos stand out and improve their performance.
You don’t need expensive equipment to be able to produce high-quality, polished videos.
Achieving a professional look is more about your technique than your tools so chances are you can still make great videos for your campaigns or West Palm Beach web design even with just your phone.
Just make sure to pay attention to the following key details:
Lighting makes a huge difference in creating a professional-looking video. So make sure you have proper lighting during filming.
The sun is one of the best "tools" you can use to achieve a vibrant aesthetic, which is why so many people film outdoors during the day!
Just make sure to shoot in the morning or afternoon, when the light is softer because it's more flattering on your subjects.
Avoid the midday light because it can cast shadows and look harsh on your subjects.
If you’re filming indoors, you need to study the different types of lights and where you should place them to achieve the effect you want to create in your videos.
One easy way to make your videos look more polished is to use a clean background. Messy backgrounds will distract your audience from paying attention to what you have to say.
An easy hack to achieving a solid-colored clean background is to use a wall, bedsheet, or a large sheet of backdrop paper. Another tip to keep in mind is to stay several feet away from your background to avoid casting shadows on it.
Shooting in a “professional” environment like your home office is another good idea. Just make sure to avoid any window or reflective surface in the background of your video.
A good video editing program can help transform your raw footage into something professional.
There are many video editors available in the market but here are the key features to look out for:
Using different special effects and transitions in your videos can be fun and addictive during the editing process but keep it simple as much as possible.
A clean editing style looks more professional overall. The crazier your transitions are the wackier and tackier your video will look. Not to mention that it can impact your West Palm Beach web design too!
Aside from this, here are video editing best practices to keep in mind:
If you don’t have a DSLR camera, no problem. You can use your phone to capture professional videos as long as you follow the following tips:
If you’re the subject in most of your videos, make sure you know how to be comfortable in front of the camera. The way you carry yourself has a huge impact on how professional or polished your content looks.
When you look nervous or fidgety, your audience will feel uncomfortable. This can distract them from your message. Fortunately, you can improve with practice with the following tips:
To add visual interest to your videos, shoot from a variety of angles. This can be a very helpful technique, especially if you’re making how-to videos, product demos, or video ads.
If you’re making a branded video montage for your West Palm Beach web design, it's also good to use a variety of angles to make it more interesting.
When changing angles, shift by at least 45 degrees to keep things varied.
To keep your audience engaged and hooked throughout your entire video, provide clear and crisp audio.
Fuzzy audio that’s hard to understand can be very annoying. It might even be enough for some to hit the back button within a few seconds.
Some people will even endure watching a video that’s not shot in HD as long as the audio is good.
Make sure you invest in a good microphone so you can capture clear audio. It’s also a good idea to use a pop filter to get rid of crackles and blips on your recordings.
Nobody likes to watch shaky footage. It can make your viewers feel seasick and incorporating this into your West Palm Beach web design can make your site look very amateur.
Use a tripod or set your camera on a sturdy surface so your videos turn out steady.
Unless you're vlogging, don't move your camera around too much. If you need to change perspective, cut from one shot to another, and don't show the part where your footage is shaky.
If your footage still turns out shaky, use video stabilization software to help you fix it.
People on social media will scroll endlessly unless something catches their attention. Make sure your social media videos are eye-catching by using interesting and direct-to-the-point thumbnails.
You can achieve this by following the best practices below:
Another way to make your video pop or stand out from the crowd is to make sure that it provides value to your audience.
You want to tackle topics they care about or are curious to learn. So, ask yourself, "Will my target customers care if I post about this?" If the answer is no, you shouldn’t post it!
If you're wondering what "valuable" looks like to your audience, don't be afraid to ask them what they want and follow these tips below:
Your videos should have a purpose and you want to create content around that purpose so you can achieve your end goal.
Depending on what you’re trying to show and which platform you’re going to post them on, optimize the length of your videos.
According to experts, you should keep your videos under two minutes, but this depends on what you're trying to do. For example, if you're doing a tutorial, you want to be thorough to help your audience.
This means your video might take ten minutes or more, depending on how complex the topic you're discussing is.
When it comes to posting videos on social media, it’s best to keep them short. Here are the recommended video lengths for various social channels:
Create a caption or description to go along with your video, whether you're posting it on YouTube or other social media channels.
Make sure to include a call to action that will motivate your audience to take the next step, such as a watch, video, press play, and many more.
Like any other vlogger, you can also ask your audience to post a comment or ask a question in the comment section. With a clear call to action, you can easily improve the engagement rate of your videos.
It’s important to use captions or subtitles because this helps improve user experience.
A lot of people watch videos muted, so adding captions will help send the message you want to communicate to your audience.
It will also make your video more accessible to people with disabilities.
Take Your Videos to the Next Level!
Now that you know how to improve your videos and make them pop, make sure you use them to your advantage!
Using high-quality video in your West Palm Beach web design can help improve the credibility of your site. Posting engaging videos on social media can also drive likes, comments, and visits to your site.
A video is an invaluable tool you need to boost your business.
Video marketing experts at Digital Resource can help you create a video marketing plan that will put your business ahead of your competitors and attract more customers online.
Contact us today for a free consultation!
Think you've got what it takes to hang with the pros at Digital Resource? Check out our Careers page to browse current job openings!
