5 Video Marketing Tips to Improve Your Online Presence
Nothing intrigues audiences, communicates your message, and engages customers like video. Video marketing can tell stories and uniquely convey emotion, making it memorable. A simple moving image with sound can stop a user from scrolling past and taking a moment to watch and commit a shot, sound, or story to memory. However, not all video content is built the same. It is essential to remember that strategic decisions when creating content can be the difference between a viewer who scrolls and a customer who recalls. Here are 5 video marketing tips to help your next project stand out.
The Story
It doesn’t matter how good your visuals and audio cues are if there is no substance to back it up. Every great movie, tv-show, and ad starts with a story. As a business, ask yourself, who do we want to be known for? What unique story can we tell that is different from our competitors? How do we present a story that will make people stop and listen?
Once you have answered those questions, it is time to flesh out the details. When it comes to video marketing, it is vital to do two things within the first 8 seconds of your video: introduce your company/product and create a hook. Why? Research shows the human attention span is dropping. In the year 2000, the average attention span was 12 seconds. Now, it has decreased to 8 seconds. As short-form videos, such as TikTok and Instagram Reels, become increasingly popular, get creative with your video content. By creating a hook, an attention-grabbing introduction that intrigues your audience, and an introduction to your company, you can maintain a viewer for more than 8 seconds and increase brand recognition.
While hooks are an essential component of your story, the remaining portion of your video, whether 30s or 5 minutes, must be engaging and provide value. Here’s one of our video marketing tips: make a human connection with the viewer on an emotional level. Crafting a story that encourages users to sympathize or even celebrate with your brand will help them personally connect, no matter what the product or service is.
Video Marketing Tips: Best Practices in Production
Video is often not as simple as picking up a phone and pressing the record button. Use these steps to ensure that your content is stellar from start to finish.
Film on well-maintained equipment with the correct settings.
Not all cameras are built the same. From older camcorders to GoPros to professional-grade equipment, there are many options to set you up for success. Today, iPhones can do the trick if you don’t have a DSLR. Keep in mind that digital cameras are still best for capturing moving subjects in low or difficult lighting.
Next up in the video marketing tips: ensure the settings are correct for your project to improve the quality of content no matter what device you are using. For extreme action, shooting in 4K at 60fps will give you the highest quality footage and allow for easy editing. For standard video, shooting in at least 1080p at 24fps will provide a natural motion blur for your subjects while still capturing video at a high resolution.
Film in natural light in a quiet space.
Did you know that the color white can appear differently on video based on the color of light being used? The most common forms of light in offices, homes and stores are daylight and tungsten light. Daylight is generally a cool blue, while tungsten is a warm yellow/orange. Knowing the temperatures of light and adjusting your camera settings to match will help your content look natural and avoid the need for heavy color correction in editing.
Working in a well-lit space also helps your subjects appear better on camera and is often more flattering. If you work in a dark setting with few lights or windows, you will likely see grain or “noise” in your footage. In other words, your content will look almost static-like or fuzzy rather than a sharp, clear image.
While cameras and even iPhones have better internal microphones than ten years ago, an external microphone is always the better option. Many production houses and camera shops will have used ones for purchase or rent if you cannot purchase new ones. No matter what type of mic you use, a quiet, controlled space is best for capturing high-quality audio. Street noise, people talking in the room next door, or even an ice machine running can cause extra noise that will compromise your audio. It is best to pick a space where you can control what is running, who is passing by, and what external noise you hear. Something like a quiet conference room or isolated office are great options. A bonus to our video marketing tips: if you can clear out everyone unnecessary during filming, this will eliminate extra sound and movement!
Get comfortable with the camera.
One of the best video marketing tips is to make your talent, or the person on camera, more comfortable with the camera. More often than not, you want each person you are filming to almost ignore the camera and forget that it is there. This is very daunting for people who are not used to being filmed. It is best to make your talent as comfortable as possible by giving them time to adjust before you start filming and making the space comfortable to encourage relaxation.
Utilize Short-Form Video
TikTok as a platform has taken the digital world by storm. In less than a decade, this platform gained over one billion users and is a preferred platform among Gen Z. Social media is one of the top influences in purchase decisions among Gen Z. As a business, it is critical to use these platforms to directly engage consumers. As the popularity of these platforms grows, companies need to take advantage of the new and growing capabilities such as short-form video.
Share Your Videos
One of our favorite video marketing tips is to share the work you have created. After spending time and money on video content, let it do what it was designed for – attracting attention. For short-form videos (under 60s), you can share these directly on your website and social media. With long-form videos (over 60s), you’ll likely run into a file size issue. To combat this, create a YouTube channel, Vimeo account, or somewhere else to house the videos that you can publicly link back to. This helps you grow your presence, share work that you are proud of, and engage your audience.
Video Marketing Tips: Hire Professionals
Creating video content and maintaining a consistent presence can be challenging to take on yourself. Digital marketing and video production agencies specialize in helping businesses stay on top of their online presence by developing strategies and utilizing content most effectively. At Frozen Fire, our experts are ready to help if you are looking for assistance in growing your online presence or implementing new video content.
Check out our entire list of services, or connect with us today to spark your next project.