Social media is not going away. Whether we like it or not, it’s here to stay which is why it’s vital to keep up with the trends and adapt.
One trend we mention frequently is video and the immense power it has on your audience. With millions of users online every minute, it’s not rocket science why this is an avenue most successful companies use to enhance training, increase brand awareness and of course - sales!
So how can you stand out on social?
Go big or go home! Social media videos are so engaging that the networks are pushing them way to the top of social streams. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn all want us to do more in this all-powerful format. It wins in the algorithms and in wins for attention, but you need to be consistent. You should be posting videos on a regular basis if you want to make the biggest impact.
As a social media marketer, video is your most powerful tool.
So rather than just post a headline and link to your article, make a tiny commercial of you introducing your article to your followers. This way your audience will get to know you, and they are more likely to take a moment to click on your article.
Here’s how to make social media videos that slow the scroll and capture clicks.
What You Will Need
A shaky cell phone video is not going to cut the mustard on this project. Your laptop has a camera and mic, but you can do better than that. A little more effort will get you much better results. So here’s my process for leveling up my social media videos with just a little bit of equipment and software.
A tripod and a decent camera
A microphone and a quiet room
A light or a window
Basic editing software… I recommend Camtasia or Final Cut Pro, but it’s up to you.
An active social media account like Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Think about where your audience is the most and focus on that account first.
1. Set Up Once. Record Many Times.
It will take a little time to set things up, so make the most of that time by shooting four or five of these at one time. This kind of “batch shooting” means you make the most of that good-hair-day and that you’re not playing with your lighting every time.
If you haven’t built a recording studio, set up a camera in a sunny corner of your home or office. Remember to pay attention to the following items-
The Video
Be sure to have a nice quality camera on a tripod at a relatively close distance. You want to be the main focal point and not lost in a sea of background items. I also recommend you face a window, so the lighting is optimal.
The Audio
Does it sound good to you, your spouse, your friends? The last thing you want is bad audio to be a distraction. There are plenty of tips out there and relatively inexpensive microphones. So do your homework and put in the time to nail the audio.
ProTip! Pick a spot where you can leave the mic and tripod in place. This makes the process faster, making it easier to do this more often. Efficiency is one of your main goals.
Lights… Camera… Turn your phone ringers off… Action!
2. Filming Your Content
Follow these simple steps after pressing record...
Smile 0:00
This will be the first frame of the video
Introduce yourself 0:02
Just your name and title are fine
Tell the viewer what you’re doing here 0:05
“I’m sharing with you an article about…”
“This is just a quick video to tell you about…”
These are the seconds that are most likely to be seen in the social stream, so start with big energy, punchy statements and an extra bit of body language. Tell them why the article
matters to them.
Summarize the article 0:45
Briefly go through a summary of your video. Just list the key points as if you’re telling someone about it in a voicemail message.
Get a little excited about it and use your hands. Don’t make it perfect and if you feel like you messed up, just pause, smile and do that part again.
Your Call To Action: Suggest that they click! 0:55
“If this sounds useful to you, just click the link in the post…”
“The link in this post will take you to the complete process…”
Thank them for watching 1:00
Stick the landing with a very brief sign off. It can be one simple word: Thanks.
That’s it! Now do two or three more before you get up.
3. Import, Size and Sync
You want your head to be big and centered. Remember, it’s social media and on a desktop, it will appear in just a small part of the browser. On mobile, the entire screen is small. Let your face fill around 30% of the video. And scootch it up a little so there’s room for captions and the video player controls below your face.
4. Create Captions
Captions are critical. In the social stream, the video will start playing without sound as they scroll toward it. Our goal is to slow them down and catch their attention. A silent, talking head doesn’t have a lot of stopping power.
The text of the captions will draw them into the content. They’re also important for accessibility.
5. Export the File
Save the file as an MP4 to your computer. Now it’s ready to be uploaded.
6. Write Your Social Media Post!
Create a new social media post and import your video. Remember to optimize your post by always including these elements-
Use numbers, quotes and hashtags
Add line breaks and special characters
Mention contributors and others- tag them!
Here’s a couple videos I did a while back talking about microlearning on Linked In…
Sections of this article are cited from the Orbit Media Blog post by Andy Crestodina. Original article can be found here: https://www.orbitmedia.com/blog/how-to-make-social-media-videos/