Whether you want to build brand awareness or increase sales, video marketing is something you need to be paying attention to and taking advantage of.

In a 2020 Wyzowl video survey, 80% of video marketers said that using video directly led to increased sales, 87% said it increased traffic to their website, 83% said video helped them generate leads and 92% said that video was an important part of their marketing strategy.

It’s not just video marketers who love video. Consumers love it, too. According to Animoto, YouTube is on the rise and is now the number one way consumers discover and research new products, the number one platform that affects consumer behavior and the number one purchase driver on social.

The best part is that video content goes well beyond what you publish on YouTube. It can be used on your other social media profiles, in your ads, on your website and beyond. It’s a fantastic weapon in your arsenal, and it’s one that any small business looking to grow should be using.

Video content has a reputation for being expensive and time-consuming to produce, but it’s well worth the cost and the effort. One way to keep costs low is to do it yourself.

5 tips for creating ongoing, professional video content for your small business

#1. Learn how to master smartphone videography

One big reason a lot of small business owners don’t take advantage of video content is that it has a bad reputation for being expensive. However, you don’t need to hire a professional in order to get professional-quality videos, nor do you need a lot of expensive equipment.

Most small business owners have exactly what they need to create exceptional video content right in their pockets! Modern smartphones have powerful cameras.

Here are a few tips for mastering smartphone videography:

• Eliminate shakiness – Shaky footage is not fun to watch. Eliminate shakiness by investing in a tripod or propping your smartphone up on a shelf.
• Get the orientation right – Shoot video on your smartphone using landscape orientation instead of portrait orientation.
• Don’t zoom – Want to avoid a video that looks pixelated? Never use the digital zoom on your smartphone when shooting video. Instead, physically move closer.
• Avoid the flash – Using the flash can help to shed light on whatever you’re filming, but it also has a way of making your video look like The Blair Witch Project. Don’t use it!
• Frame the shot – The subject of your shot should not be framed in the center. If you can, enable grid lines on your phone while shooting, and follow the rule of thirds to frame your shot more professionally.
• Film short takes – Shooting in short takes will mean having to remember fewer things at once and make it easy to reshoot takes that aren’t up to par. This will also give you more post-production flexibility and make editing easier.

#2. Have a plan

You can’t just pull your smartphone out of your pocket and start filming and expect to shoot something that looks like a Martin Scorsese movie. You need to have a plan in place in order to get it right.

A few things to keep in mind while building your video content plan:

• Determine your goal – Do you want to build more awareness of your brand, sell a product or educate your customers? The first step to building a video content plan is to figure out what your goal is.
• Get to know your audience – Different people will connect with different messages and delivery types. Take some time to get to know who your audience is and the kind of content they most want to see.
• Harness the power of emotion – When you make someone laugh, cry or otherwise connect with your video content emotionally, it strikes a chord and makes your content memorable. Emotion is what pushes people into taking action.
• Have a script – You’re not going to magically know what to say when the camera starts rolling. Make a script ahead of time to ensure that you include all necessary points, and practice it before shooting.

#3. Choose a background

The background you choose will have a huge impact on how your video looks and feels. The backdrop of your video is so important because it’s often the first impression a viewer will get.

The two main types of video backgrounds are:

Real-world backgrounds

Real-world backgrounds are filmed, just how they sound, in the real world, like an office or conference room, in a restaurant or store, outside on location or even in your living room.

Choosing a natural setting for your video can add authenticity. For example, shooting a video from within your organization helps to give your viewers an inside look at your company culture, and shooting in front of a bookshelf or classroom can add authority to educational videos.

Whatever real-world setting you choose, make sure that it’s on-brand for your business. Everything from the colors to the furniture and props in the background will influence how your brand comes across.

Artificial backgrounds

Artificial backgrounds are fake backdrops, and they include green screens, curtains, studios, etc.

Artificial backgrounds don’t quite have the same kind of authenticity as real-world backgrounds do, but they do give you a lot more control. You’ll get to decide every aspect of your shoot when you choose an artificial background, from the color to the lighting.

In addition to giving you more control over the shot, shooting with an artificial backdrop makes it easy to draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it to go. A clean, simple backdrop can highlight the subject of your video and helps to eliminate distractions.

#4. Get the lighting right

Lighting is an extremely important aspect of professional video. It can have a huge impact on the mood of the video, what kind of emotions it evokes and, ultimately, the quality of the video.

The ideal lighting for the video you’re shooting will depend on where it’s being shot, as well as the time of day it’s being shot.

The best lighting for a few different scenarios:

• When shooting video inside during the day – Harness the power of natural light by shooting near a window (ideally, with the window in front of you).
• When shooting video outside during the day – Film in the shade to reduce squinting and shadows if it’s sunny, or film on a cloudy day.
• When shooting video inside at night – Use a lamp that provides soft lighting above your head (or in line) to minimize shadows. If you’re shooting personal videos, consider investing in a ring light for your phone.
• When shooting video outside at night – Shoot under a streetlamp, but be careful not to stand too far under it, or it will create long shadows on your face.

#5. Include a professional intro and outro

The lighting you choose, the backdrop you use and how effectively you use the equipment you have are all important pieces in the puzzle. However, how you brand your video content is also important, and one great way to add your stamp is by including a professional intro and outro on your videos.

Intros are important because they tell your viewers who you are and what your brand and channel are all about. Including an intro in all of your videos will also help to establish consistency and hook your viewers.

Outros help you get more engagement by calling your viewers to take action. With an outro, you can point viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel, to check out other videos you’ve made, visit your website and more.

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Start producing professional video content for your YouTube channel, social profiles, ads, website and beyond.

If you need help with any aspect of video production, from filming and editing to designing eye-catching intros and outros, the video pros at Marketing 360® have you covered.

Learn more and sign up for your free trial. 

Originally published on 2/10/21