Video marketing has certainly seen growth in recent years and for good reasons. Besides being a cost-effective marketing tool, it is also a great method to keep the user engaged. 

Videos have now become a major part of social media marketing strategies. In fact, it is an indispensable ‘Do’ in the list of social media do’s and don’ts. 

But one thing that must be kept in mind is that the videos that truly gain traction are shot professionally. Amateur-looking, poor-quality videos don’t have a similar impact. Yet, this does not mean that you need high-end equipment to make your videos look more professional, nor use a professional agency like Rocketwheel.

There are several ways that you can use to make an average homemade video look like it was created with the latest equipment. Find those ways below. 

Plan it beforehand

It might be really basic, but you must plan your videos beforehand if you want them to turn out successful once you are done with all the below-mentioned steps. 

When you are planning, you should create illustrations of your storyboards that will help put your idea on paper. You will have a much clear idea of what scene should come after another. It will basically help you create an outline of the shot that you desire to record. 

Planning is a great step to saving time, determining the best time of the day to shoot, and finding the venue. It also acts as a guide that can be your base for your shooting and editing processes. 

Only use the back camera 

Now, we know that you don’t really need high-end equipment, but you will definitely need an above-average mobile phone to capture good quality videos. 

Using a good phone does not mean that you can use just either side of the camera to shoot. You must always use a clean back camera. This is an obvious yet most overlooked practice. The rear camera of every phone will always have much better resolution, quality, and features as opposed to the front camera. 

You can place the camera against some books or a table and use it. But the best way is to place it is on a tripod. 

If you prefer the handheld approach because you will be speaking to the camera in the frame and you absolutely need to use the front camera, you must keep in mind to look into the lens and not the screen. It will ensure a proper angle. 

Use the landscape mode

If you are creating videos for different platforms, you should keep your phone on the landscape mode i.e. turn it on the side. This is because if you capture a video while in portrait (vertical) mode, watching your video on a different device can get troublesome.

However, if you are the subject and you are going to be looking at your phone the entire time you’re shooting, then keeping it in the portrait is not a bad strategy. Otherwise, the ill-fitting of the frame across devices can easily showcase you are an amateur. 

Also, you can fit more in the frame when you use a landscape mode. This can help make your video seem classy once it’s ready to launch. 

Use the right lighting 

Lighting plays a huge role in determining the quality of your video. It is an element with which you must be really careful. When you click an underexposed or a dark photo, it is not as challenging to make it brighter.

However, if you shoot a video with poor or dark lighting, it will be really tricky to brighten the video and avoid noise. 

Moreover, keeping your camera focused will also be a challenge if the lighting is not right. It will keep drifting in and out. 

So, what should you be using? 

You must use a bright source of light to illuminate your subject. This source should ideally be behind you (when you are not the subject). 

Avoid using your phone’s flashlight as much as you can. It is a recipe for disaster.

Move and not zoom 

If you want to capture a close-up of your subject, it’s indeed very tempting to just pinch out into the screen and zoom in. But this will leave you with a video that has degraded quality. Your shot will pixelate. It will also be a video with jerky motions and unstabilized frames. 

As a result, you will not be able to turn a homemade video into a professional one, at any cost. 

The solution is pretty simple. Instead of zooming with your camera, zoom with your feet. This just means that whenever you need to get a close-up of a particular subject, pause, move closer to the subject, and start filming again. It’s not as tricky. 

Add a grid

Angles play a huge role in making a video not only look professional but appealing as well. A lopsided video will obviously be a huge fail. That’s where adding a grid is pretty relevant.

When you add a grid, you can use elements in the background as your reference points to ensure that your camera is kept straight and is not toppling on one side. 

Also, if your subjects are people, grids can help with composition too. You can align the eyes of the people with the top line of the grid. 

Keep the device stable

Stability plays an important role in making your videos look more professional and sophisticated. If you don’t hold your camera straight and it wobbles, it will immediately give away that you are a beginner.

That’s why, it’s always suggested to use additional tools like a tripod to record your videos, especially if you are trying to capture something while walking. 

However, if you don’t own a tripod yet, you must use both of your hands to hold your camera still. Or, if you don’t have to move around and you only need to place your camera in one spot, you can use books or even a bag of rice as a stand. It’s an ideal DIY stabilization tool.

Don’t go overboard with the background

One of the biggest mistakes that beginners make is that they just start shooting a video anywhere. You shouldn’t do that.

Make an effort to declutter your background. The more simple it is, the better will be your result. The best thing to do is to get a solid-colored background. You can use a bedsheet, a plain wall, or maybe a curtain. 

Keep your subject at a distance to avoid casting shadows on the background. 

You need a clean background because you want all the attention of the viewers to be on your subject and not otherwise. Of course, once you get better, you can experiment with backgrounds. But start from simple and then, take it up a level. 

Work on your composition

Composition plays a huge role in making your video look better or worse. You must understand that videography is a lot more than just hitting a play button on the camera and shooting the scene. 

If you are trying to portray your videos as professional, framing and composition are what will help you go a long way. One wrong frame and you will easily fall into the amateur category. 

So, what is composition? It’s the arrangement and placement of certain visual elements in your frame. You must let these elements tell your story. A-frame that’s composed well will be aesthetically appealing and easy to understand. 

This is where the Rule of Thirds comes into the picture. This is a rule where you deliberately place your subject towards a more left or right third of the frame. This opens up two-thirds of the frame, making the entire frame look well-composed to the viewer. 

Set the white balance 

This is mainly a step for those who are using different cameras to record the same scene. 

Temperatures and color correction of a camera can often be challenging elements, especially when it comes to editing. Just imagine trying to incorporate different angles of the same scene but one is more bluish and the other is warmer. It will take away the entire appeal of the video. 

That’s why you must set the white balance in all the cameras you are planning to use to record a scene. It will ensure consistency and help you save time on editing your clips. 

Maintain a time balance

This is a tip that many videographers don’t give away. It’s very minimal but very useful, especially when you are editing your videos. 

The main objective of your video would be to keep the audience hooked; to hold their attention. This can be done when your shots vary between five to ten seconds. Also, you must keep your shots steady for a minimum of 10 seconds before you plan on zooming or panning your camera. 

This will help reduce camera movements and make the process of shooting a video less tedious for you. 

Learn basic video editing 

It is pretty obvious but it still needs to be put out there. Learning the basics of video editing will help you go a long way in making your videos look more professional. 

The best thing is that there are now hundreds and thousands of video editors that are available at your disposal. A lot of them have interfaces that are not as tricky to understand. 

You can learn how to get rid of unwanted shots, add music, merge different clips or photos, or even trim your clips professionally. 

Learning these video editing apps will not only be helpful for the videos that you shoot, but also for other video types like guides and tutorial videos. Suppose you wish to create an explainer video on Google cache or another similar educational topic. You can use your basic video editing tool to make professional-looking videos on such topics as well. It helps expand your horizon. 

Conclusion 

Creating a professional video does not need highly expensive equipment or a team of art directors. Of course, you need to be creative in deciding on a clear background while composing the shot, but you can still create a high-quality video using the back camera of your phone. Just make sure that your phone is always stable and the frame is always focused on your subject. 

Before you start shooting, set the white balance, add a grid, and ensure proper lighting. This will also help save a lot of time when you finally sit to edit your videos.

Suggested:

How To Start a profitable Youtube channel?

Instagram Photo Editing Tips For Business Owners.

The post How To Make Your Videos Look More Professional? appeared first on Tricky Enough.

Video ads are an important part of the huge advertising market. If you are running a company or are going to launch an online project, then you will most probably need video content at some point in time. What is video content for; how does it work, and what goals will it help you to achieve? Let’s figure out these together. And learn the Secrets of Creating an Effective Video Ad for Your Business.

Why Do You Need to Invest in Video Ad Production?

Nowadays, the video production industry occupies one of the leading positions in the advertising market. And there are many good reasons for that. First of all, video content makes communication with customers and partners way easier and more effective. With the help of a professionally made video, you can successfully deliver any message, make your brand easy to recognize, and build trusting relationships with your target audience. Let’s summarize the main tasks that a video performs.

Increases Conversions and Sales

Adding a video to a landing page can increase conversions by 80%. What is more, an effective video ad can significantly boost your sales potential. According to research, 74% of users buy a product after watching a video ad.

Increases Your Return on Investment

Of course, making a video is expensive and time-consuming. However, 76% of companies say that the money invested in video production quickly pays off. In addition, online video editing tools are being constantly improved and become more accessible. It is enough to check Movavi Blog and have some basic skills in using video editing/production software to create a video ad of decent quality.

Builds Trust in Customers

Some people are still sceptical about purchasing products and services on the Internet; they are afraid of being deceived or cheated. However effective marketing videos present your products in a way that makes people loyal to the brand. It creates a sense of personal touch, which is why 57% of consumers say videos make them feel confident about making a safe purchase online.

Promotes Your Site in Search Engines 

Video content can be safely called the main essential for your website. The thing is that videos allow you to increase the time visitors spend on your site. As a result, search engines automatically consider that the site is good and rank it higher. According to recent stats, pages are 53 times more likely to appear on Google TOP if they have a video embedded in them.

Explains Everything

Are you launching a new product or service? Want to effectively introduce it to your audience? Then it is best to create a promo video to show how it works and what key features it has. That’s why 45% of companies use video marketing and confirm that this is the most effective approach to a new product launch.

Attracts More Customers

A video is a great tool that makes any information extremely easy to consume. Video replaces long descriptions, effectively demonstrates the product in action, and can reach a wide audience.

Works Well on Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms “support” video content with new features. For example, Facebook has launched 360 video, live video, and Story video formats. Instagram has increased the video length to 60 seconds and added some new features to Stories and live streams.

How to Create an Effective Marketing Video?

If you are new to the world of video production and do not know how to get started, then we have made a short but comprehensive guide for you. Follow the below steps and create a marketing video that rocks.

Step 1 – Create a Plan and Come up With an Idea

Think about what you are going to tell in the video. To do this, answer the following questions:

• Who is this video for?
• Where will you post it?
• How does this fit into your marketing plan?
• What do you want the viewer to do after watching this video?
• Why should your video be watched?
• Who is it for (current users or potential customers)?
• How will it help your users?
• Will people want to share this with their friends?
• How do you push them to share?

Without preliminary research, it will be impossible to outline the key concept of your marketing video.

Step 2 – Decide on How You Will Use It

At this point, it is necessary to decide on a platform you will post a video on. Only afterwards you will be able to optimize it. For example, for Instagram, it’s better to make a square video and limit it to 60 seconds in length. According to statistics, this increases the number of views by 30-35%. When posting a video on YouTube, use a 16: 9 video aspect ratio, optimize your title for search queries and add a bright cover. The length of the video also depends on the platform you are going to use it on. For example, for a landing page, it is better to limit yourself to 1-2 minutes, whereas longer videos work best for a blog.

According to Hubspot statistics, the ideal video length is as follows:

• Instagram – 30 seconds;
• Twitter – 45 seconds;
• Facebook – 1 minute;
• YouTube – 2 minutes.

The best approach would be to experiment with different video lengths, check what works best for your audience, and stick to your best-performing pattern. 

Step 3 – Develop a Story

Storytelling works in videos just like texts and posts on social media. People love stories. They easily explain complex things, are more visual and interesting, and increase trust and loyalty to your company. What is more, a good story creates a connection between your company (product) and your customers.

Step 4 – Add Subtitles

More than 85% of viewers watch videos without sound. In social networks, videos are automatically launched in mute mode. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to add subtitles to grab a person’s attention and motivate them to click the Play button. You can embed subtitles in your video and make them large enough for viewers to watch comfortably on any screen. 

Step 5 – Add a Call to Action

You are creating a video for a person to do something. Did you tell your customer about it? Of course, you didn’t. In this case, it is better to add a call to action. This could be done in different ways:

• As a pop-up window with a link to the site;
• Some text in the video, for example, “Subscribe to the channel,” “Leave your comments below,” “Register for the webinar,” etc.;
• As a thumbnail of the recommended content at the end of the video.

It is up to you to decide what CTA variant works best for you. You never know what call to action will work the best. Therefore, it is highly recommended to run A/B testing with different variations of CTA’s.

Make Your Business Fly!

It is sometimes unnecessary to make large-scale investments to create a strong brand and make your business fly. With a well-thought-out marketing video, you can effectively introduce yourself, earn customer trust, and build long-lasting relationships with your target audience. To achieve all the above, you just need some patience, time, and a responsible approach. Follow the above steps, and you will never fail!

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If you do not see the results of the videos you’ve distributed on social platforms, then you most probably are doing something wrong. Read on to learn the best ways to create video content to bring in more customers for your brand and hence increase sales.

1. Use native videos

As you post your video content on your channel on YouTube, you can also consider marketing it on native platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Hosting your video online via YouTube offers reaches a broader target audience because it’s the second largest search engine on the web. When you distribute videos on the numerous social networks such as Facebook, opt to post native videos rather than offering YouTube videos which redirect a user to another link. Such videos on Facebook allow you to exploit the feature of Autoplay that allows your video to continue playing as the viewer visits other feeds on their profile for Social Media Marketing. This improves the UI and increases conversion rates. When using links such as YouTube videos on Facebook, the user will be required to click manually to play, then directed to view the video on an external source thus being compelled to leave their feeds. This doesn’t resonate well with most users.

2. Optimize your video for search engines

What’s the point of creating a video for online marketing if it cannot be found on search results nor drive visitors to play it? SEO helps in understanding what customers search for to get to your site then place you in a position to give them the content that is useful and relate to them. Optimizing your video helps in improving ranks on search engines thus making your videos more visible and get many views. Follow these guidelines that ensure you catch the visitors’ attention and also boost your organic search results:

• Make the name of the video brief and descriptive to compel visitors to play it. For instance, on Twitter, a catchy hashtag will be quite useful.
• Describe briefly and upfront what the visitor should expect to find in the video.
• Sell your video by giving it an attractive thumbnail that also catches the eye thus boosting the number of viewers.
• Ensure the video is responsive on various screen sizes to attract the high population of smartphone users especially.
• Categorize your video appropriately to make locating the content someone was looking for easier.

3. Don’t make long videos

Most social media users aim to be entertained as well as consume content efficiently, keep track of current trends and emerging issues in the process of viewing their feeds. Sharing short and useful videos on your landing page will ensure a visitor achieve all these without consuming much time. For instance, the recommended period for videos on Instagram is 30 seconds, Twitter – 45 seconds, Facebook – 60 seconds and YouTube – 2 minutes for the message to be effective. Although longer videos provide the advantage of sharing more in-depth information, shorter is always best given the limited amount of time you have to grab a watcher’s attention. Short videos are effective for people who want to find useful information and move on to something else. Videos of limited length are easy to share, build stronger relationships with viewers by keeping them engaged and making them want more.

4. Make the best use of the 10 seconds at the beginning of your video

Create something interesting and persuasive to your viewers that will grab their attention, make them stop scrolling away and watch the shared content before moving on. A third of your viewers will scroll away if you don’t capture their attention or provide interesting material in the first 10 seconds. Therefore, make a video script that will make your viewers hold on and watch your video till the end.

5. Incorporate a Call to Action

Remember to include CTA when creating your video. If it is worth watching, it should be good enough for sharing. Provide your users with CTAs to direct them to what you would like them to do after watching the video. It is obvious your goal is to have your video watched by as many people as possible. It is, therefore, an essential marketing strategy to direct your users with CTA such as ‘Share’, ‘Shop now’, ‘Sign up’, ‘Learn more,’ to guide them to act the way you want. A Call to Action should be compelling, clear, persuasive and aimed at achieving a particular goal.

6. Tell stories in your video

Sharing a story in social media as a marketing strategy adds value to any content. Videos explain better by affecting the emotions and moods of your target audience making it easy to connect with you and induce action. If you use the right characters, approach the story in an angle that attracts attention and convey your brand message, you can count on real results of the video. Storytelling makes your brand more relatable to your audience. The example can be a site for sportsmen that posts video interviews with sports stars: their exclusive interviews, workout routine, and much more that can make people follow and wait for every new video.

7. Post live videos

Instagram Live and Facebook Live are features that can also be used to promote your brand using real-time events. You can show your audience live experiences through your page and give them the option to share and comment. Use the comments from your viewers to get ideas of the next live event.

Final words

Using videos on media platforms as a marketing strategy is already applied by most of the successful brands you know. As long as you prep yourself before recording, have something of value to say that will get viewers involved somehow and you are time conscious, your video should be hitting the top results on search engines. Focus on quality and not quantity. Make your videos unique and personal such that it resonates well with your target audience to the extent that you will not have to worry about your competition. Use the above tips to promote your videos on social media effectively thus help more people to gain awareness of your brand.

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