You’ve heard the news: video is in!
That means that this kind of content is key to attracting and keeping the attention of your target audiences, especially on social media.
So what if you don’t know the first thing about making or posting a video to your brand’s social media channels? Or, is there even enough engagement on your current platforms to make it worth your while to pull one together? If these and other questions are holding you back from diving into digital marketing’s latest trend, it’s time to learn the basics and see what specialty campaigns an agency like Sage Island can help you create from a single take!
Tools of the trade
You don’t have to own an entire studio or even high-end camera equipment to make a quality video these days. Most of our smartphones come armed with great cameras and can even apply filters or make simple edits before you even transfer the videos to your desktop for more refined reviewing. Keeping in mind that these videos are meant for social media promotions, it actually makes more sense in some cases to just go ahead and film on your phone. Not only does it lend a “homegrown” quality to the final product that makes your brand more personable online, but you can post videos straight from your archives or upload them directly into something like Later or Hootsuite. Plus, there’s a whole category of apps like Canva that can smooth out the rougher footage from your phone and help with things like transitions and sound.
Stars
When you start planning out your video, you’ll want some clear objectives in mind. This includes who you want to feature, why, where, and what he or she is going to say to help promote some aspect of your brand. If this is an internal video, then it’s a simple matter of working with your team to identify who is the ideal spokesperson, and even putting together a loose script to help streamline the filming part of the process.
If this video features a client or customer, though, you’ll want to allot more time for a commute and extra takes, and go in knowing you’ll likely have a lot more material to work with than is recommended for a social media video post. But that’s much better than having too little! Go ahead and have your “star” prep his or her responses to questions, or have a few marketing messages sent over in advance, but if you should walk away with enough content for more than one campaign-centric video, then all the better for your social media engagements.
Cuts
Editing videos may seem like a daunting task, but when it comes to the ones you would normally make for a social media promotion, it doesn’t have to be rocket science! Depending on the phone or camera you used, you might be able to make some of the most basic editing calls before you even upload the footage to a computer. But for the more in-depth or involved edits, there are a few different routes you could take.
For starters, it never hurts to learn something new! The internet is teeming with online tutorials for bigger names in video editing software like Apple Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premier Pro. If you don’t have the time to put into becoming an expert at one of these, or any programs, though, we recommend investing in a professional to take over.
Your brand’s debut
Now that you have the video all edited and ready to go, it’s time to publish it on social media. Keep in mind that one of the main reasons you’re using video instead of a photo or graphic is because it can speak largely for itself. Your post copy should supplement the video, not overshadow it, in a clear and concise message that points your audience members in the direction you want them to go. Whether that objective is to click on a link to your website, or to get some feedback from your client base, there should be no question as to what you’re asking for from your followers on any given social media post.
Adopting a new medium for your content marketing strategy can seem daunting, but top-notch teams like ours are here to help! Contact Sage Island today for a marketing campaign strategy that fits your brand.