Everywhere I go, I hear marketers speaking about the importance of videos to communicate your message effectively, to engage with your audience, to promote your brand and your business, and the list goes on and I fully agree, more than ever, videos are fundamental to communicate in this digital age.
As you may or may not know, my focus is always around your communication and how to convey your message in a way that achieves your intended outcome but on this occasion, the focus is going to be more on some of the technicalities behind creating a great video because if we don’t, our communication won’t have the same impact. If people can’t see you or hear you well, you tell me what kind of message they will be receiving.
So, I have together with my brother, German Ucar (Videographer), created ten easy to follow steps to make sure your videos have what’s needed to have a positive impact on your audience.
Here are our Top 10 Tips:
1. Answer some questions first
- What is this video for?
- What would you like to have happen after the audience watches your video?
- Who is the target audience?
- Which channels will you use to share/promote this video?
2. Scripting
Writing down a Script will allow you to shape your message in a way that creates the desired engagement and long-lasting impression while building trust. Remember that the outcome is to lead your audience to take action and/or to leave them in a certain emotional state. Yes, 4 key elements here to take into account.
3. Watch what’s behind you
Choose a background that goes hand-in-hand with your branding style and message. Avoid, if possible, having screens, windows, lamps in the background. Overexposed backlight can be distracting and generate brightness problems on the editing. Clean up your Mess! Check that there are not any undesirable objects that are not adding any value to the scene like cups, bags, messy desks, connectors and wires…
4. Let it be light
Take advantage of any place with natural daylight. Make sure you have the principal light on yourself (the speaker) to stand out from the background. If possible, use a secondary light to illuminate shadowy parts in the scene and reduce contrast with the background.
5. Audio is important
Quickly test the acoustics of the room by speaking loudly and checking the existence of “echo”. (Any echo might be difficult to correct on the editing). Highly improve your audio by using a Lavalier Mic connected to an audio recorder, directly to your phone or using a Shotgun Mic connected to your camera.
6. Scene and Framing
Circle the place where you are going to stand and move as little as possible to keep all the scenes within a similar framing. For Vlogging, centre yourself in the frame and speak directly to the camera. Play with different angles, wide shots and closeups.
7. Time to shoot
Start and finish the video with a neutral Mona Lisa smile. Breakdown your message in smaller chunks if you can’t do it in one go. If you are not sure about what to say next while filming or you made a mistake, freeze any gestures but do not stop the recording. This might save you time when editing and will keep you within the frame. Take additional shots if you wish to mix them later and make your video more lively.
8. Bringing your video to life
Choose an Editing Platform. iMovie, Windows Movie Maker or Filmora can be user-friendly
platforms where to start. Make good use of your footage. Mix with video transitions and add some motion graphics. Create an Intro/Outro with your logo, strapline and other relevant information.
9. Musica Maestro
Background music will make your video easier and friendlier to watch. Remember it’s all about the emotional journey. The right tune will set a pace for you to follow while mixing up your footage. SoundCloud can be a good platform to start with.
10. Let me read what you are saying
80% more people watch a video to completion when subtitles are included. Add captions for those people that like to read it and reach a wider audience with your message.
I hope you found the above useful and if you want more information, I invite you to get in touch with my brother German: German@Fun2Startup.com
Join my Mindset, Communication and Public Speaking Membership Area for FREE and gain access to loads of additional resources.
