What You Need to Create Social Media Videos

Why Do I Need Video Content?

Social media has become a global phenomena where video content is easily accessible and easily produced. According to the Marketer Insider Group, around 80% of people prefer video content over written text and almost 90% of people have been convinced to buy something thanks to video content. Think about it - when television became a mainstream way to reach millions of households, TV ads became a huge industry and one of the top ways to promote products and services to consumers.

In addition to this, product placements in films and TV shows has been a popular way to convince people to try something and build a brand’s reputation. The ads in the TV industry were scheduled to reach target markets based on times of day and demographics watching certain programmes, but this way of targeting customers was usually reserved for companies with lots of money as getting prime time slots and producing high quality ads was an expensive and difficult endevour.

Social media has changed this by enabling businesses and individuals to reach their consumers in a much more targeted and personalised way that offered an opportunity to grab some screen time with minimal time and cost implications. As the competition for attention increased, social media platforms have evolved from longer form text content such as Facebook, YouTube and blogs to more visualised & short form content such as Instagram and Twitter, and even more easily digestible formats such as Snapchat and TikTok.

To stay relevant, the older platforms followed suit, with Instagram’s Reels, YouTube Shorts. While the longer format media such as blogs, long videos and articles have their place in media, short format content is the type of content consumed the most and in currently dominating all main platforms. Due to this, you need videos to increase your online reach and improve your brand recognition.

What Equipment Do I Need to Make Video Content?

Although many social media creators use professional equipment, there are many successful brands and creators who rely on their smartphone and get fantastic results. So your phone camera should be completely adequate to create videos for Instagram reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and similar. The back camera usually produces better video quality, but you may want to use front facing camera for more personal videos. You can also get a webcam or use the webcam built into your computer if its quality is good enough. Remember that the vast majority of videos are viewed on mobile devices, so you don’t need professional cameras to create content that your viewers will enjoy in the early stages of your growth.

Some people use accessories to improve the quality of their videos. The most common ones include ring lights, tripods, clip on or standalone microphones and additional lights. While all of these can boost your video content, you can still produce engaging and attention grabbing videos without these accessories. Therefore, if you are just starting, don’t worry about investing into a full kit and don’t let perfection stand in the way of progress.

If you are shooting things in motion, it may be a good idea to purchase a stabiliser also known as a gimble. Some of these are multifunctional and can also act as a tripod and a selfie stick. The DJI Osmo series are excellent and start from £95. The gimble will take some time to get used to, so make sure you allow yourself time to practice before you need to start shooting.

Overall, you shouldn’t fixate too much about making your video look super professional and polished as research shows that around 90% of customers think authenticity is important and increasingly prefer organic and natural content that doesn’t look too polished as reported in Forbes.

Where Should I Film Videos for Social Media?

When filming videos for social media you will need to consider the following factors:

Finding the right lighting to film your social media content is key. Credit @vmxhu

Lighting

Your videos will look better if you have even and consistent lighting throughout your video. First of all, always ensure that the main source of light is in front of you (behind the camera) and that it illuminates your face or the object of the video evenly. You may want to use various angles of light for dramatic effect, but generally you’ll want a wide spectrum soft light source lighting up the object. This is why ring lights are a popular choice for many creators.

You can also add mood lighting in the form of lamps, multicoloured lights etc. in the background. Make sure that this light is diffused and does not take away the focus from the object of the video. However, this is a great way to give your set some dimension and set the tone.

Natural light is always one of the best options for achieving a natural look, but it is also time dependent. To use it to your advantage, you will need to find a bright space where the light can shine on the object, not obscured by the camera. An example of this would be sitting facing the window with the camera propped up on the windowsill rather than sitting in front of the camera with your window in the background. If you would like to be less dependent on the position of the sun, find flattering sources of artificial light.

Take test shots and view them on a mobile screen to try out various lighting arrangements and find the best one for you.

Sound & Noise

It is also extremely important to ensure that your voice can be heard loud and clear on the video. Therefore, finding a spot with the best acoustic properties, or improving a existing space is essential.

First of all, pick a quiet space where you will not be disturbed by others and sounds of passing traffic and conversations. You should also make sure that there is no echo or background noise from equipment to ruin your sound quality. If there is echo in the room where you are filming, you can add soft furnishings such as cushions, curtains or soundproof the room with acoustic foam panels and similar wall treatments if you have the budget for them. There are also makeshift panels you can make with various materials.

Before filming a full video, film a short clip and see what noises you can hear and figure out how to improve the quality. Having your phone closer or further will also affect the sound so make sure to try different locations.

In many apps you can also control the sound with editing tools. This will allow you to control the volume of the original video, add a music track, add voiceovers and mix these tracks to create the desired soundtrack.

If you are hoping to monetise your videos (especially on YouTube), use free royalty free music from the library to avoid copyright claims and demonetisation. Consider this when picking your profile type, as Instagram profiles set to Business will have access to fewer tracks than Personal or Creator profiles. If you are just building your following and community and are not interested in monetising your video based on views, or are backed by sponsorship deals, this will likely not apply to you.

Look out for trending sounds and songs too as using these may help to crack the algorithm and achieve higher visibility. You cannot rely on these entirely though and poor quality content or poor SEO can still impact your reach - even when using trending sounds.

Having an interesting background is a great way to brand your content. Credit @aqviews

Backgrounds, Styling and Locations

There are many opinions of what backgrounds work best on social media and there is no right or wrong answer to this question as the type of background will likely depend on the type of content you are creating

If you are wondering how to make your Instagram and TikTok videos better, background is usually not going to make much of a difference as long as it’s tidy, clean, well lit and not overwhelming with detail. It will be more important for long format videos where you need to capture the attention of your viewer for longer. In this case, you background should still be tidy and aesthetic, but also have some items in the background to please the eye.

One popular strategy that you will see in many successful video series is shooting into a corner of a room. Another is to make one wall of a room video-friendly. This will usually help you frame your pictures and create a backdrop suited to your personal or business brand. Having items placed at different distances will help to create depth and texture to your backdrop.

Remember that your viewers will only see what the camera sees and be aware of any reflections that may show them what’s behind the camera. This means that you can use a large sheet of paper, wood, fabric etc. and a few props to create a consistent backdrop for your videos that can easily be packed away/hidden when you are done if you do not have the space to keep it set up all the time.

You also don’t need to change your outfit for every video and can batch film content without wardrobe changes. Alternatively, you can film in the same make up and outfit on several occasions to make one video filmed over several days seem consistent.

Some creators prefer or are required to film outside. In this case, finding a quieter spot with a solid background or a landscape behind you and making sure that the sun is not behind you is best. Some creators film videos in their cars, gardens, cafes, restaurants etc. so there are many locations to choose from and you don’t need a professional studio or backdrop to create successful video content.

Privacy

It’s also crucial to consider privacy and remember that your videos will be available to view not only around the world but also in your current location and not everyone may have the best intentions. Therefore, you shuold make sure that you do not display any personal information such as your address, telephone number, personal e-mail address or even street names when you are filming your content. The same goes for when you are filming for clients.

Some people also prefer to remove any personal pictures, certificates and memorabilia that they may not be comfortable sharing with the world. You may think this does not apply to you because you are just starting out, but if your account and following grows, people will be able to watch your back catalogue of videos and track down your location if you are not careful.

On the flipside, if you are a business with a physical location, you should definitely include your surroundings and the general area in your posts so it’s easier for people to find you. In fact, you should always tag your location

Content Success

The quality of your content is not just what you say or show, but how you do it and this takes practice and time. Although it may seem scary, recording and posting videos is the best way to get better at it. Your video quality will gradually improve as you find out what works and what doesn’t work for you, but putting your brand out there will attract followers and fans of you and your business.

If you are wondering how to make your video content better and more popular, you can study some of the accounts that are the most successful in your niche and analyse their videos to see what performs best and what doesn’t. Try some of these things yourself and keep testing as your account grows as different things will work at different growth stages. You can also ask for peer reviews and follower feedback.

And you would like more advice, training or social media management services including filming video content for social media, please get in touch with Baltic Oak Media and we will be happy to help you tell your story online.