Video marketing is a fun and effective way to engage your target market and spread your brand’s message, all while creating content that is highly memorable and easily shared. However, it’s not enough to simply shoot a video and send it out to cyberspace in hopes to hear an echo back; make a few mistakes, and your video could actually end up detracting from your goals.
Before you hit the record button, consider these three basics for creating a great video.
First Things First: Consider Your Focus
What do you want your audience to focus on in the video? It doesn’t matter how interesting or engaging your content; if the video is out of focus, that’ll likely be your audience’s only takeaway. Consider where you want to draw your viewers’ eyes, whether that’s to the main speakers in the story, to the action happening in the background, or to text on the screen. Proper focus will give your video a polished look and ensure that your audience is paying attention to what you want them to see.
Shining the Light
Like proper focus, proper lighting ensures that your viewers are seeing what you want them to see, but that’s not all; lighting sets the entire mood for the video. To decide on the type of lighting you want for your video, consider your company’s voice and the tone of the video. If your brand’s voice is authentic and reassuring, for example, then warm lighting might create the mood you want; if your brand’s voice is upbeat and sunny, on the other hand, then bright, vibrant lighting may be the better choice.
Feeling a little lost when choosing the right lighting? Check out what type of lighting techniques are being used in videos produced by companies who are in the same industry or have a similar brand voice to your own, or talk to a video expert for guidance.
Making Your Message Heard
The final element to consider is the video’s sound. Your video should have crisp, clear sound that is easy to hear. If the sound is distorted or difficult to hear, then not only does it give your video a decidedly amateur feel, but it may not hold your viewer’s attention. Because there is only so much that can be done post-production, sound quality is an important thing to consider throughout the process.
Video is becoming an increasingly important component in marketing, and doing it well is essential in an effective marketing campaign. By paying attention to these elements, you can create a video that you’re proud of.
