No matter what type of business you’re in, the need for marketing and advertising is always present and for most of us, the need is more relevant than ever. The current crisis our entire world is gripped with has us in a place we have never been in before. With many of us scrambling to stay afloat with our physical places of business closed for the foreseeable future, online presence will be the key separator that will define how well we weather this storm.
We have all been hearing it for a while now, but video content is not the future, it’s the present and the primary tool that will keep your value front and center. With social distancing the current way of life, creating your own videos has become the only option in most cases, even for major news networks.
With video meetings the norm these days you may be getting more comfortable with being on camera which is great, that’s usually people’s biggest fear. But if you want to market and advertise your services and products you want a certain level of polish and refinement that makes your video stand out in a very crowded and noisy world. So without further ado, let’s dive into some simple, low-cost ways to take your video to the next level.
Tip #1 Get your camera ready
The camera we’re referring to is not a cinema camera or even a DSLR or mirrorless, use the camera you have with you all day, your phone. The fact is, most phones are capable of putting out high-quality footage. So much so we have had footage shot on cell phones used in TV commercials and on news broadcasts and you would never know the difference.
The key settings you want to pay attention to are resolution and frame rate. Our recommendation is to use 1080p at 30 frames per second if your phone is able. Now you might be thinking “My phone can shoot 4k”, but if you don’t have a powerful computer the editing process will likely be dreadful. If you have more familiarity with camera settings manually setting your exposure helps a lot, however, if you don’t stick to auto and choose a room where the lighting conditions stay the same.
For detailed information on how to do these things for your specific phone search YouTube, for example, ‘ iPhone 11 camera settings’. I have never searched any phone and not found multiple videos with directions on how to access menus and change settings. Once you have your settings dialed in you’re ready to shoot.
Tip #2 Steady, Steady, Stabilize it!
We’ve all seen it, the video where someone is talking about something interesting but all of the movements in the shot are making you dizzy. Don’t let that be your video, (pretty please). You can find a mini tripod on Amazon or at your local Walmart or Best Buy for between $10 - $30. Check the links posted below for some decent tripods you can order.
Tip #3 Light it up…. Get your glow on
They say “Lights, Camera, Action” for a reason, good light comes first. If you’re shooting in a darker setting or possibly with a lot of outside light behind you there is a high likelihood your camera is going to struggle and your video will have lots of noise (be extremely grainy and distorted). By adding light, whether natural indirect light from a window, a lamp or a decent video light, you can highlight your best features and give your skin a much better look.
Keep in mind your camera settings will likely change when you add light so if you use artificial lighting be sure to check and make sure you aren’t too bright or overexposed. There are more links below for lights and even some that include a bracket or tripod for your phone.
Tip #4 Sound Check… Make sure your sound is good
As pretty as your video may look, the poor sound will make people leave your video faster than any other issue. Radio has our brains trained to hear great audio without a visual so the opposite can destroy any attention you’ve gained. If you have your phone close to you in a quiet environment it may suffice, but if you’re framing up shots from a distance you may need to grab a microphone.
There are plenty of options but a good lavalier mic can be very helpful. For the sake of price I listed some inexpensive options below but there are also wireless options or voice recorders you can use as well. We listed a couple of cheap options below!
Tip #5 Nice Background…. Frame it Up
Different videos serve different purposes but framing and background can be elements that either attract or distract in your video. If you have a nice room or office in your home that is aesthetically pleasing just make sure your framing is focused on the most important element, you or the product you want to highlight.
If you don’t have a space you want to show in your video, pick a clean solid wall as your backdrop. The key with either of these setups is to give yourself space to create depth in your shot. Using a plain wall as the backdrop can also give you additional options with graphics or replacing the background in your edit.
That’s all you need for your straightforward marketing videos where you will be talking directly to your customers or clients about your services or providing updates.
Bonus…. If you want to step it up a notch and create ad-worthy content check out the bonus tips below.
Bonus Tip #1 Edit your video & add graphics
Adding a clean edit to your video is another way to separate your content from the rest and keep your audience interested. Adding titles, lower thirds and transitions from scene to scene are excellent ways to give your footage that professional look.
We suggest using the editor already installed on your computer for simplicity, as well as to avoid major system requirements. If you have a computer with a decent graphics card and at least 16gb of RAM you can consider more professional editors like DaVinci Resolve (free) or Adobe Premiere Pro (subscription required). These editors have a lot of information available on how to edit well in them but beware the learning curve can be quite steep.
Bonus Tip #2 Spice it up with stock videos or still images
If you plan to use your videos in marketing campaigns or for online advertising mixing your video up with some well-timed stock video or still images can add interest.
When you edit the key is lining up scenes or images that show the emotion or effects of what you are talking about. Help people visualize the impact your product or service will have on them. Check out Pexels for a nice library of free videos and photos.
Bonus Tip #3 Hire a professional editor to make it awesome
While the first 5 tips are simple and easy to follow adding graphics and supporting images or videos can sometimes be very tedious. Now you may have the time on your hands to learn some techniques, but you likely want to use that time better and focus on your products, service, or customers. A professional editor can take your footage and make it ad worthy with a pretty quick turnaround. As long as you have followed tips 1-5 and created decent footage there are very few limits to what can be done with it.
We hope this information has been useful to you and you’re ready to dive in and take your marketing videos to the next level!
If you would like more insight or our help don’t hesitate to schedule a 1-hour consultation where we can walk you through setting up your camera, equipment and even with your script.
We also have professional editors available with access to a wide array of stock video and graphics to make your video stand out from the crowd.
Recommended Products
Here’s a list of a few inexpensive products you can use to get started and improve your videos.
Tripods
Lights with Stands
Microphones
