Making videos makes sense, especially for your social media and marketing strategy. We know that over 80% of people say they are more likely to watch a video post on social media than read a text-based one.
We train people how to make effective social videos saving time and money using their smartphones, and in our Video Marketing for Small Business course*, we discuss how to ensure you have a good plan to implement your new video-making skills.
Here are the six tips I give to help small businesses, NGOs, and everyone who is making their own videos in their own time.
1. Make the time.
This is not as easy as it sounds for busy small business owners, the world’s greatest jugglers of time. Staff in busy communications offices doing a myriad of tasks to short deadlines are also likely to be procrastinators when it comes to video-making, because people always think that making a video takes ages. It doesn’t have to, when you are organised (see the next tips below). So how to make the time? Take out the calendar and block out 2 hours, ideally in midweek when the Monday rush is over and which gives you time to get the video edited and posted. Scheduling a video recording makes it real, rather than having it in your head with all the other good intentions there.
2. Make the content plan.
This can be as simple as a list of interview ideas, to a detailed plan with schedules, content, editing times and scheduled posts. But let’s start with the list of short video ideas, all of which should be do-able within an hour. If you only have an hour to make a video, then use just one location, one interview, one idea, and one message. If you veer away from my central Rule of Production i.e. Keep it Simple, then you will lose valuable time both recording and especially in editing.
So what ideas would work for a time-poor video maker? Here goes:
- 3 frequently asked questions about your business/service.
- Short promo for your next event or special offer.
- How to Find Us video.
- Short promo to highlight your latest newsletter.
3. Make the pop up studio.
Putting time into this now will save you a lot of time later on. The “pop up studio” I have in mind is a suitable place to make your video interviews, a place that’s good for light, sound and the right background. This might be as simple as a corner of your office with a pull-up stand behind it. Go to the trouble of having any clutter cleared, and bringing in a plant or prop that suits your background. Knowing a space that works means you can use it time and again without having to re-invent the wheel every time you want to make a video interview.
4. Get the equipment.
Our Mobile Video Storytelling online course gives you the options for spending on making videos, and they don’t have to break the bank. I do recommend a tripod with a stand to put your phone on, and an additional microphone to clip on your subject. These are essentials in ensuring good quality, steady videos with good sound, which will up your game for an investment from as little as 100 euros.
5. Watch the competition.
Go watch what your competitors or those with similar services to you are doing, especially on the channels where you want to be seen by your target audience. This will give you ideas, and a sense of what is working for them. I am not proposing that you copy what they do completely, but there’s little point either in re-inventing the wheel.
6. Schedule the posts & monitor the analytics.
As well as planning your video content (tip 2), it makes sense to have a schedule for video posts and a way of analysing the success of your posts. Consistency is key, so schedule posts on the same day and same time each week or month. While lots of advice says you must post each week, it’s better to produce and post according to the time and resources you have at hand. Otherwise you’ll constantly miss deadlines and become disheartened.
Each social media channel can give you good analytics to see what’s successful and what isn’t which is invaluable in your content strategy.
Good luck!
*We have given this course to small business owners and local community groups in the past 2 years via live Zoom calls, practical assignments, and pre-recorded video modules.
This is currently a bespoke course, and we will have one available for sale at the beginning of December 2022. Details available on request by email to [email protected] or take a look at www.rathdownmediainstitute.ie
