Everyone knows Instagram, the Meta-owned photo-sharing social media platform that started out as a square photo-sharing platform in 2010. Fast-forward 12 years and Instagram head - Adam Mosseri recently announced that the platform is evolving to much more than just a photo-sharing platform. According to Mosseri, in 2022 the social media platform will double down on its focus on video content.
When a major platform that started as photo-sharing as its vision shifts its focus to video entirely, it denotes a trend shift. This alone should indicate how the focus has shifted from content is the king to video content is the king. This is further backed by Wyzowl’s Video Marketing Statistics 2022 report, which revealed that 86 percent of businesses use video as a marketing tool and 92 percent consider it as a crucial marketing strategy.
It comes as no surprise that videos are increasingly becoming popular on all platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn. Videos are catchy, engaging, and effective, which is why they are taking the center stage more than ever. However, not all videos are effective and to make the most out of the trend, your videos need to stand out.
How then would you make your videos and branding stand out from the millions of them already out there? Here are our top tips to create quality video content and stay on top of the algorithms of major platforms in 2022.
Create Authentic and relatable Content
The main criterion that determines the success of your video is relatability. Video content consumers tend to gravitate towards videos that have unusual, thought-provoking, and exciting visuals yet are genuine. To achieve this shoot your videos from a likable and realistic perspective.
One of the best ways to do so is to include behind-the-scenes shots of the video. A prime example of this is Jackie Chan movies, which always had BTS shots from the movie production at the end and viewers waited for those. Often they included failed takes of the amazing stunt sequences you saw in the movie just before, which are relatable. If your audience is not able to relate to your video, they will move on to other posts.
Make Viewer-friendly Content
This is the golden rule of video creation, to create content that is viewer-friendly. Videos that are shaky, noisy, too dark, or unsteady will do more damage than good. In case you’re not confident in your capability to film, consider hiring a talented videographer.
Ensure to brainstorm your idea and vision for the video with the person way in advance. Don’t be afraid to bet on novice videographers who have a knack for creating quirky videos as long as they are charging reasonably and can deliver quality work on time.
Apart from the video quality, take time to make your videos accessible. Platforms like YouTube and Facebook have integrated automatic captions generators, make sure to turn them on. If you’re posting on a platform that doesn’t offer the same, look for apps that will embed captions and audio descriptions in your video. You’ll find many features like a one-tap automatic caption generator, a teleprompter, and more in this page.
Always Start Strong
Before you start filming your video, remember there are millions of videos out there and the audience is spoilt for choices. The phrase first impression is the last impression has never been more correct than in the video content space. When a user is scrolling on their page looking for compelling content to consume, it’s the first five seconds of your video that’s most important.
You need to be able to captivate and intrigue the viewer in the first five seconds before they scroll past and move on to other content. Instead of putting the formal introduction or a blank screen, in the beginning, use an interesting clip from the video at the beginning or an eye-catching thumbnail that would compel the viewer to click on it.
Don’t Forget Your Call to Action
In the flow of being creative and putting out quality content don’t forget the purpose of it all. It could be anything from asking for a sale, like, share, or subscription to the channel or page. This is called a call to action in the videography terminology and is a very crucial part of the whole video. Whether in the middle of the video or at the end, don’t forget to ask what you require from the viewer. Go the extra mile and make it easy for the viewer to follow through on the CTA by providing clickable buttons on the screen or links in the description.
Adhere to Video Time Limit
While longer videos and storylines provide creative gratification, it’s the short-form video content that’s ruling social media and other platforms these days. Major platforms have recommended video length, which is preferred by their algorithm and shown to the maximum number of individuals.
For example, Instagram prefers videos that are up to 30 seconds in length while YouTube prefers at least two minutes of content. This varies from platform to platform and will do you good to adhere to them for a better reach as well as the reception by the audience.
These are the top tips to create effective video content. These will not only keep your brand ahead of the race but also help maintain the lead.
