How to make an excellent video – The best tips for you to master this medium

How to make an excellent video? Find out the best tips!

You’ve probably heard that video is the medium of the future. While some studies point out that video will be responsible for 69% of online traffic many entrepreneurs are hesitant to use this medium in their business, simply because they are afraid of not doing it well.

For many people, it feels like an overwhelming work, but the truth is that recording a nice video is simpler than you imagine. And, to help you out, we have prepared this text with many tips so you can venture in front of the cameras and make an excellent video.

Why is video important for your business?

Nowadays, recording videos is an essential part of the marketing strategy of many organizations, and, more than that, it has become the main source of income for many people.

And if you’re still not convinced or don’t know exactly why to create audiovisual content for your brand, no problem!

We listed the main reasons why videos are a great bet for your business. Check this out:

Videos are internet users’ favorite content format

According to Hubspot, video has become the most used format in Content Marketing, surpassing blogs and infographics.

Some people think that with so much video content out there, it’s difficult to convert, but, actually, it’s quite the opposite: according to data from Wyzowl published in 2020, 87% of professionals working with video marketing say this media has increased traffic in their websites.

Meanwhile, video traffic is predicted to become 82% of consumer traffic online, according to statistics provided by SEMrush.

See how there are plenty of opportunities for those who create videos for their online businesses?

Videos make it easier to learn

The audio and visual resources help optimize the learning process for a variety of subjects. If you’re going to make arts and crafts, for example, it’s much easier to learn when we see the step-by-step instructions in video instead of just listening or reading them, right?

Video has a more hands-on approach to complex subjects, as it is possible to give the user a complete overview of what is being taught.

Tutorials, DIY videos, and even the eye contact you make on a video can make a topic more accessible and attractive to your audience.

Videos help boost audience engagement

Video consumption is high, and so is their sharing potential. Data from Social Media Today show that videos are shared in social media 1,200% more often than images and texts combined!

Video consumers also leave more comments, as there’s more direct and interactive contact with the content.

Do you feel closer to a photo or video? The audiovisual format is a more humanized form of contact, and this type of close interaction is something very desirable in today’s world. 

Videos help SEO in websites and blogs

Search platforms like Google use SEO to assess how relevant content is to the user. 

According to SEMrush statistics, video content is 53 times more likely to appear on the first search page.

A complete post with video shows to search engines that your website or blog has excellent material and can adequately help users. This improves the organic reach of your content and helps it rank in the top results on the search page.

Videos help in the buying decision process

According to Wyzowl, 84% of people interviewed said they decided to buy a product or service after watching a video about the brand or product.

This data highlights how essential videos are nowadays to improve lead generation, the business conversion rate, and the number of loyal customers.

Video gives you the opportunity to show the benefits of a service, the details of a product and bring topics of interest to the audience with a much more engaging approach. Hitting “play” may be enough to make a new sale!

Videos are easy to create

In the past, cameras were less affordable, and cellphone cameras created low-quality videos. However, nowadays, it’s much easier and cheaper to get a good camera or smartphone to start creating video content for your business!

Not to mention, of course, equipment such as tripods and lighting, which became more affordable, and the hundreds of editing tools you can find in free and paid versions for desktops and smartphones.

Depending on your goal, all it takes is good content planning and a little practice to publish your videos!

The three important moments in the creation of a video

Before you record a video, you first need to understand that this process can be divided into three moments: pre-production, production, and post-production.

If you keep up with the latest news about cinema, you have surely heard these terms before. Let’s learn a little bit more about each of them?

• Pre-production: it’s the planning stage, and involves everything concerning the preparation for the recording.
• Production: it’s the recording stage when you put everything you have prepared in the previous days into practice.
• Post-production: it’s the final stage when you edit and make the right adjustments to make everything work perfectly.

Each step is of extreme importance in the process of creating a good video, that’s why we will go over each of them and provide a handful of tips so you do a good job in your videos.

Pre-production: the most important step to make a good video

Many people don’t really take the pre-production stage seriously, and then end up disappointed with the results. To avoid this kind of frustration, remember to always pay close attention to each of the steps we have listed below:

Question number 1: what is my objective?

You need to answer this question before you start thinking about the next steps for your video. After all, to learn how to make the best video possible, you need to define your objective.

Generate more leads? Convert more sales? Increase your authority online?

When you understand the result you expect to get from your video makes it is much easier for you to find the right path.

Next, you need to have in mind what you will record and how you will record it. To do so, think about a script of what is important to say or questions to ask in an interview, in case you’re going to conduct one. The script will help you to record more objectively and make all the post-editing process much easier, besides making the video clearer and more attractive for those who are watching.

A golden tip is to always print the script to have easy access when you’re recording. You can also put it in a visible place, for example, to remind you of the topics whenever necessary.

Also, try to save the script in the cloud, using Google Docs, for instance, and open it on your smartphone. This makes it easier to share it with the person behind the camera, recording the video or helping out. With the script in their hands, they can help you achieve better results.

Find the perfect setting for your video

The next step in the pre-production stage is to define the location for the video – that is, where it will be recorded.

Try to find a place where you can have greater control over the interference of external noise – then it will be easier to have better audio quality.

Avoid busy locations, next to building sites or places with a lot of traffic, for example. And if you can find a place with both silence and a pleasant setting, even better. After all, the appearance of the video is an aspect that has to be taken into consideration.

Next, pay attention to the time you choose to make the recording. Natural light is an important ally when creating a good video, and you should make the best use of it possible.

A nice place, but one that doesn’t have a lot of light may not be as interesting as an OK place with excellent lighting.

Natural light in the early hours of the morning, from 6 to 8 A.M., is usually a more golden light, with a low sun. This kind of light helps you to create an interesting look for your video. And from 8 to 11 in the morning, even with a stronger sunlight, there are still fewer hard shadows, so it is another time frame to be considered.

You can also get an interesting light from 2 to 5 in the afternoon. In this period, you can get something similar to the aspect of early morning, which provides good lighting for your recordings.

However, beware!

From 5 P.M. on, you start to get twilight, and the day gets darker really fast.

So, be careful when making a video in the afternoon – you might end up having to stop the recording half-way.

Lastly, avoid recording from 11 in the morning until 2 in the afternoon to manage to make a good video. At this time frame, we have the famous midday sun, casting hard shadows under the eyes and making the image poor. Our tip is to avoid this time frame when recording videos at all costs.

If you are recording your video indoors, you have to use proper lighting to make the best of the settings.

But don’t you worry: you don’t need to spend a fortune in lighting to build settings like the ones in  Star Wars.

There is a very simple setup of lights that will do for most of the situations. Just like in the image below, you will rely on three point lighting: two in front of the presenter or person being interviewed at each side, and a backlight. This last one provides a nice contour effect in your images, leading to a very interesting result.

Production: showtime

Now that the script is ready and you know exactly what you are going to record, you have chosen a nice location and the best time to do it, it is common to have this doubt:

Do I need an advanced camera to record a good video?

The answer is ‘no’. Of course, it is important to have a nice, crisp image, but even your smartphone will do. If its lens is reasonably good, it will certainly do its job for those who are starting out. As your business grows, then yes, it will be worth investing in better equipment.

In this phase, the most important thing is to capture good audio – which is actually more important than the image itself, since it is directly connected to the understanding of the image by the spectator.

Generally speaking, people tend to tolerate poor image much more than they can tolerate poor audio quality, and that’s why we recommend you buy a lavalier microphone with a 3.5 mm jack.

You can find very affordable models in the market, and you can plug it directly into your smartphone, and then create a video with a good audio quality.

When it is time to record, always have a friend or colleague around, to help you with technical issues. And don’t forget: it is perfectly normal to make mistakes, and you can make the necessary adjustments in the next phase. So, keep cool and try to transmit your message as clearly and directly as possible!

Post-production

After you have finished recording your video, it is time for the post-production – here, you will need to edit your video.

This is a very important step in creating a good video and making your content more dynamic and interesting for those who are watching.

Remove everything that is too much, including content, and also the moments where there is hesitation. Refine your material as much as possible. Rest assured: this will make all the difference in the final result.

To edit your video, you can use programs such as Windows Movie Maker, or other free programs. The resources that you can find are usually very simple ones, but they will do to make simple cuts.

But if you are already familiarized with video editing and wishes to use a more powerful program, with more features, you can invest in paid ones such as Adobe Premiere and Sony Movie Studio.

And don’t worry if the final result is not perfect. In time, you will be able to improve your techniques and how you behave in front of the cameras.

Do you want to see an example? Look for old videos from entrepreneurs who are authorities in their niches and see how they have improved with time.

What are the latest video trends?

Now that you know the benefits of creating videos, we’ve listed for you the main trends that can help you make an even bigger impact on your business!

Check them out:

Augmented reality

Augmented reality combines virtual elements with what we see in real life.

Picture this: you’re buying a couch, but you’re not sure if it would go well with your living room decor. You go to the furniture store’s augmented reality app, and it lets you place a virtual couch on your living room so you can get a better picture of what it’ll look like. 

The couch looks great there, and this helps you make your decision! That is an example of augmented reality, and it’s an amazing technology to visit new places, try out products like clothes and makeup and even visualize home improvements!

There’s still much to explore when it comes to this technology, and it has a great potential to fulfill modern customers’ needs.

Drone filming

Using drones for aerial filming has become a popular trend in recent years.

This tool makes life (a lot) easier for the audiovisual content creators because beautiful aerial images can be easily taken with just a few simple commands.

Drones are great for giving a new perspective of a location and showing details not easily captured with conventional cameras.

Short videos

Social networks are betting it all on short videos nowadays. They are easy to consume, don’t take much time or skills to make,  and convey a very objective message. They are very engaging and great for consumers who want to take small breaks from everyday life.

TikTok and Instagram, for example, humanize a business and can share valuable information with internet users in a few seconds.

SEO for videos

SEO can be a game-changer for videos, too.

Platforms such as Google and YouTube use algorithms to map user behavior. That means that for your video to rank well on search results pages, you need to use keywords, descriptions, and titles that are linked to what users are searching for.

Just like the text, videos also need optimization to be easily indexed and found by users. This will greatly increase traffic on your blog or website.

A golden tip for all steps

There’s something that is always within the reach of anyone who works with video: a roll of masking tape. This material is extremely useful for any last-minute fix, such as securing a cable, for instance. The tape is indispensable, and it can be found at any toolbox, even in the most prestigious network studios in the world, and it will certainly be very useful for you as well.

So, what did you think of our tips to make an excellent video? How about putting everything into practice right away? Let us know how you’re doing in the comments section below!