Q:Where do the wandering eyes of web scrollers often end up?
A: On the bright, flashy, moving things! AKA, video content!
People aren’t pulling out their spectacles to read heaps of text on websites any more. The sheer amount of interactive content available means we can get all the info we need, on every subject imaginable, just by hitting play on something-or-other that we semi-listen to while we fold the laundry.
Videos are a great way to showcase your brand, connect with your audience and stand out from the crowd, and we promise creating them isn’t rocket science. Just factor in these 4 tips before you hit record and upload, and your budding talent will surprise you. One note – this article is about what happens either side of the actual filming, i.e. the strategy and the editing. To discover tips for how to capture footage and what to record, you’ll want to read this blog next.
1/ Let your inner editor *shine*
You don’t need to be a professional filmmaker to create engaging videos, but you do need to edit them to make look polished and succinct.
Our favourite video-editing tool is Canva; have a play around on it and you’ll see why. Canva is a ‘freemium’ online platform that lets you create stunning graphic designs and videos with ease. You can trim, crop and add music, text, and stickers to your clips and they’ve got some awesome tutorials to guide you through everything.
For example, you can use the timeline feature to adjust the duration and order of your clips, or use the animate feature to add some motion and flair to your video. You’ll get the hang of it, trust us! It’s fun, requires no special equipment or skills (beyond a laptop) and allows you to add professional ‘top and tail’ slides at the start and end of your film. A paid subscription does provide some more bells and whistles but even the free version is ok for simple video editing.
Not a fan of Canva, or want to try something new? Take a look at the Inshot app. It’s available on Android or Apple and allows finer technical editing to the video itself, such as extracting audio from a clip.
2/ Be strategic
Videos are not just pretty ornaments, they are powerful tools that can inform, educate, entertain and persuade your audience. But you do need to think carefully about what kind of videos will get you the results you’re after. Before you hit record, ask yourself: How will this video enhance my visitor’s experience?
For example, instead of making a generic montage that doesn’t say a whole lot about your product or service, why not make a useful ‘how-to’ guide that shows how it works and solves a problem for your customers? Or if you’re making a testimonial video, instead of a drab slideshow, why not make a lively interview clip that showcases your happy customers and their stories? They’re singing their praises for a reason, after all!
The point is, you want to make videos that people actually want to watch and share. Don’t shy away from injecting some personality and humour into them, either. People still (for the most part) “buy” people.
3/ Be selective
You also want to be strategic about where and how you use videos on your website. Take a step back and consider your goals, audience and message. What kind of videos will add value to your website visitors at what point in their journey? How can video enhance their experience and lead them to the point of purchase?
We suggest taking a curated approach – don’t try to stuff your entire media library into your site but instead choose a few impactful clips and feature them on relevant pages to draw the eye. The best places to feature videos are typically your homepage, any lead-generating landing pages or product pages.
IMPORTANT: Always test and optimize your videos and their placement for different devices and browsers before publishing. It would be a shame to see your stunning videos flop just because they look pixelated on a big screen or cut off on a small one.
4/ Uploading directly to you website = a big no-no
Nobody likes a slow website, right? Videos are huge files that can slow down your website loading speed, which can affect your SEO ranking and user experience. That’s why you’ll want to upload them to a platform like YouTube or Vimeo, and then embed them to your site using a link, and hey presto! You won’t have to worry about storage space or bandwidth issues. On top of that, you’ll also be getting free exposure and traffic from the third-party website you choose. A win-win.
P.S: There’s no need to worry about losing control over your videos or having ads pop up on them, as you can easily customise your settings and choose who can see and share your videos.
Now, go out there, unleash your creativity, and turn those online scrollers into brand new clients!