How to Finally Get More Comfortable with Video Content
If you’ve opened a social media app lately, you’ve probably noticed that a video of some kind appears within 5 or 10 seconds. It could be an inspiring story of a rescue puppy on Instagram, a cooking demo on TikTok, or a panel discussion on LinkedIn; videos are everywhere.
Are you making videos yet? It’s time to get more confident and comfortable creating video content yourself, so you can start posting them regularly and keep up with your peers, and so it feels like a natural way to communicate about your business or organization.
Here’s how you can make the process less intimidating:
Focus on creating interesting short videos first
Many people are put off by the technological know-how required to make video content, but you don’t need to be. That smart phone in your pocket is a powerful tool! Try out some of these video editing apps and experiment until you feel comfortable trimming videos down, adding effects and music, and sharing them to an app like Instagram; no one has to see what you create and you don’t have to hit publish… yet.
Pick one of your personal favorite social media channels to start experimenting with, since you definitely won’t enjoy the process of creating video content if you’re doing it for a channel you don’t like to use.
If you don’t have a favorite, Instagram isn’t a bad place to start; the expectations for your video quality are low, and you can create something for your Instagram Stories that will disappear in 24 hours, versus something that will live on your profile forever.
Instead of worrying about how to film a video, focus more on what kinds of bite-sized bits of content would be actually entertaining or valuable for your audience. Ask yourself:
What are the most popular pages on my website?
Which of my social media posts have performed the best?
What are common questions my supporters or customers ask me all the dang time?
Knowing what your audience is interested in can inspire you. You might even find that one idea can become a series of short videos, especially if you’re explaining a complex topic or doing a how-to.
Remember… bite-sized is the key, since you have a very limited amount of time to capture your audience’s attention, and because the average user on Instagram or TikTok is scrolling rapidly through many, many, many short videos in under 5 minutes.
Test it out in a low-stakes way
It is possible to take baby steps!
For your first public video, aim to make something that’s extremely simple and extremely short, around 15-30 seconds at the most, with a clear message that reflects your brand’s mission or purpose. When we say “simple,” we mean simple. If your most popular page on your website is your About page, for example, make a video introducing your team or sharing your company’s mission.
Heck, you don’t even have to post video at first; you could just share a story by creating a slideshow of images, like the Toronto Zoo did here:
@thetorontozoo How do you move a white rhino across the country? Watch Theo’s big adventure to the Greater Vancouver Zoo 🦏🇨🇦 #whiterhino #speciesatrisk #endangeredspecies #rhino #torontozoo ♬ Cute songs for pet videos and easy events - Saku
Find yourself a video buddy
One of the top reasons you might be afraid to try out video is because you’re trying it by yourself! Grab a colleague or three to try this out with you, and make them a part of the process.
Filming with a friend will help you tackle any self-consciousness you’re having, and help you have more fun. If you’re enjoying making a video, your audience is more likely to enjoy watching it!
Jump on a fun trend
If you really don’t have any ideas for what kind of short video to make, use Instagram’s Explore tool or scroll on TikTok and find a trend that you can participate in.
An extra bonus? Many of these trends don’t even require you to speak. Just move! Here’s an example from Unicef:
Pay attention to the metrics
Trying things out is fun and all, but to know if your test was worth it you have to measure the results. Pick the right metric to see if you should still continue to try out video content, after you’ve posted a handful:
If you just want people to see your stuff, pay attention to the number of views and shares.
If you want people to engage with you after watching your video, track the engagement with your post and with your social media account overall — any type of engagement at all is fine! The point is that people were inspired to click.
Keep your expectations low
This is an experiment! Don’t expect your videos to go viral right away (although if they do, hey, hats off to you!). Start to post very short videos regularly, like once or twice a week, and practice getting comfortable before you put any pressure on yourself to hit certain goals. Before you know it, you’ll be a video star!