How to Finally Get Started with Video Content in 2024
Video content is always growing in importance in the marketing world but now more than ever would be a great time to get started. 88% of marketers say video content is a valuable part of their strategy (yeah, that’s A LOT). Who would we be if we continued to let you have FOMO during the video resurgence?
We want to assist in making it easier than ever for you and your team to dip your toes into video content creation, so read along for our useful guide to all things video!
Plan Your Video
The possibilities of video content are truly endless. To help you get started, ask yourself the basics of the goal behind your video and go from there. Write it out in front of you to visualize it. To get your plan from an idea to action ask yourself the 5 Why’s (and how) of video creation. Your plan should include the following:
Who: Select a subject who knows the topic and is comfortable on camera. If you have an editor on your team, work alongside them to brainstorm ideas. If you’re camera shy, grab a colleague and do a little collab!
What: Draft talking points or a script to ensure clarity and direction. You want to make sure every word counts, try to start your video with something attention-grabbing to reel in your audience.
When: Choose a day and time to record that works best for your team. You don’t want to be rushed filming a video right before a meeting!
Where: Decide what platform you want to upload to. The top dogs for video content are currently, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Each platform supports long-form and short-form content reels, so it’s all up to you to find where your audience is. BUT If TikTok is the platform that tickles your fancy, follow along with our TikTok series, you can find TikTok 101 and TikTok 102 here
Why: Identify what you want the purpose of your video to be and the clear message you want to convey. We advise sticking to one main topic per video.
How: Find inspiration from other creators in your space. See what works and how your organization can apply similar techniques.
Lights, Camera, Action! (Literally)
Lights
One of the keys to creating a great video is having the right lighting. The good news is that we have beautiful, free outdoor lighting available every day. When you're shooting your video outside, just make sure there's no glare, and it will look bright and inviting.
If you can't record outside due to lack of a good background or late working hours, indoor ring lights are a great option. They can be expensive, so I've found a set of 2 lights with a tripod and phone holder for $54. Check them out here if you're interested. (I have them and they're amazing!) Lastly, you’re able to mess with the lighting on your camera by holding down your screen and adjusting the lighting as well.
Camera
You don’t need an expensive professional camera right off the bat (honestly, unless video creation is your specialty, you’ll never need one). Your phone camera will do an amazing job, too.
When you press record on your phone, you want to ensure you’re in a quiet environment, nothing is blocking the microphone (which is usually somewhere on the bottom), and, like we already said, the lighting is good.
Some basic phone camera settings worth playing around with for video purposes include
To learn more about each to achieve the best quality possible for iPhone and Android check here.
Action
When you think you’re ready to record your first video, remember these few points so you don't get caught off guard. This checklist helps us record with confidence
Fully charge your device and clean up storage before filming.
Consider putting your phone in Airplane Mode
Focus on one topic per video for better engagement.
Make sure that anything you plan to show in the video is properly centered in the frame, whether it's yourself or any objects.
Roll the video a few seconds before starting to make editing and merging takes smoother.
Avoid backlighting; ensure light comes from in front of the subject.
Use a tripod or stable surface to avoid shaky footage.
Clean your smartphone lenses.
Capture attention with a strong opening line in the first few seconds.
Maintain natural eye contact with the camera.
Most importantly, stay confident and remember that you can take as many tries as you need to get it right. If you stumble over some words or feel that a different location would work better, feel free to make changes. Take and review test videos to identify and fix any issues.
Editing Your Video
When starting, we don’t recommend trying anything too fancy editing-wise. Nothing that would call for an editor quite yet.
Keep your video short preferably in a reel format where it's under a minute. Most platforms that support video content have built-in editing tools including adding text, trimming videos, and inserting pictures. For now, that’s all you’ll need to worry about until you get comfortable posting consistently.
If you want to experiment with some editing software check out one of our previous blogs where we recommended some easy-to-use options.
Publishing
When you think your video is up to standard, then it’s time to make the magic happen and post it for everyone to see. Hootsuite has you covered with this handy guide for the best times to post on social media.
You can upload your post manually or if you have a busy schedule, maybe you’d rather schedule your posts ahead of time. If that’s the case check out our post-scheduling platform recommendations here.
We recommend staying highly consistent with posting, so after you publish, if you need inspiration for your next video check out our reel tips here.
Look at you, you’ve got all the knowledge you need to make your first video with confidence! If you have any more questions concerning video content don’t hesitate to comment or reach out to us. We want to see you shine more than anything!