More and more businesses and content creators are creating videos for social media. Everywhere you turn, you hear that people want video content – and often, short video content like reels on Instagram. That’s why learning how to create social media videos for business purposes is vital right now.
While some people find creating video content intuitive and easy, many feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
We’re going to dive into all the basics for creating social media videos so that you can get started right away. Read on to get these questions answered:
- What equipment do I need to start creating social media videos?
- How do I prepare for filming video clips?
- How important is my lighting for video content?
- Do I need a script to film videos for social media?
- How do I find the confidence to be in my videos?
- How do I edit my short videos for social media?
- What length should my social media videos be?
- What are the top social media video tips that I should know?
Here’s the truth: your first video is not going to be your best, but if you don’t start, you’ll never improve. If you don’t look back at your first video and think, “wow, my videos have improved so much,” then you waited way too long to start creating.
Are you ready to kick-start your social media video marketing? Let’s get started!
What Should You Consider Before Making a Video?
If you are new to creating videos, you are probably wondering what kind of equipment you need to get started. It’s one of the first questions we’re always asked. And we get it. You look at what some of the bigger content creators are using and think, “Ugh. How much money do I need to invest in equipment?!?”
Assuming you have a smartphone of some sort that came out in the last two years, you need to invest exactly 0 more dollars. Yes, it should cost you $0.
That’s because your smartphone is capable of doing it all. We recommend getting comfortable with the whole process of video creation before upgrading to any fancy microphones, cameras, lighting, etc., etc..
Yes, fancy stuff can take video production to a new level, but it is not necessary to start there. It is only necessary to start.
Instead of worrying about your video equipment, add these 3 tips to your prep list:
1. Map out what you want your video to be about.
Scripting your intro and outro, and rehearsing them, can be very helpful. Often you can create something that can be used for every video you make with just a few tweaks. Then, make sure you know your points or your flow. A bullet point list of each scene or each point should be enough to guide you from start to finish.
2. Consider the lighting and test for the best time of day.
If you complete step #1 and do your filming on another day or at a different time of day, think about lighting. You do not need fancy lights, but you might need to find a spot in your home or a location where you can make the most use of natural light. Since natural light changes with time of day and with weather, do your best to plan when it will be most effective to film.
3. Decide how much of a script you will need.
We talked about scripting your intro and your outro in #1, but do you need more than that? It’s really up to you and how comfortable you feel free-flowing while still staying on point. Some people find a sentence or two scripted for each point they will make helps keep them on track. Our best advice is to try it. If it helps, do it.
These three steps should not take much time, especially after you do them a few times. Start with a 30-minute block, and as you do more videos, you can do the planning bit in under 5 minutes, usually.
How Do I Record a Video Confidently?
Not everyone enjoys being on camera. The good news is that you don’t always have to be on camera. Depending on your business, maybe you rarely need to be on camera. There are plenty of social media videos for business on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok that feature pets and/or photos without you needing to be included.
However, the world is not oblivious to the fact that there is a person behind your business. You should introduce yourself and make an appearance once in a while.
And, if you are a big part of your business, like all of us on the BlogPaws team – we are the business, not our pets – so we show up in video because we want people to get to know us. If your business is similar and people need to get to know you in order to know your business, you should be in more videos. This should be part of your social media video strategy.
The best way to gain confidence in creating videos is to create videos. Meta, right?
Video creation is like any other skill. You have to practice it to get better at it. The more confident you feel in the creation part, the more confident you will start to feel in the actual filming part.
Planning also helps because it makes you more confident about what you are producing.
Last, believe in yourself. Maybe it sounds fluffy, but if you take a deep breath and tell yourself you got this, you will more easily start feeling better about yourself.
And we believe you got this!
Dos and Don’ts of Social Media Videos for Business
DO: Look at your camera when you talk to the camera, not yourself on the screen.
DO: Plan to record a few takes. You’ll get more comfortable with each take.
DO: Practice before you hit record. First, try saying what you want to say a couple of times. You might find something is hard to say or that it doesn’t sound how you thought it would. Practicing is like creating a rough draft that you can edit before you hit record.
DO: Get started!
DON’T: Practice looking in a mirror. This just trains you to look at yourself and not the camera.
DON’T: Procrastinate. Yes, plan, but once you have that, just start recording. Again, it’s okay to do several takes.
DON’T: Start and stop too much. Let a full take record even if you are messing up. You’ll be less likely to make the same mistakes if you do complete takes instead of stop-and-start takes.
Creating social media videos for business can feel overwhelming for many small pet business owners. But you can do this! The only thing holding you back is your own personal limitations. So, take a deep breath and hit record!
Do you currently use video as part of your social media strategy? If so, what type of videos are you creating?
About the Author: Chloe DiVita is an original BlogPaws Executive Team member. She’s been in the pet industry since 2009 and loves leading the PetBiz Collaborative, a membership group for small pet businesses, with Jessica Shipman. She also LOVES speaking and if you put her in front of a camera she’ll talk until you tell her to stop. It comes in handy as Executive Producer for TEDxCambridge and Co-Founder of The Mike Drop Method public speaking training.
