HOW TO START CREATING VIDEO CONTENT

WHY SHOULD I BE MAKING VIDEO CONTENT?

If you are on Linkedin and have not come across Juma Bannister, then are you really on Linkedin? He is the master of video content and it was quite natural for us to approach to discuss, ‘How to start creating video content?” This is what he had to say. 

As a content creator, there are many options to get your message across.

Text content, image content, and even audio content have always been effective staples of information delivery but when it comes to consistent and effective audience engagement, one content format stands head and shoulders above them all.

5 reasons you need video in your marketing strategy

VIDEO

Studies have shown that people tend to remember things better when they see them. This is when compared to reading or hearing. And when you combine more than one sense into an experience, the degree to which you remember that thing increases exponentially.

Video is the combination of moving images and audio. It activates both sight and hearing simultaneously.

The nature of video is such that it has an engagement advantage straight out of the gate. The delivery of sound (music, voice, sound effects,) and images (color, text, photography, graphics) together is a winning combination for engagement.

Social Media Trends back this up:

In June of 2021, the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri, announced that Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app. He said the company is looking to lean into entertainment and video after seeing the success of competitors like TikTok and YouTube. (THE VERGE)

Statistics also back this up:

By 2022, video viewing will account for 82% of all internet traffic (Sustainable Future of Video Entertainment Report)

If you are a content creator in 2021 and beyond and you are not using video as a part of your content strategy. You are effectively sabotaging your growth and losing out on the fastest-growing, most effective, marketing tool and engagement generation system.

TWO FACTORS TO GET STARTED

“The best camera is the one with you” – Chase Jarvis

Do you currently own a smartphone? If the answer is yes (and I know it will be) then you have all you need to start video.

Now you may be thinking “It can’t be a simple as that” and you would be right. Creating video takes more than just using your smartphone pointing it in a particular direction and hitting record. You have to constantly create, test new things, be OK with failing and do lots of research. At least that is the case if you are an entrepreneur or business owner and want specific results.

So to help you I’ll give you two lists: A tech list and a knowledge list.

TECH LIST – these are the things you need to shoot above-average video.

• Smart Phone – This will be your camera and editing workstation
• Corded Lavalier Microphone – This will enhance your audio quality
• Phone holder / Tripod – This will keep your phone stable and allow you to go hands-free
• Light (Window, Ring Light, LED Panel) – Doesn’t matter what you use but make sure your videos are well lit. Good light is more important than a good camera.

KNOWLEDGE LIST – this is what you need to know before you create effective video

If you haven’t taken the time to work out what your brand is, you need to do that if you want to create the most effective video. I know we know this already but I’m still going to say it: YOUR BRAND IS NOT YOUR LOGO.

One of my LinkedIn connections, Brand & Content Strategist Jason Vana, created a great list outlining the order in which your brand should be built:

• Purpose (why you exist)
• Customer (who are they)
• Positioning (why buy from you)
• Personality (tone, voice, attitude)
• Messaging (how you communicate)
• Design (logo, colors, fonts, design style)
• Offer (productizing your offer)
• Website (your interwebs home)
• Engagement (marketing + content strategy)
• Standard Operating Procedure (how everything works together)

Not everyone needs to build everything on this entire list, in this exact order to make great videos but you should be thinking at least about who you are (Your Purpose) and who your customer is (Who your video will talk too) before making the content.

TIPS FOR COMING UP WITH VIDEO CONTENT IDEAS

In recent times I’ve been running several polls on LinkedIn trying to discover why people won’t make video. Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Most people agreed that video Is valuable for their business.
• Some people didn’t want to do a video because they were self-conscious. They don’t like how they look or how they sound on camera.
• While there were a fair number of people who were concerned about having the necessary gear. The majority of persons responded saying they were not doing videos because they don’t know what to say.

Fortunately, this problem is easily solvable.

Once you know who you are and who you’re talking to. Knowing what to say is a simple case of talking about the things that you do every day inside of your business or job.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What are the things that I most frequently get asked about my business?
• What is the last problem I solved using my expertise and how did I do it?
• Do people want to know how I do what I do? If so, can I make a step-by-step instructional how-to video.
• What are five important things that I do during my workday?

If you start off with just these questions, it will open up a flood of content ideas for you to begin making video.

BEING CONFIDENT ON CAMERA

“Be scared but still do it“ – Juma Bannister

After you have the gear and have developed a fair amount of skill, video creation often boils down to CONFIDENCE.

At the start of the process of video creation, we are self-conscious about our voice and how we look on camera but only you can say things in the way you do and express it in the way you can. If you don’t say it, it won’t be said.

If you are self-conscious and lack confidence here are some things that you can try:

• Record a video talking about what you do and send it to a friend. They don’t need to give feedback just have them watch it.
• Make an intro video that is under one minute long. Say your name what do you, and be sure to mention this is your first video.
• Do a virtual meeting with a friend, have a conversation about what you like to do and record it. Then take short clips from that and post them.
• Find a good video content creator in your niche who you can relate to. Comment on their posts, track what they do, and see how they do it. Create a video using a topic they talked about.
• Find and work with a good video mentor.

Video Content Creation is like standing at the bottom of a mountain, looking up, and declaring I’m going to conquer this. In the beginning, it’s slow and the journey seems difficult. As you ascend and create more and more, you gain strength, momentum, skill and are able to surmount heights you previously could not.

Happy Useful Content Creation.

Juma