It's 2021, and video is indeed Queen & King of social media. TikTok, built only of short form videos, is the fastest growing social media platform out there. If you aren't making videos an essential part of your social media strategy, your brand is definitely falling behind. Creating video can seem like a daunting task if you're used to only posting static photos. But never fear, there are easy ways to start creating video content that are accessible to you right now. We'll break it down into the 4 types of video content you should be creating, and some easy tips for making your video quality stand out from the crowd.
How to Capture Quality Video
You do not need fancy equipment to film videos for social media. You probably already own the perfect camera to capture video - your smartphone. If you're speaking in your video, make sure you're in a quiet space so there won't be ambient background noise. Lighting is important for good video content. Filming near a sunny window is a great free option, but we suggest investing in an affordable ring light, so you can film well lit videos anywhere. Shaky videos will quickly turn viewers off, so a tripod is also a great investment to make. There are many ring light tripod combos available on Amazon. Buying these items now will make capturing quality video content a breeze.
Types of Video Content to Focus On
Disappearing Videos
Disappearing videos are videos that are posted to your Stories. Stories only last for 24 hours, so you don't need to put a lot of pressure on them. Stories are the most casual form of video content out there, and the best place to get started if you struggle to make video a part of your social media strategy. Short clips of your every day life are the perfect kind of content for stories. Challenge yourself to post one short clip to your story every day to start getting comfortable with video content. Check out the highlights on Media A La Carte's profile for some inspiration.
Short Form Videos
Instagram Reels and TikToks are the number one type of video content you should be focused on creating. The good news? This type of video thrives on it's low key nature. You're not filming commercials for yourself or your brand. You're capturing short moments of comedic, educational, or relatable content that supports your niche. Short form videos are fueled by trends. The pro to this is that you don't have to think up video concepts, you just adapt trending concepts to your niche (like the viral Reel below). The con to this is that trends come and go quickly, so you have to stay on top of them. Check out this collection of TikTok accounts to follow to stay on top trending video ideas.
Live Videos
Live videos seem so intimidating, but the truth is - they're one of the easiest forms of video content to make. When your followers hop on to your live video, they aren't expecting a perfect, polished experience. They know you're responding to questions in the moment and on the fly. You can go into a live video with a plan or you can simply go live and engage with your followers who join the live. Media A La Carte collected questions for Amandina to answer in her live. Amandina got on Instagram live, answered the questions, and engaged with the followers who joined the live. She was able to create a 30+ minute piece of video content with minimal prep effort - and you can too! After you finish a live on Instagram or Facebook, you can save it to your profile (like the video below). Lives on TikTok can't be saved, but they're an excellent tool for gaining followers because TikTok users discover new accounts on TikTok's Live Feed. On TikTok, you reach way more than your current followers when you use the live feature.
Long Form Videos
Long form videos can be posted to Youtube, IGTV, or Facebook Watch. Long form videos are the most time consuming type of video content to create, but that doesn't mean they're hard to create! Start out by creating a simple concept like the video below. Amandina shared the story of Media A La Carte's creation with her followers by talking casually and directly into the camera - no video editing required.
If you want to up your long form video game, you can start creating tutorials or vlogs - like the one below by The Article NYC. This kind of long form video requires much more editing and branding work than the concept above, but it may be more useful for your specific niche. Long form videos are perfect for The Article NYC because their ideal audience is attracted to tutorials and instructional videos.
Remember, videos on Instagram get more engagement than any other type of content on the platform, and tweets that have videos get 10% more engagement than tweets without videos. We cannot stress enough how important video should be to your social media strategy. Remember when we all thought it was wild that Instagram only allowed users to post photos? Ah how young we were. Now TikTok's video only platform is all the rage. Social media is ever changing, but we're here to help you keep up with the times.
