If you go out and ask the top internet marketers what they think about using videos to promote your brand, half of them will tell you that it is one of the most effective tools you have. Video marketing works regardless of the niche you are in and it will offer you the best return on your investment (ROI) out of all types of promotional methods.
A nicely produced video will deliver the message to your audience in a fun and engaging way. Think about it a little bit. What would you rather do – read a 1,000 words advertorial or a watch a 3 minute video reel that showcases your nonprofit organization’s message?
In this post we are going to talk about some of the most important tips you need to keep in mind when editing your next video.
Tip #1 Follow a script
You need to have a very clearly defined script for your video. The script should include both the words that you are actually saying, but also information about which footage to use at any time, overlays and effects that you want to add throughout your video.
Having a script will help you creating a concise and easy to understand message. This way you will make sure you are not leaving anything out, you will be filming in a more organized manner and lastly but not least you will look more professional.
Tip #2 Keep it short
The best way to make sure your nonprofit organization’s message gets across is to get it out early-on in the presentation. Audience retention severely drops after the first minute of the video, so try to capture the most important content in the very beginning of the video.
Skip un-necessary details such as when your nonprofit was founded, or how many members you have. Yes, I know these are important facts, but your first time viewers are less likely to stick with you through the video if you start with boring statistics.
Instead, get right to the point from the very start of the video and try to hook the audience.
Tip #3 Use text
Three out of four users will watch your video on a mobile device, most of the times while commuting from work to home or while outside. In some of these cases they can’t actually hear the audio, so that’s why text-based videos are so popular these days.
When editing a text-based video keep your messages clear, short and concise. The users need to see exactly what they need to see, without reading a whole bunch of text on the screen.
Facebook and Instagram are two platforms which are great for using text-based videos. As you know, by default, the audio is turned off on these platforms, so your viewers will not hear what you’re saying in the audio anyway. Adding text to your video is really good because people will see immediately what the message is and let them decide if they would rather continue watching the video or keep scrolling.
Tip #4 Pacing
Depending on how you want to set the mood you will need to play a little bit with the pacing of the video. Structure your video edit so that it has a beginning, a rise, a fall and an end. The pacing of the video needs to be just right for your audience and in sync with the message you want to transmit.
If you’re using fast transitions, flashy effects and the overall pacing of the video is just too fast, the message is going to go by too quickly and your audience might not be able to absorb the information. If it is too slow, they are going to get bored in the first seconds of the video.
A good tip here is to pace your video editing based on the demographics of the audience. Typically a younger audience will enjoy a faster, more dynamic edit, while older viewers will prefer a slower-paced edit.
Tip #5 Use B-rolls
As explained on contentmarketinginstitute.com, “B-rolls are the extra footage captured to enrich the story you’re telling and to have greater flexibility when editing. Instead of featuring only talking heads on video, you want to have other images you can cut away to that will add dimension to your story.” This tip is especially important for nonprofits because it can add so much more credibility to your organization’s goal. For example, you can add B-rolls of your workers while pursing your stated goals whenever appropriate throughout the video.
As a video editor you will find yourself most of the time in need of extra footage, because you will need to cut off pauses, “ah’s and uhm’s” and B-rolls are the perfect way of doing just that.
Final thoughts
There is no doubt that nowadays video is the preferred communication method for all users around the globe, regardless of the market you are in. After all, more than 70% of today’s Internet traffic is video generated. Therefore it makes perfect sense to start converting your text-based content into video-based content and reach out to your audience easier.
Use the above mentioned tips as general guidelines rather than rules and focus on creating a concise video edit which carries your message in an engaging manner.
VEEDYOU MEDIA offers affordable video editing services to customers all over the world and can be reached at: contact [at] veedyou [dot] com.
