How to make the best videos for all social media platforms
Video is the way of the future. It captures an audience's attention and allows you to connect with the people you're selling your product to. Here's how to make the best videos for all social media platforms.
Did you know the average person spends 100 minutes each day watching videos online? In this blog post, travel videographer Laura Reid gives you the ins and outs of how to create the best videos for all online platforms in 2021.
Video is the way of the future. It captures an audience's attention greater than traditional photos, and it allows you to connect with the people you’re selling your product to. If you’re not doing video in 2021 you’re missing out.
Let’s start with talking about what types of videos perform best across different platforms. From YouTube and Facebook to Instagram, Tiktok, and Pinterest. Each of these platforms has a unique format to post your videos in. Lucky for you however is that you can repurpose the same piece of content for all of these platforms with just a bit of extra editing. Most users will be watching your videos on their mobile so making sure any text you overlay on the video is clear and concise is a must. Adding text with additional info or subtitles on your video is a great way to keep the viewer more engaged. Anytime someone has to read something on the screen it will keep them there for longer and it helps if they are watching it on mute, which a lot of users do.
Instagram was acquired by Facebook back in 2012 and the two platforms have both encouraged video content from their users because it keeps people on their websites for longer. They are also more likely to push video content out because of this, so it’s important to be creating video content in 2021. Instagram has recently introduced Instagram Reels which has been rising in popularity. Instagram Reels are a feature for users and brands to create up to 30-second video clips, which can be set to music and have text over top. Essentially it’s a copy of the rising platform TikTok, but on Instagram. These videos are in a 9:16 1080 x 1920) format and can be either filmed in the app or you can upload a cut-down video edited on your computer or phone. From there you will want to go into Instagram Reels and add music and text overlay with additional information to keep the viewer engaged. These videos can be up to 30 seconds, and informational or fun whimsical content will perform best.
The content you post on Facebook will look a bit different than on Instagram. Facebook leans more towards more professional-looking videos. A good example of someone who has done well on this platform is Tasty, which is owned by Buzzfeed. They create quick and fun cooking videos which amass over a billion views. So if you’re looking for an example of a brand that has excelled on this platform look no further.
The next platform that is important but more time-consuming is YouTube. YouTube is a great place for long-form video content where you will want your videos to be around 5-10 minutes long. This is a platform to share your lengthy story through and give people a behind-the-scenes look at your brand or business. Having your brand present on YouTube is great for SEO purposes and by providing educational content you can have your business seen by new eyes. An example of a brand that has excelled in this area is Lego and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Lego has created content for their demographic and provides kid-friendly entertainment that parents feel safe putting on for their kids. This positive brand messaging would also help in them selling more toys.
Disney Animation Studios does an array of videos including drawing tutorials. Anytime you can provide informational value or follow along content, there is a greater chance people will be more engaged with your content.
A platform that is on the rise and one to watch is TikTok. This is an app that has a unique algorithm that allows the average Joe to become a social media sensation overnight. When joining the app, the algorithm will push your first few videos out to give you the sense that you have a real shot at quickly gaining fame. Use this as an opportunity to produce your best content and you may just gain a quick 5000 followers from that. That being said TikTok also has a unique way of doing videos. A beautiful cinematic video won’t work on this platform. The users there like relatable and informational content. Videos filmed on your phone that don’t look like they are edited too much is what performs best. I’ve been testing different things that work on this platform and have come up with the winning formula:
Now, this is just a simple guideline to what you can do to have a successful TikTok page. I also recommend that you make bold statements that people will feel the need to leave a comment in your comment section. This is a hack to gain more traction on your videos because the more comments = the more chances your video will be pushed out. TikTok is like a fun game and once you figure it out you’re golden.
Lastly, pushing your published TikToks, Instagram Reels, and Facebook videos through Pinterest is a great way to gain even more traction on your published content. You can do this by either downloading your videos and reuploading them, or by saving it directly to your brand’s Pinterest with a browser extension. Being able to repurpose your content for these different platforms will save you time and make your video efforts go even further.
Now that you know how to make the best videos for all the different social media platforms, it’s important to set out a plan to implement this strategy. Video takes a lot of time and will often need teams put together to achieve success in this area. However, it’s an important element to have set up in your business and one which you will see growth in once you start.
Laura is a cinematic travel videographer and YouTuber who records her travels to different countries around the world. Sharing with her audience the best places to go, where to eat and everything in between.
Are you a video editor or filmmaker? Whether you’re an absolute master or just a beginner, discover what Epidemic Sound has to offer in our Epidemic Sound for Filmmaking page. Oh, and if you’re looking for some background music for your videos, we got you covered.
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