How to Create Catchy Video Content with a Small Budget

Many marketers will have you believe that the only types of videos you should post on social media are those that are professionally made and super sleek; which means they will have to spend a ton of time and money creating these videos. This is simply not the case.

Facebook Video Algorithm – Capture the Biggest Audience possible

The bottom line is that videos are becoming more and more an effective platform to reach your social fans and followers. On Facebook, for example, videos have more weight in the search algorithm than any other type of content.

It’s no coincidence that videos are the top-ranking posts on Facebook. Post a video and you have a much better chance of them reaching your intended audience.

Ever notice when your friend, or a business you like, goes live? Facebook makes sure you do! You get a notification that the user or business is live.

Our next blog post will be devoted to LIVE videos, in which we will tell you about ideas for your LIVE presentations and share the best practices.

What types of videos should you post?

People respond best to personal, relatable videos. There are a lot of options available, in terms of actual content and those that help to eliminate background noise. If you think that without a real product you can not record a valuable video, you’re mistaken. We’ve analyzed successful pages of Small Businesses (both product & services) and saved some great examples of different types of videos that you can start creating as quickly as today!

Product video

It’s not hard to take a short video of your awesome product. Trilogy spent a little budget for this simple product video.

TIP: Try Stop Motion video (the new video trend) – surprise and engage!

By showcasing your products and showing your fans and followers what your company has to offer, you increase the chance of conversions – including sales. When they see it, there are more chances for them to want to buy it.

Invite them Inside your Office or Store

What better way to get people to come see you than to show them what they’re missing? You can also show how the products are created in your location, showcase your services etc. Melba, the coffee house is all about coffee making. Watching this “coffee” video will intrigue the follower to want to come for themselves and taste this artsy cup of coffee!  

TIP: Process videos are viral. People like watching something created from scratch (e.g. coffee making, recipe, make-up videos etc)

Industry-Related How-to Videos

You know your product/service best and know how to use it effectively (e.g. if you are a restaurant – post easy recipes, a beauty salon may reveal secrets for 15min active face masks, a clothing store – ready-to-go looks etc). Kikki.K a stationery shop, recorded a video tutorial explaining how to wrap gifts.

TIP: think of unusual ways to use your products. Create your own hacks and share them with your followers.

Show Off Your Team

Going behind-the-scenes is not something new. We know now to engage with our customers, it’s more than just showcasing your product/service. It’s also about making it personal by rolling the camera on your staff.  Odettes is a restaurant who understands the value of their clients by posting both videos and photos of their food and interior. If your brand is about people and connecting with them – start creating videos with your team and by your team. Show how eager they are when working all together – your followers will appreciate their hard work and camaraderie!

TIP: Try Boomerang videos to create short and catchy video content (see Instagram camera settings).

Video posts that let your audience get closer to you and your business is more valuable than you could possibly imagine.

Get professional quality videos from your smartphone

Not everyone has the budget to create a professional video, here are some tips and tricks you can follow to make sure they look just as good to your social audience. Here is a handy list of tips you can keep in mind when you’re filming your next social video:

• Avoid vertical video syndrome
• Think about what you’re going to say ahead of time – dead air never did anybody any good
• Let people know if you’re going LIVE before you do – that way they’ll be waiting for you
• Time your live videos for when your followers are online – otherwise participation will be low
• Make sure the lighting is on point – you want to be seen, after all
• Write a compelling description of your video – that way when it’s just a video, people want to watch it
• Be yourself – social media is all about relationships
• Eliminate background noise as much as possible – a microphone might come in handy. The Audio matters as much as the Video.
• Keep your phone or camera still – no social video should be in “shaky cam” style
• Get Close to Your Subject. Mind the messy background. Choose the background that will fulfill the video image not distract attention.

Follow these easy guidelines; add video into your content plan, and in return you get  engagement and conversion on your social media efforts. With hardly any time or effort, you can really boost your social media game. Give it a try!