by Chatty Garrate

Now considered the best type of social media content in terms of performance, videos have become the go-to strategy for advertisers. In fact, 9 out of 10 online advertisers take advantage of videos in their marketing campaigns and efforts. 

Videos help consumers learn more about the brand, while companies benefit from the increased traffic on their social media channels, widened reach, and increased sales. They also promote brand awareness, interest, recall, and engagement.

Some may find creating quality videos an intimidating task. However, over the last few years, tools and applications, as well as intro to video editing courses, have made video editing easier and more convenient. So, take the time to experiment with options and techniques. Before you know it, video editing will just be a walk in the park for you. 

Below are a few pointers.

Tips for Making A Quality Social Media Video Edit 

Make the first 8 seconds count

Why eight seconds, you ask? It turns out that we now have shorter attention spans than a goldfish. According to a , the increased digitalization of our lifestyle has shrunk our attention span and concentration to just eight seconds.

Your goal is for the audience to watch your videos in their entirety. And in this day and age, where we are surrounded by so many stimuli every second, it is easy to scroll past videos that don’t capture our interest during the first few seconds.

How do you do that? Put the most interesting part of your video in the first 8 seconds. Get their attention with a text or title that captures what they can expect from the whole video. You can also make use of motion, paired with aesthetically pleasing graphics and visuals, to capture the attention of your audience right away.

Optimize the length for various social media channels

Make your videos short and concise as much as possible — bite-sized, easy to consume. Optimize the length of your video according to the social media platform where you’ll be posting it. 

  • For YouTube, you can create videos for as long as 30 minutes. Youtube users expect longer videos on there. Just make sure that you can sustain your viewers’ attention span until the end. 
  • For Facebook, one-minute videos are optimal. They usually get more engagements, shares, and views. Facebook Live is also a great way to increase engagement with your audience. However, it is best to keep the length between 10 and 20 minutes, and the content engaging and insightful.
  • Instagram reels and newsfeed videos currently last 60 seconds. Best if you can limit the length of your videos to 30 seconds. Instagram users are used to scrolling past beautiful images care of casual users and Instagram influencers alike, so you can’t expect them to stare at one thing for too long. 
  • For Twitter, 45 seconds. Tweets are short, concise, and straight to the point. Videos posted on this platform should be the same.

Put subtitles

Videos now automatically play (although muted) when you scroll past them. Aside from capturing their attention in the first few seconds, send your message across by letting them read it. Subtitles also ensure that the deaf and the hard of hearing audiences can consume your content easily. 

Users usually watch videos or consume any type of content for that matter, on the go. Some may not be able to go somewhere quiet to appreciate the audio or wear their headphones all the time. So, subtitles are really your best bet to ensure that more people watch your videos.

Utilize natural light

Making use of natural light will make editing much easier. Time your shoot perfectly to take advantage of sunlight at different parts of the day. For example, during the golden hour, you can take advantage of the tints of yellow, orange, and red for your scenes. The blue hues about half an hour after sunset create cool and tranquil tones for your shots. Cloudy days make for softer and perfectly spread out light.

Adding some light effects and adjustments to your shots’ brightness can also do wonders. You can make use of color correction tools to adjust the lighting to match the mood and tone of your scenes. 

Tell the story well

It’s one thing to capture their attention and another thing to keep it. As much as possible, avoid making your videos come off as too promotional. Focus on the story and the emotions that you want to elicit from the audience. The goal of your video should be, first and foremost, forging a connection with your viewers. 

Produce high-quality content that is anchored in relevance, wit, and value — something that will resonate with a large part of your audience at the present time. All while not sacrificing your brand’s culture, reputation, and personality, but instead, celebrating and promoting them.

Want to learn more about video marketing, producing or editing your videos? Schedule a complimentary strategy session.