Video shorts have a profound impact on people. They are highly appreciated, as they put a face to your brand and help people feel like theyโre getting to know you and your company. However, creating them professionally requires planning, staging, production, and editing work.
There are times when it may not be necessary to invest in a full-blown production process. In this piece, weโll explore these situations, provide ideas and how-to guides, and include some helpful checklists to assist you in your video short creation process.
When Would it Make More Sense to Create DIY Videos?
There are several reasons why you might want to do DIY videos instead of a production:
- To add a personal touch. Itโs one thing to have a seamless, professional video. But itโs more relatable and personal when there are DIY videos.
- To encourage collaboration. If youโve got a team, you can splice together several clips of team members responding to your questions. This is a great way to attract prospective employees to your company, or encourage clients to work with you.
- If you want to add user-generated content (UGC). If youโve been meaning to make the transition into UGC to promote your product or services, creating DIY videos of your own (and encouraging your users to do so) is a great way to break the ice.
What are some DIY Video Short Must-Haves for Businesses?
Making video shorts for your business is easier than you may think! There are a few must-haves (recommended by experts who specialize in video), but at the end of the day, as long as you have a phone with a camera on it, youโre already going to be ahead of the other businesses who havenโt realized the value of video yet!
That said, the sooner you can get serious about video content, the more people will like your videos (because theyโll notice the extra effort you put in). For that reason, there are a few investments you may want to make to bring your videos to the next level.
Hereโs a quick checklist of supplies you may need:
- Mic for indoor videos (Yeti is a good starter brand, but Rode and Shure are excellent)
- Wireless lapel mic for outdoor videos (Comica and Movo are both good brands)
- Camera for high-quality/longform video (Canon and Sony Mirrorless Cameras can deliver good results)
- A visually-appealing background (to show your personality)
- Fill lights (for better lighting/shadow reduction)
- Tripod or mini tripod (for use on desks)
- Ring light (LumeCube is a good brand)
What Content Should I Create for My Video Shorts?
One of the main mistakes people make when creating video shorts is by starting their video shorts with introductions instead of strong hooks that speak directly to their target audience. Unfortunately, โHi, Iโm Troy McClure,โ wonโt work for your video shorts – itโs a much stronger start when you can draw the audience in right away.
For that reason, every video should start with a hook. Examples of hooks that work are:
- โHereโs how I (result that your audience wants) in (amount of time)โ
- โ(Well-known/repeated saying) doesnโt actually work. Hereโs whyโ
- โYou donโt need to (common advice). Hereโs what I do insteadโ
If you notice, a lot of these โhooksโ would work well with strong opinions/expertise. Itโs important to show off your personality and preferences in a video. Otherwise, itโs no different than what anyone else would say.
In your video content, you should also aim to list benefits (if youโre doing a sales video) or educate your target audience (if youโre doing an educational video). Give people a reason to keep watching, and always provide value.
Great videos also end with a CTA, whether itโs to comment on the video, register for a webinar, or sign up for a free guide.
Hereโs a recap of what we discussed:
- Start with a strong hook (not an intro)
- Show off your personality
- Always provide value
- End with a CTA
Things to Think About
Here are some more things you may want to think about:
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- Camera orientation. Shorts usually work best in vertical, whereas long-form content works best in landscape.
- Changing up backgrounds/angles/distance to camera. This makes the content more interesting to the viewer and adds variety to the videos.
- Video length. 40-45 second videos tend to do best, but you should at least aim to keep them under two minutes.
- Creating a studio space. Try to have a setup all ready to go so you donโt have to worry about it when you step into the studio to record. This simple tip can help a lot!
- Use automations/tools. Trello is great for a video workflow, and Zapier can help make the process more seamless. Creating a content management system is a must!
- Video editing. Most creators hire video editors so they can focus on putting their time and energy elsewhere, but if you want to do it yourself, Capcut and Descript will work.
Need to Get Your Videos Edited? Matcha Design Can Help!
Are you looking for someone who can help make your videos look amazing? Weโd be happy to help! Weโve got decades of experience shooting professional videos, and our video editing skill has won us awards. Contact us today if youโd like help with your next video project!
