Tips for video creators to help improve their content and attract viewers

Video content is perhaps the most popular form of online entertainment. In fact, 85% of internet users in the U.S. watch online video content from one or more of their devices. What’s more, they even say they want to see more video content from the people or businesses they support.

But creating video content that looks professional and is engaging for viewers is not exactly easy. It’s not rocket science either, but you do need to pay attention to some key elements. You don’t need to spend a fortune on the latest gear or hire a team of assistants to help you out.

If you want to improve your video content and grow your audience, you need to work at bettering your technique. We put together a list of tips to help you impress your audience and create stellar videos. 

The human brain loves a good story

Storytelling is at the core of any successful video content. Even if you think the type of content you create is not meant to tell a story, it almost always is. Plan your content ahead so that you can begin to create your story the moment you start filming.

Research published a few years back found that when we watch a character-driven story, the levels of oxytocin released by the brain increases. What’s more, viewers are more likely to want to mimic the feelings and behaviour presented by the characters, prompting them to want to donate to charity or help others if they watch a story supporting this narrative.

When you put it this way, video creators could have the potential to change the world, so why not use it? Create a story that has a beginning, middle and end to keep your audience engaged up until the very last second. Developing and using a script to help you get your ideas in order is also encouraged.

Invest in some good hardware

You don’t need to have the most expensive gear to create good videos, but it does help a lot. This is not to say that you should go and get the most expensive camera, because smartphones now are almost as good as mid-ranged cameras, but there is some equipment that will really help.

The first thing you need to get is a good tripod mount to make sure you keep the camera steady. Go for one that can be used with both cameras and smartphones so that you can get more use out of it.

Next, you need to invest in some good lighting, especially if you are shooting indoors. Natural light is your best ally, but the sun won’t be shining brightly every day, which means sometimes you need a little extra help.

You could also consider getting an external mic for better audio quality, especially if you will be shooting outdoors, where there is a lot of background noise that needs to be filtered. You can find a good quality mic for £50 or less, which you can attach to your phone or camera. 

Add some music to your videos

The action will be your video’s primary focus, but you have probably seen content creators sometimes use music to enhance the emotional impact of a story. Multiples studies show that music is able to generate powerful emotional responses from us, which is why it has become so widely used in videos, marketing campaigns and even inside stores in order to influence consumer behaviour.

However, there is one thing you need to keep in mind when searching for music for your videos: copyrights. The last thing you need is to have your video taken down, or even worse, the artist taking legal action against you. To avoid such issues, you can use royalty-free music, which you can find online.

As royalty-free music creators at Melody Loops explain, royalty-free music does not necessarily mean you won’t need to pay for it, but rather that you don’t need to pay royalties to the artist every time you use their song. Think of it as a tax-free product – you still need to purchase it, but you won’t be paying any other additional taxes.

Optimise your videos for the intended platform

Landscape mode (using your camera horizontally) is considered the best way of filming because videos are usually presented horizontally on almost every platform. TVs, cinemas, YouTube, Twitch and all other streaming platforms encourage the use of landscape mode, but certain platforms prefer to go against the current.

Platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook have encouraged a new type of content – stories and live videos – which sometimes work better if filmed vertically. This is why you need to take into consideration the platform onto which you will be posting your content. Sometimes, a video that works on YouTube may need to be edited to fit an Instagram story. When filming and editing your content, keep all of this in mind so you won’t need to do twice the work.

Learn how to use a video editing tool

Filming is not the only step for creating good videos, so you will need to learn how to edit them as well. You don’t need to possess exquisite editing skills for this, especially if all you need to do is compile some clips together or remove some bloopers. Using iMovie, the YouTube video editor or Windows Movie Maker should be enough for basic video editing.

If you need to do more complex work, there are several programs you can use, although you will need to purchase them or pay for a subscription program.

When filming, make sure you try out multiple angles so that you have more shots to choose from once you go into editing.

Not everyone watching your videos will be able to play the audio as well, so you may want to consider adding captions or on-screen text to your content as well. Some platforms allow caption content, but sometimes you need to add subtitles yourself, so make sure you are using an editing program that supports this too.   

The editorial unit