6 Simple Tips to IMPROVE Your Videos

Want to create polished and professional videos to impress your Facebook audience? But what if you don’t have the equipment to get there?

1. Sound is more important than visuals

Many amateur content creators approach video production as something that needs to be a visual cinematic masterpiece, with flashing graphics, and multiple location shots.

It’s important to scale it back and focus on getting the basics right first, before trying to wow your audience with that cool flashy editing tricks you learnt from a YouTube tutorial. You don’t want to distract from the high-quality information that your audience is interested in.

People are more likely to hit the back button if you don’t have crisp and clear audio.

Audio matters. That’s why the first piece of equipment you should invest in before a fancy camera or even any lighting equipment is a decent microphone.

Even if you can’t afford one, there are little things you can do to improve your audio quality.

Be aware of background noise that your microphone may be picking up, and do the best you can to eliminate background noise.

(READ: How To Create Awesome Content that’ll Win Customers)

2. Use the right lighting

Lighting makes a huge difference in the quality of your finished project.

If you don’t have access to expensive film equipment, don’t stress, one of the best sources of light comes from the sun. Filming your videos facing a window is one of the best natural lighting solutions. Handy tip, If you are filming outside it’s best to film early in the morning, or late in the afternoon. This is because the light during the day can be quite harsh and unflattering to your subject. This is referred to as “the golden hour.”

If you do use studio lights, however, make sure that the light is spread evenly across your subject and there are no harsh shadows.

And this. Using a lot of shadows makes your videos look dramatic. Using little or no shadow creates a more open and straight forward vibe, which is better for business and marketing videos.

3. Shaky footage

We’re making a Facebook video, not filming a horror movie.

Shaky footage can immediately change your video from a professional work of art to an unwatchable video. Try not to hold your camera if you can help it, a tripod is your best friend, or if you don’t have a tripod a stack of books on a desk works surprisingly well.

4. Mise en scene

Mis en scene is a film term that refers to the placement of everything within the frame. This is all about considering where your subject is within the frame, and taking into account how everything in the background can make your video look more professional.

After all, the more professional it is, the more watchable it will be, and the more your audience can ENGAGE with it.

This is why the rule of thirds is significant. This is a simple video technique that when used, can transform your video content. Check out this example.

The lines show where our eyes are more naturally drawn to.

Instead, It’s best to place pieces of information in these key areas as best as we can.

Mind the head too! We need not have too much space above a subjects head. You don’t want to cut off the top of someone’s head either.

(READ: Six Awesome Ways to Increase Facebook Engagement)

5. Use what you have

No DSLR? No problem. You don’t need fancy equipment to engage your audience. Your phone is one of the best tools you have to create content.

Use the back camera and not the front when recording as it is a higher quality. Record in landscape mode, this will ensure your video looks good across all devices, and not just phone screens. Turn on the grid option on your phone if you have it; this is an easy way to follow the rule of thirds.

6. Your background matters

Be deliberate in the location you pick to film your videos. Nothing looks more unprofessional than a messy and distracting background.

Suppose you don’t have a professional-looking space available use a solid coloured background, like a sheet for example. A desk or a bookcase are other options for intriguing backgrounds that won’t draw your viewers attention away from you.

(READ: The Customer Value Journey: How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy)

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