Video is an important part of a content strategy that’s hard to do: you have to allocate time, figure out the equipment, pay for it, and manage the filming. Video increases conversion rates and allows you to track viewer engagement, but it’s unclear where to start.

We’ve put together tips to help an entrepreneur incorporate video marketing into their business.

How video marketing is useful

Below are findings from Aberdeen Group, HubSpot, Forrester, Unbounce, SearchMetrics and MarTech:

• Video marketing boosts revenue. Business revenues will grow 49% faster compared to competitors who don’t use video marketing.
• Influences Purchase Decision. Video helps 90% of customers make buying decisions and 64% increase the likelihood of a purchase.
• Give the customer what they want. Customers search for product information in a variety of ways: search engine, company website, YouTube. Video can easily be embedded on any site.
• It helps to get up in search. Dwell time is the time a user spends on a site after going from a search engine, but before they go back into search. The longer the visitor is on the site, the higher the reputation of the site. Video helps keep the visitor as long as possible.A visitor will spend an average of two minutes more on a site with video content.
• Gives more backlinks. Embedded video increases the average number of linked domains by three times.

Increases conversion rates. Viewers have a 27% higher CTR and a 34% higher conversion rate. Video on the landing page increases conversions by up to 80%.

Improves email deliverability. Mentioning a video in the subject line increases email open rate by 19%, CTR by 65%, and reduces unsubscribes by 26%.

Increases the number of reposts. Social videos are shared 12 times more than text and pictures combined.

Examples of videos

If you have footage, try testing it out – start with the formats you think are good and see how your audience responds. As you get a sense of direction, start improving it, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles.

Educational videos

Instructional videos help the audience solve a specific problem. If the audience often has the same questions, they can be collected and answered in a video – this will increase audience engagement, help move a potential customer through the funnel and improve the site’s visibility in search engine results. Typically, such videos are made in the form of step-by-step instructions.

For example, you can tell how to choose a bike, protection and additional gear. This will show expertise in the industry and help warm up a cold audience:

You can talk about something more complicated, such as sending events to Yandex Metrics. The viewer will learn a new skill, and the speaker will be cemented as an expert.

The problem with training videos is that they quickly become boring. In this case, you can try to improvise: film from different angles, add interruptions, set an interesting background.

By training videos can include webinars. Webinars have great educational potential: they explain new things, help generate leads and move potential buyers further down the funnel. Webinars can be recorded in advance, broadcast in a recording, or posted on your website.

Product videos

These videos will introduce the audience to the product and tell them what problem it solves. This is a good format when you need to communicate the nuances of the product to a cold audience and increase brand awareness. These videos work well at the upper levels of the funnel, when customers haven’t heard much about you.

It’s a good idea to try to make an emotional connection with the viewer, engage them in the product, and give them a reason to share the video with people they know. If you have an assortment of products, you can talk not about each specific product, but about the whole category, how it solves a problem. In this way, you’re not imposing a product, but rather showing that you know the viewer’s problem and offer a solution. The viewer should feel that there is a benefit to them in the video.

Demo commercials

These are also product videos that target the bottom of the sales funnel. They should be detailed because they help the viewer become a customer and help the customer see that they have made the right purchase decision.

Brand Videos

Help strengthen relationships with current audiences and attract new customers.

These videos do not sell, but show the company’s values. Since the viewer is more often interested in finding solutions to their problems in videos, such a video risks not getting into expectations. Therefore, it is good if the video will carry emotional value. For example, it can be a New Year story or a topical issue.

Video reviews

Video reviews help the viewer to evaluate other people’s experience and conclude whether your product solves the problem.

Video testimonials are a good way to prove your expertise as another customer talks about the benefits of your product.

When you record a video review, ask questions that will motivate the viewer to buy, and keep it centered, don’t pull the focus on yourself.

How to make a video testimonial:

Interview

Good for gathering people interested in the industry around you.

It’s best to shoot the interview on two cameras for dynamics. If there is one camera, you can leave only the interviewee in the frame; questions will come in text or voice-over.

Interviews can talk about new chips in the industry, teach something new, etc.

Promos

Raise brand awareness, increase traffic to the site, and generate sales.

Promos work well for large events: concerts, conferences, courses. Old tapes help build expectations for the event.

Answers to Questions

Here you can collect popular questions and answer them in video format. For example, the plant “Kubanzheldormash” became popular in social networks, in particular because of the video: the head of the plant answered the questions of almost every subscriber, arousing great interest in the entire audience. And this in the B2B segment!

Other formats

You can record a video on a topic that does not seem familiar to the video format. For example, an ad for finding an employee. Such a video clearly shows the company’s values, and it has good potential for reposting on social networks.

Video formats

Video formats are a wrapper for a video. For example, you can talk about a product in a live video, an animated video, or text on top of a video.

The choice of format depends on the purpose of the video. Some formats work better with a certain type of video, for example, live video is good for an interview. But you have to try to experiment: you never know what the audience will like.

For example, Arzamas made a video about the Russian language, where he combined animation and footage from real life:

Animated Video

Often used to talk about a brand or explain a complex topic. There are different styles of animation:

1. 2D and 3D animation;
2. Motion design;
3. Animated typography;
4. Stop Motion.

2D is a more traditional style. Motion design is popular for explaining a complex topic. Animated typography works well for quotes and other videos where text is important.

Stop-motion uses real objects, and animation is achieved by gluing photos together:

Text over video

Social networks often watch videos without sound. For example, on Facebook, 85% of videos are viewed without sound. This has led to a separate trend in video format: combinations of text over interludes or images.

These videos are often accompanied by music, which does not affect the flow of the movie’s plot, but helps to reinforce it for those who turn on the sound.

Streaming

Streaming allows you to stream live videos.  Popular platforms include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.

You can stream any type of content, from interviews to training videos.

Panoramic video and VR

Panoramic video records video from all angles, using multiple cameras or a single panoramic camera. To fully view this kind of content, you need a headset that allows you to watch to track the view and show the frame you want.

This is a good format for brands that want to go beyond traditional video marketing and have interactive products.

VR, unlike panoramic video, requires joysticks in addition to a headset, because in this format you need to interact with the content.

Interactive Video

A format in which the plot of the video depends on the viewer’s actions. Good for training or entertainment.

How to take beautiful pictures in a casino?

If you’re visiting a casino for the first time, you’ll want to make sure you take some beautiful pictures to remember the experience. But with all the bright lights and busyness, it can be tricky to get great photos. Here are a few tips to help you snap some amazing shots in a casino:

First, choose the right casino. Some casinos are more photogenic than others, so do your research ahead of time to find the best spots. The Best Casinos for Canadian players offer plenty of photo ops, from the grand lobby to the sparkling chandeliers.

Once you’ve found the perfect casino, it’s time to start taking pictures. Look for interesting details like architectural features or colorful decor. And don’t forget to capture the energy of the place by photographing people gambling or enjoying themselves at the bar or restaurant. With a little planning and creativity, you’re sure to come away with some great memories – and photos!

The process of creating a video

Before you start shooting, think about the purpose of the video. Every action in the video should work for the main purpose, then you will be able to hook the viewer. The purpose will also help avoid repetitive footage and unnecessary editing.

Here’s an example of questions you can ask yourself or the customer of the video:

• Who is the audience? 
• Who will watch the video? 
• Why?
• What is the goal? 
• To increase brand awareness? 
• Sell tickets to the conference? 
• Launch a product? 
• What do we want the viewer to do after watching the video?
• Where do we post the video? 
• On a landing page, website, YouTube? 

It’s better to start with the site where the video will be accessible to the maximum number of viewers, and only then post on secondary sites.

Deadline? A series of training videos will take longer than an interview – the budget for producing the video depends on this.

What’s the budget? A budget will help you avoid spending too much money and make sure the spot pays for itself. Also the budget helps to think about the possibility of involving more people in the team.

What are the creative requirements? Do we need a designer for the cover of the video? Do we make an animated video? Who will be behind the camera? Who will edit the video? Who is overseeing the sounds? Who puts up the lights?

KPIs for success? Choose the criteria by which you will measure the success of the video.

Step 1 – Script

The script helps keep the video from falling apart. If you skip writing a script, you risk doing unnecessary work, releasing a raw product, and losing the trust of your audience.

Outline the thesis statement: highlight the key issues and arrange them in a logical order.

You can make a script template in GoogleDoc. Usually the template describes the visual and voice parts of the video separately.

Step 2 – Choosing your camera

Shooting on camera. If the phone is not enough, go for a camera. There are semi-professional and professional options.

Semi-professional cameras are considered something in between regular and professional cameras: they are suitable for filming without burdening the operator with complicated settings. Semi-professional cameras: Canon PowerShot ELPH 340, GoPro HERO5.

Professional cameras like DSLRs give you control over all elements of shooting. They’re great for video shooting, but you’ll have to understand them. Professional cameras include the Sony Alpha a7SII, Nikon D810, Canon EOS Rebel T6, Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Canon 80D, Nikon d3300.

Before using a professional camera, it’s helpful to understand the settings: frame rate, shutter speed (shutter speed), light sensitivity (ISO), aperture (aperture), and color balance. It is best to learn the setting and practice it right away.

Frame rate and resolution. Frame rate is the number of frames per second that the camera records. Often choose between 24 and 30 frames per second. 24 frames show a more “cinematic” shooting, with 30 – more familiar. It is better to set the resolution to a minimum of 1920×1080 to achieve good quality video recording.

Now you can move on to the setting of aperture, light sensitivity and shutter speed. All three elements are closely related to each other and are combined into an exposure triangle:

Aperture. The aperture works on the principle of the human eye: The lens narrows and expands depending on how much light it needs to let in. Aperture is measured in f-stop, a parameter that shows how much light the lens lets in. The smaller the value, the more the lens is open, and vice versa. To control the depth of field, make sure the phone is in manual mode.

If the aperture lets in a lot of light, you’ll get bright photos with a shallow depth of field. This is good when you want to focus on the subject and take the rest of the photo into the background. If the aperture lets little light in, you can control the focus of both the front subject and the background.

Shutter speed. Shutter speed determines the amount of time that light hits the camera’s sensor.

Shutter speed is often measured in fractions of a second. The higher the second number, the faster the shutter speed. 1/1000 is faster than 1/30.

To calculate the shutter speed for video, just multiply the frame rate by 2. The resulting number will be the shutter value. At 24 frames per second, the shutter speed is 48.

Since the shutter speed can be set in increments, the number is rounded up to the nearest option. A shutter speed of 1/48 is rounded up to 1/50. Table of popular shutter speeds:

• 24 frames, 24 x 2 = 48, equals a shutter speed of 1/50;
• 30 frames, 30 x 2 = 60, equals 1/60;
• 60 frames, 60 x 2 = 120, equals 1/20.

Light Sensitivity (ISO). ISO adjusts the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light. This setting has values in the hundreds and thousands (200, 400, 800, 1600) – the higher the value, the more sensitive the camera sensor is to light. A high ISO will produce a grainy picture, a low one will produce a clear picture.

Keep in mind the light when adjusting the ISO: if the subject is well lit (e.g. on the street), you can lower the ISO to 100-200. You can increase the value if you are in a dark room, but make sure that the picture is not grainy.

All of the elements in the exposure triangle work together. For example, in a dark room, you can choose a lens with a low f-stop to avoid graininess.

Knowing how to find the balance between settings comes with practice. Two time-saving tips:

• Start with photography. By turning off video mode, you can see the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Take lots of photos and gradually increase each setting. After a while, it will become easier to get the picture you want.
• Shape the process. Refer back to the settings described above: first adjust the shutter speed, then the aperture, then the light sensitivity. To make adjustments, start again with shutter speed.

White Balance. White balance tells the camera the color temperature of the environment in which you are shooting. Each type of light has its own color: fluorescent lights are cool, and daylight is even cooler.

Avoid automatic settings if possible; try to use a preset or manual setting. Before shooting, adjust the white balance to match your surroundings.

The exact settings may vary from camera to camera, but they have presets (Sunlight, Shade, Flash, Incandescent), auto and manual settings. If you have a professional camera, you can specify the ambient temperature manually.

In this example, the room is lit with yellow fluorescent light. On the left is the wrong preset, on the right is the manual setting:

Step 3 – Preparing the scene

In addition to the camera, you need peripherals: tripods, lights, microphones. The good thing is that there are a lot of inexpensive but quality headsets on the market that will allow you to achieve good quality shooting on your own.

Basic Headset. Be sure to shoot video with a tripod or tripod – a device that secures your phone/camera and provides smooth footage.

Also stock up on extra batteries and SD cards: video takes up a lot of space.

Audio Headset. You can use a simple earplug. If you’re shooting with an iPhone, you can plug in an external microphone:

If shooting in a controlled environment (office), it’s best to use a cannon microphone. These mics are reliable, not visible in the frame and respond normally to background noise.

To work with a canon microphone, it is better to assemble a complete set of devices: microphone, microphone holder, light kit, XLR cable and Zoom H4N recorder. The recorder allows you to record audio separately from video in multiple streams.

This kit seems redundant, but if you plan to shoot a lot of video content, it will pay for itself.

Lighting equipment. You have a camera and audio, now you need light. You can find ready-made sets of illuminators on the Internet, which can help you implement any lighting scheme.

You can buy a set of three lights for about ~250-300 CAD.

An example of a lighting scheme with three illuminators:

The illuminators surround the subject and distribute the light evenly. More diagrams are listed in the book “Subject Photography in Advertising.

What to pay attention to when setting up your equipment. Take care that the shooting place doesn’t look empty: arrange chairs, put a table, a couple of plants. Objects in the room not only complete the shot, but also minimize the echo.

If the air conditioner works, turn it off. Try to minimize any extraneous noise in the room.

Ask unnecessary people to leave before you start shooting. Turn off overhead lights: with a light set, they won’t be necessary. Once the location is ready to shoot, you can call the participants.  

Step 4 – Get the participants ready for the shoot

Finding yourself in front of the camera is scary, especially if this is your first shoot. Hand out the script to the participants as early as possible so that they get used to the shooting faster. You don’t have to memorize the script: put a notebook under the camera and break it up into short paragraphs – the participant will read the text in small passages.

Maintain a calm atmosphere while filming. If there is a comment, say it, but balance it with praise to relieve the tension. Watch the intonation of the participants: if someone is nervous, it will be noticeable in the frame.

Be careful: make sure the microphones are on, the lights aren’t moving, and the camera is charged. Record several takes of the same episode and make sure the participants have normal intonation. Even if you get a great take, shoot another one: while the contestant is warmed up, it’s easier for them to perform, and you’ll have more material for post-production.

At the end of the set return to the first scene: the contestant has relaxed during the set, it is better to shoot a few more takes (the first scene is the most important).

The basics of composition. There are some films that are great on their own. In them, the frame looks nice, regardless of the picturesque scenery or scary scenery.

It’s how composition works: when the subjects are in their places, the quality of the video increases.

The rules of composition in video and photography are similar. For example, the rule of thirds, in which key elements of the frame must be placed at the intersection of lines:

The eyes are aligned on the top line near the intersection. It’s a good idea to leave some space at the top so the head doesn’t stick out of the frame:

Include interludes in your video – accompanying material that will help diversify the video. Interludes can be nature or employees talking in the background. 

Variety the interludes with different perspectives:

• Far view. Allows the viewer to see the whole scene. Good to use to show the location at the beginning;
• Middle plan. A visible object or fragment of the scene. The footage you saw in the interview could be considered a medium shot;
• Close-up. The footage is shot almost up close. This technique can be used to show details, such as typing on a keyboard.

As practice, try to tell a story with interludes and plan a sequence of scenes. Consistency is an important part of composition. It’s the ability to combine shots into a sequence so that all the supporting pieces stay in place (and don’t have their water level change from frame to frame).

The sequence helps to show the story smoothly. If the participant is walking out the door, you should film the moment he or she enters another room.

Step 5 – Organize the footage

This is boring, but will help save the project.

On an external drive, create a separate folder for each project. Inside the folder are folders distributed by role: footage, audio, documents, etc. Create a template that can be used equally in all projects:

For folders and files, stick to the same structure. For example, you can include the date (year-month-day) at the beginning of the file.

Step 6 – Postproduction

It’s best to use Adobe Premiere Pro: it allows you to work in conjunction with other editing programs and store files in the shared cloud. The program has an advanced toolbox and the ability to work with 4K video.

Step 7 – Choose your music

Music is an important tool that can change the mood of a video. The right music will hold the viewer’s attention and evoke positive emotions.

But music is not free. Before you start shooting, set a budget and study copyright law (Civil Code Chapter 70. Copyright).

If you use a third-party author’s composition without permission, your video can be blocked. Royalty free music is not free: you have to pay for it once, but you don’t have to worry about subsequent licensing fees. You can find a lot of royalty free music on YouTube.

Step 8 – Record the voice-over

You’ve got the video and music – it’s time to do voice-over.

Voice-over narration is a voice-over narration that allows you to enhance the quality of your video and make it more interesting.

How to do a good voice-over yourself:

Find a quiet location. Preferably without distracting sounds like sirens, doors opening, people talking. Read the script aloud and pay attention to the acoustics of the room. If there is an echo or the voice seems muffled, add furniture or find another room.

Prepare. Before recording, read the script several times and take notes on difficult pauses and transitions. Drink more water and take off loud decorations during the shoot.

Test and listen. Buy good headphones and monitor the quality of the recording while you’re shooting. It’s easier to re-record the audio track than to agonize with it in post-production. Run through the script a few times to warm up your voice. If there are hissing sounds, move away from the microphone a bit or buy a filter.

To summarize the review

1. Don’t be afraid to make jokes and get creative;
2. Think through the script;
3. Where you can show a subject, show it, not tell it;
4. Take your time. It’s better to do several takes than to agonize at the post-production stage;
5. In one reel, tell one story;
6. The shorter the video, the better;
7. Build the story around emotions.