In the present age of information overload and short attention spans, it is critical for marketers to discover newer methods to keep their audiences engaged.
While video marketing is an effective way to widen your brand reach and increase conversions, not every video you post manages to capture attention. This is where video editing tools and techniques come in handy.
A professional-quality video builds lasting connections and relationships with the audience, helping you convert them into loyal customers.
It may seem wise to hire a professional video editor to help you with this, however, with the scores of free tools available, anyone can get a hang of this with ease. Here are eight editing tips you can use to make your videos more engaging.
1. Capture Attention In The Initial Seconds
One of the best things you can do to increase your video engagement is to hook the audience in the first few seconds. With increasing competition on social media networks, brands are fighting for attention.
Viewers are in complete control of what they watch, so the faster you can capture your viewer’s attention, the lesser are the chances that they scroll to the next video that appeals to them.
Use motion and eye-catching visuals like animations to encourage users to stop scrolling and click on your video.
Another effective way to hook the audience in the first few seconds is to bring about the most interesting part of the video first to spark curiosity in the viewers’ minds. If you are editing for video ads, an opening title or call to action sets the audience's expectations.
2. Use Optimum Video Length
When it comes to achieving the highest engagement with video content, marketers are always advised to keep the video length minimal. However, the right length of the video depends on several factors including the device the viewer uses, the demographics of the target audience, the platform of distribution, value, and location.
For example, if your audience watches your videos on mobile phones on the go, they might want to see something short and crisp. A too-long video will get them skimming through the sections, missing key points.
The optimal length of a video also depends on the platform you are using to share it. For example, Instagram videos should be less than 60 seconds while Facebook story videos should be limited to 20-90 seconds. A 45-second long video is ideal for sharing on Twitter.
3. Leverage The Strength of Jump Cuts
The human brain is excellent at switching from one task to another. This is how we join and create ideas. Jump cuts exactly resemble the way our brain functions which is why they are an outstanding way to improve the video’s appeal.
Editing your video to remove unwanted parts will help you get to the point and quickly share your thoughts and message.
Jump cuts can also be used to remove repetition in lengthy videos and get rid of unnecessary pauses and off-the-topic things. A video editing tool makes it easy to create jump cuts, giving your video a professional look and better impact.
4. Tell A Compelling Story
One of the most critical aspects of video marketing is to tell a compelling narrative. Storytelling is a highly effective way to engage the audience because it helps establish a connection.
When you tell a story about your brand, its growth, or its journey, your video is likely to attract more eyeballs. It also projects your content as different from the usual promotional, boring videos the viewers come across every day, improving its engagement and impact.
Instead of simply sharing your promotional message, consider framing a story with a script and characters to enhance personalization and engagement. The better your narrative, the more impactful your engagement level is.
5. Set The Right Tone
The tone of your video is crucial when it comes to keeping the viewers engaged from start to end. Setting the right tone entertains the audience and helps leave a lasting impression on their minds. One of the best ways to set a positive tone is by including visuals like text and images.
When the entire video is just narrated by a single person sitting in front of a camera, it can become boring in some time and lose attention. Consider adding infographics, data, charts, and other elements to make it interesting.
Another great way to spice up your video is to insert sound effects and background music. See that the soundtrack or effects you choose complement the video’s message and help evoke the right emotions rather than distracting the viewer’s attention from the essence.
6. Emphasize Brightness & Light Effects
The human eye responds to light differently than a camera. Our eyes are capable of picking up the tiniest details and contrast while the camera requires more lighting to capture the details our eyes can see.
This means adding light effects to the video helps achieve the quality that appeals to the eyes. An editing program helps adjust the lighting to match the scene perfectly.
The tool also allows adjusting the brightness and contrast to make the video pleasing to the eyes. You can change the lighting and other settings to suit the video’s mood.
Use soft lighting in cheerful moments while harsh lighting better suits an angry or sad clip. The choice of light affects the mood of the scene and ultimately impacts how viewers engage with your content.
7. Add Captions / Subtitles
As social media platforms introduce automatic video plays, a large percentage of the audience is likely to view your video without sound. This is where captions or subtitles prove to be an effective way to ensure that your viewers understand what you are trying to convey.
Subtitles allow people to watch videos anywhere without turning the sound on. Captions and subtitles in English also make your videos more accessible by overcoming the language barrier, ultimately improving watch time, and expanding reach.
8. Include Audio
An indispensable part of a compelling video is good audio. No matter how interesting your story is, your viewers are likely to leave the video if the narrator doesn’t talk clearly or the audio is poor quality.
Make sure you minimize background noise and communicate in a clear voice. Use the editing tool to fine-tune your audio and sound effects to ensure that your video captures and retains attention.
Final Thoughts
As the use of videos on social media platforms increases, video marketing has become an inevitable tool for brands and businesses. However, increasing popularity also means tougher competition.
It is important to make your video attractive and interesting to be able to stand out from the crowd. Using a few simple editing tips should help you create engaging video marketing that drives more traffic and increases conversions.
