HubSpot Research reveals that 54% of respondents would like to see video content coming from businesses and brands they support. This is just one of many reasons why video marketing seems to be at the top of many marketer's to-do lists. While there's no question that video marketing is a channel worth investing in to achieve business growth, there are a lot of questions around how to actually get started -- like what equipment you'll need, where you'll find talent, and how the heck you'll figure out how to write a video script.
Before you let those overwhelming "I don't know how to do anything of this" feelings sink in, let's take a step back.
While the filming portion of the process is now behind you, we're not exactly ready to call it a wrap just yet. In fact, post-production is actually the stage of the video creation process where the real video magic starts to happen -- editing, effects, final touches, and so on. In addition to editing, determining how you plan to measure and report on the success of your videos starts to come into play at this stage.
But don't worry. We'll walk you through it and it won't be scary. Promise.
post production | How to Edit Your Video Content
At this point in the video marketing process, you have your video footage -- raw and uncut. Now what?
Time to edit.
Now there's a good chance you already have video editing software installed on your computer. For Windows, that's Windows Movie Maker, and for Macs, it's iMovie. But depending on your particular skill set and what it is you're trying to accomplish with your videos, you may find that these options aren't packed with enough features.
The good news: There are several free video editing solutions you can download that run the gamut from super simple to Hollywood-level powerful. Of these free solutions, we recommend Machete Video Editor Lite (Windows), Avidemux (Windows/Mac/Linux), and WeVideo (cloud-based).
If you're willing to invest in editing software, you might consider Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Final Cut Pro, or Wondershare Filmora.
Regardless of your selection, your editing software should provide you with the means to cut down scenes, remove mistakes, insert transitions and title slides, and so on. In addition to these basic visual edits, you'll also need to plan for audio needs like voiceovers and background music, which we'll dive into below.
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Recording a Voiceover
A voiceover is the separate narration in a piece of content that is not spoken by the shown speaker. Voiceovers are an effective tool that can help make your content more relatable, emotional, and fluid.
It’s important to remember that video audio is just as important as video visuals. To record a high-quality voiceover on your own, check out the tips in the video.
https://youtu.be/jeyna0N11J0
Selecting the Right Music
While it may seem like a small detail, music is a powerful tool that can alter your video’s mood and tone. When thoughtfully selected, your background music can help keep your viewer’s attention, evoke emotions, and help define your overall editing style.
But what does it mean to be "thoughtful" about your music selection? Check out the video to better understand what we mean.
https://youtu.be/DeBejg9ASNk
How to Determine Where to Host Your Video
With the editing behind you, you're just about ready to start sharing your video with the world. Before you do, it's important to put some thought into where you plan on hosting your video content.
Below, we'll review the selling points for a handful of popular video hosting platforms to help you weigh your options.
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video hosting platform, the second largest search platform after Google, and the third most visited website in the world.
Why Choose YouTube:
- It's free!
- YouTube videos are hosted on individual channels and the platform allows you to build a dedicated audience of subscribers. Users who follow your channel are more likely to see additional videos you upload.
- YouTube is a social platform, viewers can also engage with your videos by liking and commenting on them, which allows you another chance to interact with your audience.
- YouTube offers a variety of advertising options for more sophisticated targeting.
Vimeo
Founded in 2004, Vimeo serves as a high-quality platform for making, sharing, and watching videos.
Why Choose Vimeo:
- Simple, clean user interface that make it easy to navigate the platform.
- Limited ads and commercials that could detract from your viewer's experience.
- High quality videos and a more sophisticated, professional audience.
- Several different premium account options available to suit your business.
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How to Measure the Success of Your Video
Once your video goes live, the data will start rolling in. What you do with this data is entirely up to you, though we strongly recommend that you get in the habit of evaluating your video content post-launch to get a sense of what's resonating, what's falling flat, and so on.
To help you get a handle on what to measure, check out the video below:
https://youtu.be/_d7bM6e4ToY
As the above video suggests, knowing who watches your video, how long they watch your video, and how many of them clickthrough to a CTA are all critical performance metrics to keep tabs on. But your reporting and analysis doesn’t need to stop there.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of several additional video metrics you can pull to inform your future strategy:
View Count: View count is, as you could probably figure out, the number of times your video has been viewed — also referred to as reach. This metric is great to track if your goal is to increase brand awareness and have your content seen by as many people as possible. However, it’s important to remember that every video hosting platform measures a view differently. For example, a view on YouTube is 30 seconds while a view on Facebook is only 3 seconds. Be sure to read the fine print before reporting on your video view count.
Social Sharing and Comments: If you’re on social media, you’re probably familiar with sharing and commenting. Social shares and comments are good indicators of how relevant your content is with your target audience. If a viewer watches your video and takes the time to share it with their network, you probably created a great piece of content. Social shares are also important because the more times your video is shared, the more it’ll be viewed. If your goal is to reach to reach a lot of people, social shares are good metric to track.
Play Rate: Play rate is the percentage of people who played your video divided by the number of impressions it received. This metric helps determine how relevant or appealing your video is to your audience. If thousands of people see your video, but only a handful of people play it, it’s probably time to optimize your content.
Video Completions: If you took the time to make a video, you probably want people to watch the whole thing. A video completion is the number of times a video is played in its entirety. This metric can be more reliable than view count when trying to determine your video’s success.
Conversion Rate: Conversion rate is the number of times visitors completed your desired action divided by the number of clicks on your CTA. If your goal is to have your viewers complete an action like signing up for a free trial, try adding a video to your landing page to see if your conversion rate increases.
Social Sharing and Comments: If you’re on social media, you’re probably familiar with sharing and commenting. Social shares and comments are good indicators of how relevant your content is with your target audience. If a viewer watches your video and takes the time to share it with their network, you probably created a great piece of content. Social shares are also important because the more times your video is shared, the more it’ll be viewed. If your goal is to reach to reach a lot of people, social shares are good metric to track.
Bounce Rate and Time on Page: Are you thinking about adding a video to a web page? Take note of the page bounce rate and the amount of time people spent on the page before you add the video. Be sure to check the metrics after you place the video to see if changes the way people interact with your other content.
Lights, Camera, Action
It's about time to roll the credits, but before we do, we wanted to remind you of one thing: a successful video marketing strategy isn't going to come to fruition overnight. Video, like most other types of content, is intended to be an exploratory medium, meaning you'll likely have to make a handful of okay videos before you hit your stride.
As you begin navigating your strategy, remember to refer to the pre-production, production, and post-production framework in this resource to keep organized.
Now get to work! Your audience is waiting to watch.
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about the contributorS
There's this notion that to grow a business, you have to be ruthless. But we know there's a better way to grow. One where what's good for the bottom line is also good for customers. We believe businesses can grow with a conscience, and succeed with a soul — and that they can do it with inbound. That's why we've created a platform uniting software, education, and community to help businesses grow better every day.
Jesse Kerr - Creative Commissioner | Sandbox Centre
Jesse is always multitasking.. . . and seems to thrive when juggling priorities and deadlines. He'd tell you he's adaptable because he builds in room for error, adjustment, improvement, alteration and mitigation of foreseeable road blocks into his vision. However, anything that falls outside of this range of acceptability is quickly dispatched because "ain't nobody got time for that"! He's not good at collaborating in large groups - but he sure is good at entertaining them! We're pleased to offer you his perspective that includes his margin for error; alongside an imagineered vision of greatness. Question is - are we going for good, better or best? Cheers!