Best Videos to Make for Social Media
Coming up with new video content on a daily (even weekly) basis is NOT easy. It’s quite a challenge to create new content that’s relatable, innovative, and unique to your brand in every post. Even though there are tons of creative accounts and influencers to follow for inspiration, there are still plenty of times I’m stumped on what to make next.
Hopefully by reading this you’ll get that creative nudge you are looking for. With all of the options I’ve listed below, you will never run out of videos to make for your brand… and if you do then I am super impressed at how many videos you’re making, keep it up! But you’re clearly reading this for a reason, so onto the juicy content that you came here for.
Here’s a list of quick and effective videos you can make when you don’t know what to make:
Behind the Scenes
A snapshot of your company culture is easy and entertaining
This is a great option if you want to show people a glimpse of daily operations/productions/whatever it is that your company does. BTS videos are also candid, which can give your audience an opportunity to see your brand or team’s personality come out. These videos also can help show off studio space you have or the cool neighborhood your office is in (which will help attract future employees/clients).
“BTS videos give your audience an opportunity to see your personality.”
Stop Motion
This one’s worth the wait
Okay this one takes a while to make, but it is super effective. Editor’s note: you are going to need some time and a lot of patience. To pull this off you will need to move your subject the tiniest bit frame by frame, which you will later stitch together in post-production. Great stop motion videos are not easy to make, but the end results are pretty awesome. People love watching these short videos because they are so captivating and mesmerizing.
GIF
Throw your audience for a magical loop
While many may disagree over the pronunciation of GIFs (it’s obviously a hard G), I think we can all agree that they are fun and can be very successful. For those of you who like under a rock, GIFs are quick loops that grab your attention and don’t require a lot of your time. You should definitely experiment with getting your message across in GIF format because 1) it will definitely capture your audience’s attention, and 2) it will repeat your message in a loop, being doubly, triply, quadruply effective! Important side note: if you’re making your GIF in Photoshop and are looking to post it on Instagram, you will need to export it as a video (not as a GIF- as strange as that sounds).
Time-lapse
Great for making long stories short
Time-lapses are pretty easy to make- just set up your camera and carry on with your day. Bonus points if you set up a camera to take a time-lapse while you’re making one of the other videos on this list! If you’re really feeling crazy, you can also add a couple of keyframes in Premiere (at the beginning and end) and create a ken-burns effect, which will give your time-lapse a little more pizazz.
How-to/ Tutorial/ Explainer
Show off how smart you are while helping people
I’m pretty sure everyone knows what this one is. Also known as tutorials or explainer videos, how to videos are the first thing you search for when you don’t know how to do something, or want to know more information on a topic/thing. For example, the Russell Brothers created a how to build an interrotron vlog. Because we use interrotrons frequently on set, Jake and Ethan thought it would be useful to create a tutorial video explaining how to set one up. These videos are an easy way to demonstrate your knowledge to the world and teach people about anything related to your brand, product, or service.
“Explainer videos can demonstrate your knowledge, while teaching other about your brand, products, or services.”
360° Video
Try to look away during one of these videos, I dare you
If you have the budget to get the right equipment (a 360° camera or a pano lens that’s attachable to your phone), you could make really interesting videos that capture an entire space/office/production, etc. Movement with this camera (skating, biking, running, even walking) will also make great footage, so if you have a product or service that can be captured in cool places or during fun events and experiences, this type of video will give it even more pop!
#tinyplanet
Q&A/ Interview
Want to be informative or show off cool people you know? Do this
Q&A/Interviews videos are also pretty self-explanatory. If you’re looking for ways to introduce your team members to the world, this is the perfect opportunity for you to do so. For example, we wanted to show off our cool new in-house producer, Kyle, so I interviewed him and shared it on our blog and social media. Your company could interview people who volunteer for you, people that work for you, or even just people that inspire you. Remember from my last blog post that videos with emotional content perform really well. So if your interview includes a story that your viewers can emotionally attach onto (whether it be funny, serious, etc.), your video will probably be more effective.
Stereoscopic (3D) Effect
The video version of a disc jockey
This effect is super cool when executed properly. It’s not really a video, but it’s a few photos stitched together in a loop, giving it a glitchy, 3D effect. A stereoscopic effect is great when taking pictures of people or products. There are specific stereo cameras that can take these pictures, or you can take with any camera. To do this with a regular camera (or even with your phone), take a few of photos quickly by moving your camera slightly left or right (while staying level/at the same height). Next, put the chosen photos into photoshop (choose at least 2), and lay them on top of each other so that the subject is in the same spot in each of the photos and crop accordingly. You can then export them all into premiere to make a video or create a timeline in photoshop and render the video there.
Live Video
Effectivity at its finest
This is the only video on the list that you will have to make on the fly with no editing. Live videos can be a bit intimidating, but if you really want to interact with and make real-time connections with your audience- here’s your chance! If you have amazing personalities behind your brand (like our Russell brothers), going live can really help your audience get to know the faces behind your company. Even if you don’t have a big on the camera personality, going live on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even YouTube can make it easier for you to hype up a product, event, or just engage with your customers in a more intimate social environment. So don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, if people are already following you, I’m sure they’re interested in what you have to say!
“Vertical is this exciting, somewhat unexplored territory of video that people are now experimenting with.”
Vertical Video
So relevant, so fun
Alright this is just a way to frame your videos, but since this is the newest and trendiest type of video out right now, I had to mention it. Since everyone is optimizing for mobile (if you’re not, you should), vertical is this exciting, somewhat unexplored territory of video that people are now experimenting with. Instagram has been promoting the heck out of vertical videos since IGTV and Instagram stories (and paid story ads) utilize this 9:16 format. Not to mention people that are making great vertical vids are crushing it, so people must like something about them. Only time will tell if these videos really take off, or if they are just being overhyped at the moment. But in any case, while vertical is hot, might as well test it out for your brand!
I hope you found some creative inspiration in this article and can now make an awesome new video for your brand! Be sure to check out the Good Brother social channels and vlog for more inspiration if you still need some.