Sarah Quinn of Wyzowl stopped by #bufferchat to share her insights on the best practices for using video to educate and connect. We had a wonderful chat all about how videos can be engaging, the best recording and editing tools to use, the elements to great video content, and more!
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Why is video such a powerful medium?
From Sarah:
- A video is SO easy to watch & captures attention fast! It can be used to entertain, educate, and explain your offering.
- Oh & let’s not forget, 74% of all internet traffic will be video by 2016 – it’s the future!
From the community:
- “Say a picture is worth 1,000 words, then how many “pictures” are there in a video and how many words is that worth?” @j_rouser
- “Video lets go of the impersonal wall b/w you & your audience. It introduces them to real people, and allows them to relate.” @margotcodes
- “Video more than any other medium, communicates so much powerful info in a short time. Story, Visuals, Emotion.” @dubblebee
- “Video requires focus. That focus allows viewers to connect with the visual and then it elicits an emotional response.” @ashleyatvest
- “Multiple senses engaged, tons of possibilities, it’s familiar. Our minds enjoy the break.” @coupercox
See all the great answers to question 1 here!
What are the elements to a great video?
From Sarah:
- The very best videos are concise, engaging, benefit-led, informative & targeted to YOUR audience!
- Our fav videos connect with emotions and tell a story, like the
@johnlewisretail xmas ads: http://bit.ly/1LOgp2a - Engage, engage and engage some more!
From the community:
- “The story. Tell the story – stay real, stay human and that’s how people relate.” @lisettevdvalk
- “Videos need to have a hook at the beginning, just like a written article. Otherwise, viewers will lose interest fast & skip.” @mktgInnovator
- “Editing is king! Whether it’s a slo-mo, looping GIF, reverse — all the good stuff happens on the chopping board.” @mstopham
- “Quality, creativity, transparency, clarity. I love watching videos that push the envelope and do things differently.” @v_dunne
- “I think one key ingredient for great video is the same as for great comedy: surprise.” @SageBolden
See all the great answers to question 2 here!
What are your go-to video recording or editing tools?
From Sarah:
- We are BIG
@adobe fans, we create our graphics in@illustrator and edit videos in@AdobeAE. Anyone else? - For our website and app videos our go-to choice is
@screenflow &@reflectorapp
From the community:
- “Being not as advanced in video, iMovie is my jam. However for
@instagram I use PicPlayPost and Squaready!” @lafitara - “If you are on a budget then a simple tripod for your phone, a lapel mic and windows movie maker or imovie will be fine.” @EliteYouTubePro
- “Audacity for cleaning the audio (something usually skipped) & Premiere for video. Honorable mention to iMovie.” @WhatJeffTweets
- “For me it’s a GoPro or iPhone, then for editing I really like how easy Camtasia is to work with.” @caribou_chris
- “InstaVideo to crop, slow-mo, doublespeed, Split videos (easier to use than iMovie) plus video collages can be quite cool!” @debbiediscovers
See all the great answers to question 3 here!
How long should videos be on different social sites?
From Sarah:
- The shorter the better on ALL platforms. Social moves fast, quite like this chat!
- A video should be the hook, rather than the manual – especially on social.
- Did you know we have shorter attention spans than goldfish?! Think about that with your video http://qub.me/0dM70b
From the community:
- “Long enough to make your point – but not any longer than that.” @becca_stickler
- “Instagram :15 sec, Vine :6 Facebook: under a minute and a half. Twitter – up in the air.” @CarrieKintz
- “Hard to make an overall rec, though there are certainly best practices. Test (!!!) what YOUR audience responds to.” @cateelise
- “Depends on content and purpose, but standard rule of thumb is 60-90 seconds. But I don’t like rules – do what you need.” @JonPepp
- “Caveat to short and concise is best… live streaming breaks the rules… I’ve seen 2+ Hour Blabs, Periscopes.” @darcyschuller
See all the great answers to question 4 here!
What are great techniques for engaging viewers?
From Sarah:
- Tease your audience like
@playstation did with the PS4 release: http://bit.ly/1NaWWGE – this is awesome! - Don’t be afraid to mix it up, have a bit of fun like we did on Halloween! http://bit.ly/20rcBLS
- Sharing life hacks like this
@DirectLine_UK one http://on.fb.me/20refgz – people love problem solvers! - For more help, here’s how to make an awesome script: http://qub.me/bwKpd2
From the community:
- “Relevant content, ask them to engage with you beyond just viewing the video, comments, shares, etc. Interactive features.” @WeintraubL
- “Find out what your viewers and followers love, want, and need! Tailor your items to them.” @deirdreemme
- “Engage as if only one person is watching. The depth that creates, plus the individualization, works wonders.” @beajumarang
- “Your first few moments need to grab your audience or you risk being ignored. Be authentic and close with a call to action.” @Josewats
- “Actually talking to people can be incredibly engaging. That’s why live streaming is becoming such a big deal” @Matt_Aunger
See all the great answers to question 5 here!
What companies or individuals do video well?
From Sarah:
- We LOVE
@Honda for creativity: http://bit.ly/1KZZgoQ @generalelectric for educational videos: http://bit.ly/1ksdVgA@innocent for entertainment: http://bit.ly/1NdzRmO- Hate to say it but….We dooo! Check out our showreel: http://bit.ly/1Pm2JOj ?
- Absolutely love
@nike too – so inspiring and perfect for their audience.
From the community:
- “Publisher-wise:
@TheAtlantic,@nytimes,@VICE,@BusinessInsider,@BBC,@Vox, the recently defunct@grantland33 & tons more” @emilyesteck - “I always have enjoyed
@wistia and@MailChimp (esp the@replyall Freddie giveaways) for videos.” @J_Rouser - “
@BuzzFeed has revolutionized social video consumption. And I love it.” @lilfrankie_13 - “I LOVE
@JackHarries of@JacksGap– really incredible work,@CaseyNeistat,@funforlouis and a bunch of other YouTubers.” @V_Dunne - “
@Converse and@Sharpie are some of my faves to follow! Always engaged! They’re doing social media right!” @char6529
See all the great answers to question 6 here!
What is the most powerful video you’ve seen?
From Sarah:
- We think the
@savechildrenuk campaign to help Syrian children is SO powerful: http://bit.ly/1KXosFQ - The
@always#likeagirl advert is also a powerful video: http://bit.ly/1nLhkS0 . Anyone seen it?? - Our top tips? Anything that tells a story, connects to your emotions and makes you think, is how to create a powerful video.
From the community:
- “MUST WATCH 10 years of research 500 interviews of successful people condensed into 3 min http://go.ted.com/be34 ” @debbiediscovers
- “
@TimHarford‘s TED talk on trial and error absolutely changed the way I live/work. Not flashy, but so life-altering.” @beajumarang - “I watched this video: “Can We AutoCorrect Humanity” a while back. Very powerful: https://youtu.be/dRl8EIhrQjQ ” @MktgInnovator
- “What
@ProctorGamble did for moms during the Olympics in 2012: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLeFfJ1XuEk ” @emilyesteck - “The xmas video by
@WestJet made eyes all watery. http://youtu.be/zIEIvi2MuEk ” @caribou_chris
See all the great answers to question 7 here!
Thank you so much to everyone who joined in on this great chat!
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