Whether you’re creating a short ad for TikTok or a longer-form video series on YouTube, the quality of your videos can have a major impact on your company’s ability to draw in and retain customers. Poor editing, distorted audio and a bad script can all make it seem like you aren’t willing to put effort into your marketing—which may make customers question the quality of your products or services as well.
Thankfully, you don’t have to have a large budget to ensure high production value. Below, nine members of Young Entrepreneur Council each share one simple way any business can improve the quality of their videos and why each tactic works so well.
1. Use The ‘Hero’s Journey’ Formula
An effective way to make videos for your business is to use the “Hero’s Journey” formula. Introduce the problem or need, present a solution, show the process of how it works as well as the benefits, highlight any results or testimonials and end with a call to action. By using this formula, you can create a compelling and effective video that tells a story that resonates with your audience and helps to build trust and credibility for your business. Additionally, investing in professional lighting can enhance the overall look and feel of your videos, increase engagement and build trust with your audience. – Devesh Dwivedi, Devesh Dwivedi
2. Invest In Quality Equipment
Invest in cameras and microphones that are capable of creating the professional impression that you want. No amount of editing (or however many hours are billed for it) are going to cover up problems with low-quality recording devices. If you have a limited budget for video content, equipment is not where you should be cutting your budget. Remember that if you are just experimenting with video content, you can rent excellent equipment for the short term far more affordably than you can purchase “cheap” equipment. – Matt Doyle, Excel Builders
3. Get Hyper-Focused On The Data
Measure everything. Understand what is working and what isn’t by being hyper-focused on the data. How long do consumers watch for? At what point do they stop watching? Which topics perform the best? By measuring the data and constantly iterating, you can produce content that is more beneficial to your consumers that will ultimately lead to better performance for your business. – Josh Weiss, Reggie
4. Ensure Your Video Is Authentic And Real
Be real! I used to spend a lot of time and money getting my hair and makeup done, renting a studio, hiring a videographer and developing a script so that I delivered the most professional, quality informational videos to our clients. Nowadays, I give advice and share my experience while I’m waiting in my car or cooking a meal in the kitchen while in plain clothes without makeup. I’ve found that viewers appreciate realness and authenticity. What matters is the content of your message. For example, an older fancy attorney standing in front of a library delivering a message on legal advice won’t be as effective as a young woman in her workout clothes giving the same advice but with more digestible content, in plain layman’s terms that non-attorneys can understand, with clear next steps. – Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office
5. Start With Your Audience’s Interests And Needs
One surefire way to succeed with video marketing is to create videos that are tailored to meet your audience’s interests and needs. Many YouTubers and TikTok creators go wrong at this point because they make the content they feel is good and then try to look for its audience. My experience confirms that knowing your audience and making content for them is way more successful. To begin, find trending topics in your niche and make engaging videos on them using the best equipment and editing. Once you start getting views, make regular informative or entertaining content that matches the tastes and needs of your target audience. Always apply catchy titles and thumbnails, relevant tags and strategically placed calls to action. Then, continue engaging your audience and request that they share your content. – Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz
6. Leverage Testimonials From Your Clients
Video testimonials are very powerful for driving positive, legitimate reviews of your company. Having a client on camera provide their perspective and exude confidence in the work your company is providing is better than any ad campaign you can run. Once you have the video testimonials, share them on all your social media, e-newsletters and website. Share them multiple times and be sure to tag and thank your clients for the testimonials via social. – Jennifer A Barnes, Optima Office, Inc.
7. Stay On Trend
It sounds simple, but you wouldn’t believe the amount of content published by businesses that are still using old trends. The reason why content creators these days are so successful is that they are in tune with the current trends. So, do your research, find the latest audio to use in your videos and make sure your content is relatable to either your core audience or new followers that might stumble upon your profile. – Simon Bacher, Ling App
8. Consider Audience Feedback
If you want to improve your video marketing strategy, consider asking your audience to give you suggestions in the comments section of your videos. The people who spend time watching your content will gladly tell you what they want to see in the future. Use what you learn from impromptu surveys, comments and concrete data to create video content that resonates with your subscribers. – John Turner, SeedProd LLC
9. Use Professional Editing Software
A very smart way of improving the quality of your videos is to use a professional video editor. With such a platform, you can convert your raw video into an extremely professional and engaging one for your audience. You can easily use an editor to add effects, text, music, transitions and more to your videos and improve their aesthetics and overall quality. All of this can be done even with zero professional video editing skills. Besides, these platforms let you trim and crop your videos to optimize them for social media platforms. Basically, you can use them to polish your videos and give them the professional touch needed to get the best results from your marketing efforts. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster