We all know Social Media is becoming more and more about short video content or in other words TikTok or Reels. These can be short videos normally 3 minutes or less but mostly under just 30 seconds. So how do we as business owners become professional videographers for our own businesses overnight?
Well, it's simple we can't!
Any reel is a good reel when you are starting out, or as they say, practice makes perfect! Don't be afraid to put something out into the Social Media universe that you aren't totally happy with. You will be able to use it as a learning opportunity to see what worked, what didn't, and most importantly what did your audience respond to? Try, try, and try again. Get yourself familiar with filming yourself and your day-to-day activities, adding text and music, adding stickers, and more. The more familiar you become the less overwhelming the whole process will become.
Take your time, it's a bit of a balancing act, sometimes I find I really respond to a short deadline, and other times I just can't force the creative process. You will create the best content for your audience when you are inspired and motivated. If you're not quite feeling it today, that's ok! try tomorrow, but if you haven't been feeling it for a month, might be time to push yourself a little bit and get out of your comfort zone. Get yourself in the right mood by listening to some of your favourite music, putting on a nice outfit, getting out in the sun, or meeting up with your one friend that always makes you laugh, for me the right mood is the most important factor.
Tip: When you aren't feeling like filming, spend some time scrolling through other creators' reels for cool sounds and inspiration, and save them so you can come back to them later.
Use the tools available to you, like reel templates. One of the best things I came across in the early stages was reel templates, this is where you can find songs and layouts that are trending right now and they make it super simple to make them your own. You can use new content or content you may already have in your camera roll. Head over to the reels tab on Instagram and select the camera icon in the top right corner, then at the bottom of the screen select templates, select a template you like, and replace the clips or pictures with your own. It is really that simple, sometimes work smarter, not harder.
Film, film, and film content. We are constantly absorbing other people's content on Social Media and I often find myself thinking 'man I wish my content looked that good, that high quality, that clean' but the real secret is we all have to start somewhere. You can literally only get better. Don't put pressure on yourself to get the perfect shot, you don't need to plan out this big shoot and purchase lights and a tripod. What you really need to do is focus on the value you are providing to your audience through the content, sometimes the content really just needs to be simple. Everything is content, so film yourself on your computer, at markets, packaging products, and answering emails, layer some music and text over the top and you will be surprised at the results.
Lastly, have fun, if you find the idea of creating video content a total nightmare, that's ok, find a way to make it work for your business and look for other creators in a similar industry to you to see other ways they create content. Enjoy the process of learning and be open to feedback, good and bad, from clients, and followers, and don't forget internet trolls.
So next time you are scrolling through your Instagram newsfeed and a reel pops up from a local creator or business don't forget to give it some love because we all know exactly what it's like to be on the other side of the camera. I look forward to seeing your reels soon!
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