How To Create Engaging Video Content for Social Media

Creating video content is more important for social media than ever before, with platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, Snapchat, and Facebook dominating the social sphere. There are countless video types—from live video to stories to Reels and Tik Toks.

Learning how to create engaging video content for social media is a great place to start looking to grow engagement, brand awareness, and an online presence.

Brainstorm and Plan in Advance

The first step to creating engaging video content is to plan out your posting schedule and types of posts. Each social media platform has a different form of video posting and different expectations from the users on those apps.

For example, it is normal to post multiple videos a day on Tik Tok, whereas Instagram posts are typically once a day, with stories being the exception. Research your platform and see the “normal” amount of posting to come up with a realistic and viable content calendar.

Once you’re sure of how often to post, you can begin brainstorming ideas for your videos. Consider what is trending and understand that social media trends change frequently, so your content calendar may need to leave room for adjustments as trends adapt.

Watch Popular Videos

Watching popular videos as well as content from brands similar to your company can prove very beneficial when creating engaging video content of your own. Brands with similar personalities or products as your company also make videos—use these for ideas and gauge what works and what doesn’t for your target audience.

Watch viral videos and videos that originated trends. Watch where those trends go and how they adapt over time. Often, the video that began a trend is not the most popular in the trend, but it does provide crucial context.

Staying in the know about popular video content allows brands to track the common elements in the most-watched videos. Once you start identifying what parts of videos in your industry are the most prevalent, you can begin incorporating those things into your creations.

Invest in Basic Equipment

You don’t need fancy equipment to make engaging video content for social media—but there are a few pieces of equipment that can take your content to the next level. Here are a few things that might be beneficial to invest in.

Ring Light

Lighting can make or break a video. The proper lighting can make the people in a video look more animated and real than flat lighting. Dynamic lighting and lighting in the right area make all the difference in how interesting a video is. As such, investing in a ring light for videos featuring people is a smart strategy.

Tripod

Shooting video with a phone is perfectly fine for social media content. Phone cameras are high quality and easy to use. They’re also the general standard for video content creation in the social media industry. Additionally, tripods can help stabilize the video and keep your phone in place while filming—it is an excellent investment.

Microphone

If there will be any sound in a video you’re creating other than pre-recorded audio or music, investing in a microphone is a great idea. Microphones keep your audio clear and easy to understand. If the sound on a video is not clear or is choppy, people will simply click away from it due to the annoyance of the funky sound. Microphones, even small or budget-friendly ones, can fix this issue.

Editing Software or Apps

Most social media platforms allow users to edit their videos within the apps, but the quality is limiting. If you want to create more engaging content with exciting transitions, investing in some editing software or an editing app can be instrumental.

Pay Attention To What Gets Attention

A prominent part of creating engaging video content is watching exciting video content. Watching videos on the platforms you want to create content for keeps you up to date on the trends and aware of what is working for your target audience.

There are plenty of viral videos, but it is vital to keep an eye out for what is getting views, clicks, comments, shares, and likes in your target audience group. Your target audience is your priority, so ensure you know what they like, what they share, and what makes them engage with brand content.

When looking for tips on how to create engaging video content for social media, brands should communicate with their customers and observe the trends in the apps they’re interested in making. Your brand can create engaging videos that your customers love—it’s simply a matter of planning, production, and preparation.