Content Attributes
Researching your competition
The best place to get started learning how to make YouTube videos is by researching your competition. Take time to look at your competitor and the techniques they are using for marketing. This should be your source of inspiration when creating content.
This also gives you a chance of finding content gaps and filling them with your own. If you notice your competitor doesn’t have something that the audience can love, add it then stand out from the rest. Customers like it when you give them more value compared to the other options.
Start by creating a list of your competitors then reviewing their YouTube channels. Look at their most viewed videos and those with the most comments. This way, you get to know what your target audience is engaging with. When reviewing your competition, make sure you note any themes you can learn from – patterns in videos that do well and those that don’t do well. You get to know what resonates with the audience before investing a lot in your own content.
Performing keyword research
Researching YouTube keywords is important because that is how you are going to know the best search terms for your videos. You can improve the performance of your videos by researching search terms then adding them to the meta description and video title. Using unlimited video editing longtails will help your video to be seen.
Make assumptions about what the audience is searching for. A decking company already knows people are searching for search terms like “how to restain a deck” or “DIY deck repair”. Try to think about search terms then research them on YouTube. If you do that and you see videos from your competitors, then you are on the right track. See whether the videos have a lot of views and whether they are high-quality. This is going to help you in seeing opportunities so you can create content that is going to rank higher than those videos. Another option is using an online keyword tool to perform more sophisticated keyword research. There are many keyword tools out there you can use for this. Give it a try.
As you work on search terms, consider having a written copy of your video transcripts on the descriptions. This is going to help you maximize the possibility of your video showing up on the search results.
Creating a cohesive tone
Movies are usually categorized into genres, and there is a reason why. Imagine you are watching a horror movie, then you are anticipating a blood-curling moment. But when you think you are about to get that, it takes a different turn and the movie takes a comedic turn instead of a terrifying scene. The scene becomes two characters engaging in quippy dialogue.
This is a mood killer for most because the thrill is totally lost. This is also what happens when it comes to marketing videos.
When thinking about the video you are about to create, make sure you keep in mind the overall mood of what you are creating, and how the different elements – lighting, music, color composition, voice over, etc. – are going to come together to create a mood reflecting your brand. Also keep in mind that it will be great to make a beautiful Intro Maker template for your youtube video channel as this will give your channel a brand that your viewers will remember and enjoy before getting into the whole content of your videos.
Make sure the tone of the video is consistent and reflects the overall goal. To get started with this process, brainstorm a list of words that are going to guide you through this process; maybe you want something inspiring and motivating, or one that is fast-paced and high-octane, or one that is serious and tear-jerking. Whatever you choose, make sure you do it before you start collecting footage. This makes it easier to create videos reflecting the mood you are after.
Scouting a location
If you have to film in a location, like in your home or office, location scouting is not that hard. Find a good place then set up your camera. You can try out different places then preview the options. Look at the lighting and background so you can find a good location.
If the shot is off-site, then give yourself enough time to find the best location. Find out if you are going to need access to electricity, how the natural light is going to affect your shot at that time of day and the crowding of the location. When scouting, choose the same time and day of the week you plan on shooting so you collect enough data.
If you want to film outdoors at the local park, the best time to shoot is during school hours because that is when there are few people there. There are locations that require permits to shoot in. make sure you do a lot of research so you don’t end up disappointed on the big day. This is more important when you are using a public facility or someone else’s business.
Writing a script and creating a storyboard
You don’t want to show up on the location of the shoot without a rough idea of how the end video is going to look like. You can do this by first creating a script and a storyboard before you shoot. Start with the script. The script can include on-camera dialogue, or voice over, which is layered over during post-production.
Make sure the script is simple and sentences short. When reading a text, someone can go back and re-read the sentence again if it is complex or long; however, when watching a video, it is hard for the viewer to rewind and listen again. You have one chance of making a lasting impression, make sure the message is short, simple, concise, and clear.
You can take your script further by creating a storyboard. This is like a comic-book-style overview of a video. It is used to show how the different shots are going to come together in telling a visual story. There are software like Story boarder you can use for creating a storyboard.
Another option is sketching out your ideas. This process doesn’t have to take a lot of time and resources; the goal is to have a high-level overview of your content and the flow of the video so it can be properly produced and tell a story.
Both script and story boarding should be done before you start shooting. This way, the team is going to have a shared vision. Take time to research so you can have an easier time creating good videos for YouTube.