Short & Sweet: How to Create Amazing Short-Form Videos (Reels)
With short attention spans and busy schedules, people consume information that is quick, easy, and to the point. Today's social media platforms are built for short-form video, such as Instagram and Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikToks. As of late, I have been a major cheerleader for short-form video. I believe that if your church is not going all in on short-form video, it should be! And if you’re not, here are a few tips to get you started on creating amazing short-form videos:
Keep it concise
The first is to be concise and keep it short! Most platforms have built-in time limits, and they don't allow you to post content longer than the allotted amount (For example: Instagram Reels are capped at 90 seconds). It is important for us to concisely communicate the purpose of our short-form video. When possible, keep your video under 60 seconds for maximum portability. As I mentioned, because of short attention spans, shorter content travels further. Oftentimes, there is content that can be eliminated or cut to make sure we are making our content longer than necessary.
Tell a story
Although we want to keep it short, we still want to make it sweet! Your short-form video still need a narrative structure to keep your audience engaged and storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to do that. Whether you are posting a sermon clip, service recap, praise and worship song, etc., it is important to tell a story (when possible). Honestly, this can sometimes take a few extra hours to edit and make sure it is just right. But, so often, it can be the difference between 200 views or 2,000 views. Crafting our reels in such a way that they tell a story can literally 10x our views.
Visuals matter
While our reels will be short, they still need to look AND sound good! Using video that is clear and has the main subject(s) properly lit make for an aesthetically pleasing reel. Using high-quality visuals, clear audio, and appropriate lighting will help your video stand out. Now, in a time where people can post low quality videos and receive millions of views, that’s not the norm or the standard. Remember your post represent your brand and your audience will appreciate quality sound and good visuals. Trust me.
Optimize for Social Media
Finally, you want to make sure that you optimize your content specifically for the platform that you are using it on. Short-form videos should be recorded as or edited to vertical videos. Using a vertical video format can make your content more shareable, visible, and overall more digestible. Also, don't be afraid to use captions. Captions often help grab viewers' attention by giving them a glimpse of what your content has to offer before they dive in.
My hope is that these tips will help you create amazing short-form videos that are short, sweet, and to the point. Just like this blog post! 😊
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