How to edit videos for Instagram
As a visual medium, Instagram is all about quality images and videos. With Instagram growing to be one of the most popular social media platforms, individuals and brands are looking for ways to build their popularity. The use of Instagram video editor tools allows you to crop suitable portions of your video, add relevant texts to the video, adjust the brightness and contrast and do a lot more. That way, it becomes easier for you to get the message across to the viewer.
These days, creating an Instagram video is easier than ever before. With every other brand venturing into Instagram marketing, you need to create high-quality videos to capture the audience’s attention. In this article, we will walk you through some important tips that will let you edit your Instagram videos to perfection.
Add Filters to Your Video
The first step in the aesthetics of your Instagram videos is the use of filters. Irrespective of whether you intend to post the video as a story or a feed post, make sure that you use appropriate filters before posting the content.
While the Instagram app gives you access to in-app filters, we recommend that you use external apps to get your video to stand out. Video editing tools such as InVideo let you choose a template and apply relevant filters to create a promotional video in a few minutes.
Have an Intro to Your Video
Instagram is a crowded marketing space, and you get only a few seconds to capture the attention of your viewers. If you fail to attract them in the first 15-20 seconds, the viewer will be likely to scroll past your content.
Use an intro maker to cast a poignant first impression and hold the viewer engrossed in your Instagram content. This is especially useful if you have long-form content and the user needs to click on ‘Continue Watching’ to view your video. Try to front-load the content in your intro or leave the viewer in a cliffhanger to encourage higher views.
Use Subtitles in Your Videos
A significant fraction of Instagram videos are watched with mobile devices on mute. To ensure that your audience makes the most of such videos, add relevant subtitles and closed captions to the video. While the subtitles need not be a direct translation of the spoken words, frame them in such a way that it conveys the gist of the context.
Edit Your Videos to Hyperlapse
Instagram has a length restriction on video content and your videos cannot be longer than a minute. An effective way of adding several minutes of content to your videos is by hyper-lapsing them. While most smartphones do not allow you to record a clip in hyper-lapse mode, you can use a video editor to convert your videos into short, hyper-fast videos.
Try to go for an editing tool with built-in auto stabilization technology to create professional-quality videos. Considering the dwindling attention span of the average Instagram user, a hyper-lapse video is an effective tool for brands to get noticed.
Add On-Brand Cover Images for Videos
If you can attach a branded image to the beginning or end of a clip, it will help in establishing Instagram brand familiarity. Such an image will represent the video on your IGTV preview or Instagram feed. When you pay due attention to this image, it will increase the chances of the video being watched.
If you have dedicated brand colors or a brand logo, try to incorporate that in your brand cover. Keep the textual content to a minimum and make sure that it is in a readable font and contrast colors.
Edit Your Behind-the-Scene Footages
Behind-the Scene content helps to humanize a brand and lets you build a personal connection with the viewer. For example, when you take the viewer on a tour of your factory, you give viewers backdoor access to the operations. That way, you can authentically communicate your brand values and sow the seeds of an intimate business relationship.
Editing videos from special effects such as a product launch or a CSR event will help you score brownie points with the target group. The audience feels included in your business operations, and that makes them more likely to choose you.
Edit Your Longer Videos into Series
If you are keen on brand engagement, you can edit your videos into a series. In this method, you break down a long-form intent into several 1-minute clips. Then, post one video every week, fortnight or month. That way, the viewers will keep visiting your brand account on Instagram to see your story unfold. This will boost the engagement on your profile and help your brand grow in popularity.
Have a Posting Schedule
Even if your videos are not a series, make sure that you have a posting schedule in place to keep your viewers engrossed. A proper schedule helps to balance your content to entertain the viewers. For example, you can schedule your Instagram content to have meme videos and testimonial videos between your product demos and corporate event videos.
Several video editing tools let you automatically publish edited videos on a scheduled date and time. This is especially useful for smaller organizations that do not have a dedicated Instagram marketing team that can afford to post videos promptly.
Add Call-to-Actions (CTAs) to Your Instagram Videos
If you are editing your Instagram videos to market a product or promote a brand, try to add a CTA to the video. That way, viewers who enjoy the content will know what to do next. While you can add textual CTA to the video, the CTA can also be in the form of voice overs or spoken by the subject. You can direct the viewers to the clickable link in the bio of your Instagram profile.
Thus, you see that strategic planning can help your Instagram videos stand out in the competitive digital space. As you venture into video making and carve a name for your brand, here’s wishing you the very best in your Instagram journey.