We’ve all seen them.
Social media videos that start with a long pause and a blank stare as the subject waits to make sure the camera is recording. Videos that lose their way around the 2-minute mark and collapse into a rambling mess. Videos that inexplicably bombard you with the latest country single. Or (possibly) worse, videos you can barely hear at all.
When I worked at a marketing agency, I watched businesses make these mistakes all the time with their videos. I knew it was happening for two main reasons:
- They didn’t want to hire an editor for every social media video they published.
- They didn’t know they were doing anything wrong.
It’s hard enough to record and publish a video — no wonder businesses don’t think they have the time or energy to make impactful edits.
Luckily, it doesn’t take much tweaking to drastically improve the quality of a video. And there’s nary a clip on the web that wouldn’t benefit from at least a small amount of fine tuning.
In this post, you’ll find five simple editing steps that’ll instantly improve your videos and take them from practically unwatchable to downright engaging. The best part? You can make these edits yourself!
Edit #1: Trim the Beginning and End
Authenticity is important, but audiences won’t sit through 45 seconds of someone grappling with the camera.
Trim off anything at the beginning of the video that doesn’t add value.
Leave a second or so of buffer time before your subject starts talking, if possible. And pay attention to their expression; try not to start on a frame where they’re blinking or have a weird look on their face.
Give another second of buffer at the end of the video and trim the rest off.
Easy peasy!
Edit #2: Cut Out Dead Air
Did your subject forget what they were going to say in the middle of the clip? That’s okay; you can cut that out!
Is there a long pause for no apparent reason? Cut it out!
Does your subject just talk really slow? Tighten things up by cutting between each of their points and trimming out excess time.
Note: If you feel like the video looks too choppy when you’re done, try alternately adjusting the frame size to help smooth transitions between these “jump cuts.”
Edit #3: Adjust Color and Exposure
Exposure
So you accidentally filmed yourself talking in front of a window, and now you’re backlit. You can adjust the video’s exposure to help balance things back out.
When adjusting how bright or dark your video is, consider the focus. If it’s a person, make sure they’re well lit and easy to see.
The relative exposure between the lightest and darkest parts of your image will remain the same, even as you tweak the settings. That may mean as you increase levels to get a brighter subject, you end up with a background that is too bright. That’s okay!
Color
While it’s less of a problem when filming on mobile devices, sometimes your colors can look a little “off.” Maybe it was the green grass reflecting on your subject, or a fluorescent light casting a strange hue. Try adjusting the video’s color settings to make things looker nicer.
Again, come back to the most important part of your image. Aim to make people’s skin tones look natural and healthy. If a landscape is the focus, dial the colors in to reflect its real-life appearance.
Edit #4: Add On-Screen Text
If you’re providing specific information during the video, on-screen text can help clarify and reinforce it. No need to get fancy — in fact, the simpler it is, the less distracting it will be to the viewer. Be sure to choose a font that is readable and makes sense with your content. Avoid the temptation to have text “fly” in.
Remember: just because there’s a preset for it, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea!
Edit #5: Include (Unobtrusive, Royalty-Free!) Music
The right music can be the perfect way to make your video feel finished. Music helps keep the video moving, and it can make a huge difference in the style and tone.
On the flip side, the wrong music can be distracting and confusing to the viewer.
Choose a track that is somewhat neutral (of course, this depends on the content of your video, so use your best judgment). If someone is speaking in your video, lower the music volume. Don’t inhibit your viewer’s comprehension by blasting them with corporate rock.
Finally, you can’t just use your favorite radio tune in your marketing videos. You’ll want to look for tracks that are “royalty-free,” meaning you can license them and use them for promotional purposes, and you won’t have to pay the creator any royalties for that privilege. There are plenty of websites that provide high-quality royalty-free music.
It’s important to note that “royalty-free” does not mean “free.” Most music sites will charge a fee to license the music, or require written attribution in the finished work. However, typically, once you’ve paid for a license, the track is yours to use forever — a small price to pay to avoid a copyright scuffle.
Conclusion: Five Simple Edits to Improve Your Videos
Even if you aren’t a formally trained video editor, you can produce quality, engaging videos without spending hours of your time. Just implementing one of these five techniques will have you on your way to greatly improved video content. Happy editing!
What steps are you already taking to edit your videos? Anything that I didn’t mention in this post?
If you don’t currently do any video editing, which of these steps do you think would most improve your video content?