At OneMob, we know a thing or two about creating videos. We use them in all aspects of our business communication, and have had plenty of practice in front of the camera. But when it comes to making personal recordings, we know not everyone is privy to the selfie game. Here are our best practices for recording professional and flattering personal videos. Take it from us, the guys who know how to sell ourselves with video.
Preparation is Key
- Know Your Audience: It’s important to know who you’re talking to, and what your message is. Whether it’s a cold video or a friendly follow up, adjust your tone accordingly. Keep in mind not only what you want to convey, but what you want action you want your recipient to take.
- Practice Makes Perfect: Performing a practice run helps. Write a short script or make a list of talking points if you need help staying on track or a prone to rambling. OneMob’s script field in our web app recorder allows you to do just that, so you don’t have to look beyond your screen.
- Dress for Success: Less is more. Stick to simple, sleek attire while avoiding logos and busy patterns.
*Insider Tip: “Avoid wearing the same colour as your surroundings, which are usually either black or white. For example, if you’re wearing a black shirt against a black backdrop, you run the risk of being a “floating head”. Stick to solid neutrals and blues. – Madeline, Marketing
- Prepare Your Surroundings: Whether you’re in a studio or a cubicle, make sure your area is optimal for recording both from a lighting and sound standpoint. Reduce surrounding noise. Avoid backlighting, direct lighting or sunlight on the face, as that tends to wash/darket out the subject. For best results, have light diffuse from both sides of the subject, and not directly beating down
*Insider Tip: “Turn on “Do not Disturb” to disarm incoming notifications from distracting you while you’re recording.” – Sati, CEO
Action Time
- Choose Your Equipment: The good news is that you no longer need professional equipment to produce great quality videos. With better resolutions and faster recording speeds, smartphone cameras are doing the job just fine. Set up a tripod, or take your recording on the go with a selfie stick. If you’re using your computer, choose a flat, stable surface.
*Insider Tip: “No tripod? No problem. Open your laptop, and stand your phone up on the keyboard, against the screen for a stable recording area. Tilt your computer screen to adjust the angle – and watch out for double chins! ” – Kyle, CSM Lead
- Frame Your Shot: Next to lighting, framing is the most crucial step. When recording, 1) Set the camera about 16 inches in front of your face, directly at eye level, 2) Frame your shot medium to close-up, closing in on your head and shoulders and 3) Tap your phone screen to make sure you’re in focus.
- Body Language: Even if it’s you’re just doing a head shot, body language is crucial. Sit or stand up straight and avoid any sudden hand movements. Speak clearly at a normal pace, enunciate your words and smile. Lastly, don’t forget to blink or breath!
- Keep it Short : When it comes to a personal recording, keep it short and sweet. Nobody wants to look at a talking head for 10 minutes. The videos that get watched the longest are about 15-30 seconds long. Especially when viewers are watching their videos on mobile, brevity is key to keeping viewers attention.
Post Production
- Edit the Length: If you’re recording on mobile, trim the beginning and end of your videos to cut out the awkward finger touches when pressing the recording button.
- Choose a Thumbnail: Select a good frame for a compelling thumbnail image, which will be the first impression of your video.
- Apply Special Effects: OneMob allows you to use Instagram-like filters with character and text overlay, so you can get creative and make your video as personal as you like.
- Create a Custom Player Page: We know that it’s important to personalize beyond the video itself and into the viewing experience, which is why you can now customize the content of your video player pages in our web app.
*Insider Tip: “Hold a smile during the first few seconds and again the last few seconds of your recording. Then, when you go to select a thumbnail or title image for your video, you aren’t stuck with frames of blinking eyes or an open mouth.” – Nimesh, COO
As you can tell, there’s a lot of thought that goes into creating the perfect video. In addition, limited budgets, time and expertise have deterred marketing and sales professionals alike from producing more video content. However, the benefits that you reap; increased email opens, better quality replies, shorter sales cycles and stronger relationships, make the effort well worth your while, which is why 96% of B2B organizations are using video content (reelseo).
At OneMob, we’ve come up with a solution that takes the hassle out of producing videos, and helps you tie your effort to results by tracking activity back into Salesforce. We’ve had plenty of practice on both our laptops and our iOS and Android apps, which allow you to create, edit, send and track your videos, all from your mobile device. For ideas on how you can use personal videos in your outreach, check out our Ideas Gallery. To start creating your own videos, contact us today.
