The average citizen spends more time watching videos online than reading text or looking at pictures. In fact, video accounted for 73% of all online traffic in 2016, which means that when someone is online, there is a high probability that they are watching a video.

It is the easiest and most popular type of content to consume because: a) it is so much easier to watch a video on, say, a Photoshop technique than it is to read about it, and b) it is the most powerful and versatile way to communicate a message and engage an audience (second only to live communication).

Despite all these advantages that come with putting video content online, it is less competitive to distribute than text and image. Indeed, making videos is often intimidating for the average citizen, even if it is not so frightening.

In this article, we will give you eight practical tips to help you get started in video creation as a beginner. In the end, you can start integrating videos into your company's content marketing strategy or even create an additional revenue stream by monetizing the videos.

You can view the visual summary of this post below or jump straight to the detailed explanation of each video tip. You can find the detailed guides on video recording by visiting techmong.com.
 

1 Plan your video content.

Believe it or not, the content of your video is much more than its quality.

That's not to say that quality isn't important - it certainly is! But if you had to give more attention, time and energy to one aspect, it would be to plan your content well.

When planning your content, consider the following three video tips:

1. Define your goal
What are you trying to achieve with your video? Are you trying to make people laugh? Are you trying to get them to visit your website? Do you promote your product? Do you teach them something new? Define your goal before moving on.

2. Identify your target audience
You can't target everyone, so who are you really talking to? If you don't have a clear vision of your ideal audience groups, the message will be diluted in your video content. Your audience will determine how you write your script, how you shoot your video and how you edit it. They will also determine where your videos are shown based on where your primary audience is online. Think about who you want to see and then think about where on the Internet they usually "hang out" so you can figure out where to distribute it later.

3. Use the power of emotion
It's the emotions that drive viewers to act on your call to action, whether it's subscribing to your channel, sharing your video or buying your product. It has been proven time and time again that the emotions triggered by content are what motivates viewers to act on calls to action. Learn how to trigger an emotional response through video to naturally engage your audience to promote your brand to others.

2. Choose the right background.

The background of your video should never be an afterthought. It will help you tell your story, get your message across and contribute to your brand. It will also affect the quality of your video.

The background you choose will depend on the type of video you produce, your goals and your audience. The two main types are as follows:

Actual backgrounds
This includes a real environment such as an office, living room or outdoor location. Some people see this as the simplest option because you put yourself to work with what you have. Just make sure it's not distracting, messy or that there's nothing that doesn't contribute to the story, message or brand.

False Backgrounds
These backgrounds include green screens, curtains or paper. False backgrounds are very useful to ensure consistency. Green screens are particularly interesting because they allow you to replace your real background with anything you want. However, they are difficult to set up and use and are not recommended for beginner video creators.

Regardless of the type of background you choose, make sure you consciously choose the colors you want to use.

3. You don't need to buy an expensive new camera (for now).

Don't put too much emphasis on the choice of video camera to use, especially if you are a beginner.

You may feel obligated to spend a lot of money on a high quality video camera, but it's not really necessary at the beginning of your video career when you don't even know if you're going to keep doing it. Finding a good camera to shoot quality video is not difficult these days. You probably know someone who has a camera that you could borrow, or you probably already have one lying around your house somewhere (*indicate your cell phone!*).

For example, this video clip was shot entirely with an iPhone X :

Superb quality, isn't it? Use it to your advantage while you think about your video project. It will also allow you to put your camera needs into perspective when you are ready to buy a new one, to avoid an unnecessarily expensive purchase.

So for now, use what you have.

4. Avoid using your camera's microphone.

Beginner's video tips for making professional-looking videos avoid using your camera's microphone
Create your own blog graphics like this in minutes.
Try it for free
The audio in your video can make or break your content, and there are a few simple things you can do to safeguard the integrity of the audio quality of your video.

The best way to capture your subject's audio is to use a different microphone than the one built into your camera. Using a dedicated external audio recorder is the simplest and most reliable way to capture audio. Although it is not the end of the world if you have to use the microphone of your camera, you should eventually get another one.

Whether the microphone you decide to use is on the subject's body or on a boom, make sure it's properly positioned. If it is attached to clothing, place it where it picks up all the appropriate sounds (the person's voice), but does not pick up various sounds from jewelry, rubbing fabric, or heavy breathing. If you use a boom, make sure it is close enough to the subject to pick up his or her voice, but also that it is out of the way.

Before filming, always test the sound to make sure that you have set all of the above. For someone who has no previous audio experience, this is usually the only way to make sure you've set everything up correctly.

5. Use natural light.

Video production lighting is a complete system that requires more equipment than you currently have, I'm sure.

The good news is that natural lighting works best in photography and filming, and is the safest way for you to light your videos.

It's best to shoot outdoors on cloudy days, or during the golden hour (one hour after sunrise or one hour before sunset). In all three conditions, the natural light is so soft and cinematic that it won't make your subject squint, and no harsh light will hit his or her face.

What if it rains? Or if you need your shooting to take place indoors? Natural light remains your best asset. Choose a room that receives lots of natural light through large or multiple windows. You can then add additional light sources, such as ceiling lighting, table lamps, etc. to add more brightness if necessary. Play and test the light according to the position of the subject to see what is best in the video. In all cases, make sure the subject is not directly facing the window or too close to it, as this may erase your entire shot.

Once again, play with it!

6 Shoot in small segments.

It's much easier to shoot short takes, since you or your subject will have less to remember and more opportunities to redo something you didn't like. By focusing on segmenting your script into short takes, you will also be forced to communicate your message more clearly and concisely.

It will also give you more flexibility in post-production to edit takes as you wish in the final product, and it won't come out chopped up. Discover the best free video editing tools here.

Shooting short, distinct segments will also provide you with clips and ext