Video is one of the fastest-growing ways to communicate on social media. There are many low-cost solutions to help you create professional-looking videos.
Your Phone
The newer smartphones have great cameras built-in. These are perfect for creating live streams on Facebook, Stories on Instagram, and more. The key to success with both live capturing the moment is to plan! Think about what you want to capture, who should be in the video itself, and what is your message. For example, are you streaming a storytime? Do you want to capture the reader or the kids? Do you want to capture just a snippet or the whole event? Are you promoting an upcoming program or showing off a great program people missed? There are no right and wrong answers – just know what you want to do. If not, the video will appear clunky and disorganized. Be creative – for crafts and how-to’s, utilize the time-lapse feature. For unboxing and other reveals, you might want to try slow-motion.
If you need some extra for the videos you create, some recommendations are at Cult of Mac and Android Authority.
iMovie
If you have a mac, the iMovie software comes with your computer. iMovie is also available for iPhones and iPads. The software allows you to add photos to templates, customize your wording, and add music. The effect is a very professionally edited video. The iMovie software is great for creating trailers, slideshows, and much more.
An example is this ad I recently made for the Literacy Council of Palm Harbor Library.
Lumen5
Lumen5 is an online video editor. It allows you to take existing text from a blog post and turn it into a video within minutes. With a click and drag editor, easy to add photos and music – you are on your way to viral content in no time.
By the way, the Mailchimp Recorded webinar is available on Florida Library Webinars!
Adobe Spark
Adobe Spark allows you to record your own audio and create slides with both words and pictures. It’s easy to use and free. Some great examples of Adobe Spark in action are at: https://www.adobe.com/express/create
Overall, remember these tips as you move to more video:
- The video should fit in with your overall social media plan.
- The message should be clear: without sound and If I only watch part
- Keep it short
- Keep it light
Another great library post on videos is at BiblioTechno Global Footprint
Have fun!