6 Tips for Your Social Media Videos

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: social media is a crucial aspect of your salon marketing strategy. Video content is performing better than everything else on social media right now. It’s important you know how to create great social media videos for your salon.

Wordstream give us a few interesting statistics around video content:

• 45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.
• One-third of online activity is spent watching video.
• Over 500 million people are watching video on Facebook every day.

Social media videos are perfect for businesses like salons and spas. There is no better way to show off the skills of your highly talented team of stylists than by posting videos of their work for the world to see. Make sure to include some relevant hashtags and you’re well on your way to attracting new clients.

With that said, what do you do if you aren’t that technically inclined but still want to record and post high quality videos on your social pages?

Read our tips and tricks below, and you’ll be posting viral worthy videos in no time!

1. Begin with your goal in mind

The first step towards creating a great social media video is to first answer the question: What do you want this social media video to accomplish? What is its purpose?

Are you looking to boost your number of followers? Then set yourself a quantitative target. You want x amount of new followers, and don’t forget to put a date you want them by. Trying to show off your stylists skills? Present how nice your facilities are? Measure this qualitatively by reviewing comments on your video or posts.

By laying out exactly what you want your video to accomplish, you’re ensuring that everyone involved with the video is on the same page. It will greatly increase the chances of the video looking exactly how you want it to look, and meeting your goals.

2. Lighting

You need to understand that good lighting is the key to success when it comes to video production. By disregarding lighting, your social media videos will look and feel low quality.

With that said, let’s go over the two best options for amateur video producers:

Natural lighting: If you’re lucky enough to have a studio with large windows letting in a lot of natural light, then you might already be set. Wait for the perfect time of day and simply set up your subject near that window to ensure that everything is properly seen. You’ll want the light coming in at the perfect angle to light your subjects. Play around with different locations and take some test shots to see how it changes the final product. It may be worth investing in some reflectors to help you out with this.

Studio lights: If natural lighting isn’t an option for you, then consider making an investment in some studio lights that you can re-use whenever you’d please. They’re not as expensive as you may think! Most basic lighting kits can be bought for under $100.

Watch this guide to help you get started with your lighting kit.

3. Background noise

Salons can often be very loud environments with lots of talking, equipment, and moving around. You’re going to want to make sure that you’re in a noise-free environment while recording the video so that your viewers aren’t distracted by a bunch of background chatter. A workaround for this would be to replace all the audio with music, but any videos with the subject speaking to the camera should have zero background noise.

You’ll also want to make sure that whoever is talking has a microphone so that they can be understood clearly. Consider covering any vents or fans as well, so that they don’t distort any noise coming from the subject.

4. Tell your stories

With the prevalence of Snapchat and Instagram, users have begun to utilize ‘stories’ which are short clips perfectly suited for mobile users. Facebook even noticed the success of ‘stories’ and added them recently as well. If you’re interested in going down this route, then you will want to make sure that you’re recording your video vertically (portrait mode) so that it fits the format better.

Keep in mind that portrait mode is only good for mobile users. If you’re posting on a wider platform like YouTube, then you should always be shooting horizontal (landscape mode).

The trick with stories is to keep posting consistently. The idea is to have new content there every day. It doesn’t have to be well produced, because it will disappear within 24 hours. Just try to post something interesting every day, and your social media followers will keep coming back for more.

5. Invest in a tripod

It may seem easy to hold a camera still, but it really isn’t. Any minor movement will be extremely noticeable, and will make your social media videos seem very unprofessional.

Not all tripods are made the same. No, a selfie stick is not a tripod. Luckily you don’t need to spend a ton of money to get a good stand. When shopping for tripods look for one that has a fair amount of weight to it, as this will help prevent a big camera from toppling over. Another good thing to look out for is what mechanism it adjusts with – clamps or a screw type. Clamps are far more accurate and stable. Lastly, check the maximum and minimum size of the stand and think about if it will suit your needs.

Investing in a tripod will assure that your video comes out looking nice and professional every time!

6. Use an editing app

Attention spans are shorter than ever before. You’re going to want to make sure that you have an editing app that allows you to cut out the unnecessary parts of a social media video. You don’t want it to be longer than it has to be.

Be sure not to over-edit your video either. Even though these apps may give you the option of 100 filters and moving graphics, it doesn’t mean you should use them all. Try stick to simple cuts and fades, over-editing is the hallmark of an amateur production.

There’s plenty of free and paid options out there. Whatever editing software you do choose to go with, make sure that it has a simple & intuitive design that won’t confuse you, or your staff.

Remember: 85% of Facebook is viewed without sound. Use your editing software to insert subtitles in any videos that may require them.

Ready? Action!

Now that you’re aware of what it takes to build high-quality social media videos for your salon, go ahead and get started. Begin brainstorming topics to center your videos around, and bounce ideas off your team for feedback. Good luck!