Photography and videography have reached new heights since the emergence of social media. People want to create an image of themselves that is good, not only for the audience to consume but also for our self-esteem.
To put your best foot forward, make sure that images and photos posted on your social media accounts are carefully handpicked. These images must portray the personality you want to show or the brand which you represent. But how about the videos?
How can you ‘sell’ yourself using video content?
Various video styles might be of use to you. Let us help you maintain or make your social media alive by telling you when to use them.
1. Text Overlay
Let’s start with a simple one. This is preferably used if you don’t have a good camera resolution. You don’t have to be in it. It’s simply text or audio, whichever you want, to be accompanied by background music. The background music can emphasize the emotion that you want to convey in the video. So, you must choose the right one.
When to use it:
Use a text overlay video if you want to tell a short story or tutorial/how-to-do videos.
2. Screen Recording
Like the text overlay, screen recording is one of the many video styles that doesn’t require much work. It is simply a recording of your computer screen with an added narration. This is a good choice when showing how an application works or a game to be played.
When to use it:
As mentioned, use it when you want to show a demo. This is also a good video style choice for tutorials/how-to-do videos.
3. Photo Slides
As the name suggests, this video style is a compilation of photographs. This video style is produced by creating slideshows of photos with either background music or a voice-over. This is usually done to commemorate an event, such as anniversaries, weddings, or birthdays.
When to use it:
Photo slides are a good choice of video style when doing “about me” videos or when showcasing and reminiscing memories during events.
4. Live Stream
This is a video done and uploaded on-air, real-time. This is the rawest form of video in social media – filters set aside. Once the camera is on, your viewers on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube can view it as it is happening.
Note: it is suggested that you build up your audience first before you start introducing your content. It is also much better if you have improved live video quality.
When to use it:
Suppose you are covering an event or an activity that you want your audience to participate in, such as games or raffles. You can also do this to show your rawest reaction to something as the video is broadcasted live. In addition, you can do sales using a live stream.
5. Talking Head Video
This is the most common and widely used among all the existing video styles. This video style is done by talking straight to the camera. It is focused on a single person. When doing this, spice up your video by using different angles, adding some sound effects, background music, and employing good editing. Talking head videos can be boring because of the lack of stimuli, and you don’t want to lose viewers; you want to gain more. Therefore, make the video as entertaining as you can.
When to use it:
You can answer questions from your audience using video styles like this. You can also do product reviews and give advice. This is also good for educational videos to share your expertise while adding some infographics on screen.
6. Live Action Videos
Talking head video style is also a live-action video. What differentiates the two is that live-action videos can involve many people and the live surroundings. Live-action can be videos about a certain place you visited, your favorite pet, and a lot more.
When to use it:
This video style is a great choice when making a “me video” where you show the audience where and how you live your daily life and how you do certain activities. This is also a good choice when making tutorials and product reviews.
There are still other video styles that are much more complex than the ones listed above. Video styles, such as animation and whiteboard videos, are best used to showcase your drawing skills and computer animation skills. But for beginners, start with the basics and build up your skills to the more complex video styles.
What’s more important is that you choose the right video style for your image and your audience. It doesn’t need to involve serious or heavy editing as long as it fits your image and brand and it efficiently conveys your message. So, feel free to choose any video style from the list.