Social Video Bootcamp: Cut a Video in Half

Welcome to the eighth installment of the Social Video Bootcamp! If this is your first time joining us, here’s the scoop: the Bootcamp is a series of tips, techniques, and ideas that’ll help you grow as a video creator and marketer. You can catch up with the previous seven pieces in the series in our Facebook Group, as well as here on our blog.

This week, we’re asking you to take a video you’ve already created and cut it in half.

Cut a video in half

Oftentimes, when we create videos or promotional materials of any kind, it’s tempting to include every last detail that you can.

This is especially true when dealing with something as personal as a small business that you know backwards and forwards. Every aspect of a marketing material feels vitally important because you are intimately aware of all the ins and outs of your product or service.

But what’s important to you may not mean much to the average social media user. Consider how you consume social media. As you scroll through your feed and see a video or ad from a business you know nothing about, how often are you willing to donate 90 seconds, or even a minute of your time, to find out more about it? If your video takes it’s time to get to the point,, chances are that most people will never reach that finish line.

The point we’re making is that social media users have a very short attention span. Give yourself the best chance of catching their eye, holding their interest, and sending the message you created your video to deliver, by getting it to them as quickly as possible.

To clarify, we’re not talking about speeding up your blocks. We mean cutting out anything that doesn’t help your video achieve your goal. You might have to make some tough decisions, but it’ll be worth it.

Another clarification — we’re not asking you to strip away anything fun or inspiring about your video. Fun content can absolutely be a valuable sales tool, as long as you’re conscious of your audience’s time and are careful not to be redundant.

As for the details you’ll leave on the cutting room floor, make it easy for interested viewers to fill in any blanks by including contact info, links and details on your social pages, on your website, or anywhere else that you link to in the post itself.

Self-editing can be a challenge, but you’re not alone. Have a friend or family member look your video over, or join our Facebook Group, the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community, where you can receive impartial feedback from video creators like you. Happy editing!