Videos are crucial to sales and marketing. They improve brand awareness.They help you launch new products or services. But your digital marketing videos must first attract and engage to deliver results for your business. Apart from coming up with a killer concept, the most effective videos are edited well.
Although you could hire editors to cut and put together scenes, tools and software now make it doable for nonprofessionals to work on videos.
How to Edit Videos in 9 Easy Steps
1. Plan the Edit
Professional editors follow a plan before buckling down to work. Some concerns to address before every edit are:
- What is the purpose of this video?
- Who is the audience?
- What type of video do I want to create?
- What mood do I want to set?
- What overall message do I want to communicate?
Once you’ve figured out the answers, create a storyboard or treatment. This will help you visualize the final product and map out what needs to be included in the video.
2. Get Organized When Importing Media
When we’re just starting, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of footage and files to track. But if you take the time to organize our project from the outset, you’ll save yourself many headaches.
Here are a few tips for getting organized when importing media:
- Create a folder structure that makes sense for our project
- Give your files specific names for easy identification later on
- Develop a consistent labeling system for video clips to track which ones belong to which scene or sequence
- Store all project files in one central location
3. Choose the right software
There are many different video editing software programs on the market, so how do you choose the right one?
Here are some things to consider when making your decision:
- Your budget
- The features you need
- Ease and functionality of the software
- The quality of the output
For easy video projects, try a basic program that’s easier to learn for beginners and won’t break the bank.
You also have to pick a good editing tool with lots of features. It would be easier if you pick a tool with the latest templates and made for any technology or OS. For example, if you have the latest Chromebook, pick a chromebook video editor or a tool that’s compatible with the latest technology.
4. Find the Music That Fits
First, you must ensure that the chosen music fits your video’s overall tone and feel. If you’re editing a corporate video, choose background music that conveys success, authority and a bright future. On the other hand, if you’re editing a wedding video, choose music that’s romantic, inspiring and ones that are meaningful to the couple.
5. Use Effects Sparingly
Video editing is all about striking a balance between art and science. And when it comes to using effects, less is almost always more. However, in general, it’s best to stick to the basics and use effects sparingly.
Here are a few tips for using effects in our videos:
- Use transitions sparingly
A good transition can help make our video flow smoothly from one scene to the next. But overusing transitions can be distracting.
- Don’t overdo it with color correction
A minor color correction can go a long way in making our video look its best. But if we go too far, it will look fake and unnatural.
- Be careful with special effects
Special effects can be fun and add interest to our video. But again, less is more. Overdoing it with special effects will make our video look cheesy and amateurish.
- Use good video templates
Use good video templates to make your videos look more professional. You can use templates for any category such as Facebook video templates or any specific templates to make your video look good.
If we follow these tips, we’ll be able to edit our videos like a pro!
6. Use Text Only When Necessary
When editing a video like a pro, know when to use text and when to avoid it. Sometimes, text can be a great way to convey a particular message or idea or to context a scene, such as when labeling different parts of the video or providing instructions.
Other times, it can be distracting and take away from the overall quality of the video. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to use text sparingly and only when necessary.
7. Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment
Experiment with various tools and methods until you find something that works for you. There is no “right” way to edit a video, so feel free to play around with different techniques until you find a style that you’re comfortable with.
8. Get Feedback
When asking for feedback, be specific about what you want to know. For example, you may ask someone to watch a video and give their opinion on the editing. Alternatively, you could show them a specific scene and ask for their thoughts on improving it.
Be open to all types of positive and negative feedback. It can be helpful to hear constructive criticism so that you can make changes and avoid making the same mistakes in future videos.
9. Use only what’s necessary
Like editing written content, video editing calls for “economy.” Use only what will help move your story forward. No matter what story you’re telling, a video only has a short time to capture and entice audiences. So don’t bore them with unnecessary clips or transitions and cutting techniques that distract from the message of your video.
Good Videos Drive Results
Videos are good for business. You can boost brand awareness, shore up sales and revenue, or even monetize some videos on certain platforms.
When editing one, don’t just about go through the motions — find the right balance between creativity and practicality. From simple things like using templates to creating a custom collage, sticking with these nine tips will ensure that your videos are well-edited and look professional.