We all know that our customers’ opinion is an infallible weapon for attracting new ones. In order for an opinion to be truly effective, you need to make sure it is translated into content that your potential customers can enjoy: interviews. But how do interviews be effective and enjoyable to watch?
Quiet, don’t need Hollywood productions! Follow these best practices to make memorable video interviews.
1. Place the camera
… Or if you own them, video cameras. They will be very useful during post-production studios in Dubai.
I know what you’re wondering: can I use my smartphone? Of course, you can if the video is shot well, but keep in mind that smartphones have many limitations! I recommend a camera both for its versatility and for the more affordable price of lenses and accessories than a video camera.
Make sure, however, that you can record videos in at least FULL HD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The framerate is advisable to keep it at 25 fps (at least here in Europe where the electricity is emitted at a frequency of 50 Hz).
Place them at about 2 meters from the subject and place them at 2/3 of the space you have available to better focus the attention of the beholder.
2. Ensure quality audio
The audio quality is even more important than the video: it is all about audio.
When you need to buy or rent a microphone, be careful as there are 3 types of microphones:
- Directional or gunmetal
- A capacitor
- Lavalier
For this type of video, I recommend using lavaliers. They are small, well masked and you can find excellent capsules at reasonable prices.
Have your subject wear the capsule so that it points towards its mouth and hide the thread under your clothes: then connect the microphone to the transmitter, the receiver to the camera and you’re done!
3. Care for the setting
No need to have some kind of backgrounds, but not even a white wall! Use the environment where you are: is it an office? An atrium? A theatre? Place the subject in front of a corridor, in a sitting area or in front of something characteristic.
Then set the aperture to the minimum so as to have a nice blurred background effect, so as to detach the subject well.
Place yourself in a well-lit place and, if you own them, use lamps and softboxes to get different cuts and lighting effects.
4. Reassure your subject
People are terrified of the camera: it’s a fact. To prevent this from turning into the ruin of your filming, you must first calm them and break the tension.
In order to feel comfortable, you can help him by ensuring that:
- Do not look in the room, you can make it look beyond the room (just above) for more direct contact with the viewer, or completely offset for a more “documentary” style;
- Talk to you so he can talk directly to a person. Human contact is very important;
- Do not answer questions, establish a conversation and do not ask dry questions. It is more difficult and requires further effort, but the result will repay the efforts.
5. Take pictures of the context
To disconnect from the interview and have more material, take something from the place where you are going. This is a great move to give an identity to the location.
You do not need, however, minutes and minutes of shooting: just a few generic shots and some details. Then you will see that this will provide you with concrete help during editing.
6. Develop simple editing
First of all take editing software: you don’t need to invest in Final Cut Pro or in Premiere subscription! There are some editing tools that you can use as an alternative.
How do you edit it? Make cuts where it is needed, that is when there are obvious errors, too long pauses that interrupt the rhythm or interruptions.
Don’t take your hand too much! And vita too many jumpcuts (sharp cuts on the same scene): the video will have a sustained rhythm, but it will quickly lose focus. If you really can’t do without multiple cuts together, insert environmental footage instead so you can hear continuous audio but without visual interruption. Furthermore, if you have recorded with two cameras, it will be easier to cut off misprints and pauses giving the illusion of continuity.
7. Publish
Where is it? I would mainly recommend YouTube for three reasons:
- For the dissemination of the platform
- For the free service
- For ease of sharing both on other social media and pages, even via Embed code
Other platforms, such as Vimeo, are also great for sharing your video content, but often they have big upload limitations, or even worse, they can be paid.
Well, now you know how to make video interviews to attract new potential customers. This is a fundamental step in an inbound marketing strategy: make your customers feel important with interviews and make them become promoters of your company!
Do you know that videos are great to use in your inbound marketing strategy? Not only can you use them throughout the buyer’s journey, but you can also use them to increase visits to your site and on your channels: in fact Google and search engines reward pages that have video content.
This means an increase in your organic traffic and therefore a better ranking in the SERP, or the ranking in the searches!
