How to Make Compelling Videos and Create an Impact with Social Media

At Kings Crest Global, we pride ourselves on being a truly global company. We are located all around the world and you can find us based in Serbia, Spain, Bangladesh, Portugal and America and Brazil, to name a few. Being international gives us an edge because of our diverse experiences and opinions, but the time zone differences also pose unique challenges.

When I am having breakfast, it is well past lunch for my colleagues in Barcelona. Therefore, we have developed methods to address this and ensure that we work seamlessly across locations. We also implement these principles in our startup consulting and digital transformation consulting services, ensuring that our clients achieve their goals and truly harness the power of the international virtual landscape.

Storytelling Through Video
Key takeaway: Carefully plan your video’s Introduction, Conflict and Resolution

Graham Greene said that “a story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead.” In creating stories through her videos, Filipa agrees. She chooses the introduction, conflict, and the resolution. Filipa’s own experience creating video content also has this arc—she began studying design and photography, but when she found that she preferred to share her experiences through videos rather than photography, she began making videos. Initially she began making videos when she was travelling as a way to show her loved ones her exploration in a far more in-depth manner than motionless photos. Her love of creating videos evolved from a hobby into part of her profession.

Video Equipment
Key takeaway: Your equipment doesn’t have to be the best. Your inspiration, plan and story does.

Like many videographers, Filipa began making videos to document her time abroad and share that time she spent away from friends and family. Initially she purchased expensive equipment to make the extensive and detailed videos she wanted to produce. However, she had to make videos using only her phone after her equipment was stolen. Despite this setback, Filipa was still able to make quality content through her video-enabled phone. After travelling abroad for 15 years, she wanted to re-discover her home country of Portugal. Portugal is a small country with varied landscapes, something that Filipa wanted to showcase in her videos. She decided to invest in a go-pro to drive (in a 30-minute video) from her home city, to the mountains featuring a medieval castle, to a forest, and finally a glistening beach. The video was a success, and Filipa has found that due to the effectiveness of smartphones, that she requires limited equipment to create quality videos. Only when she wants to tell a specific story, as with the case of the varied landscapes of Portugal, will she invest in additional equipment.

How to Best Display Your Video
Key takeaway: Choose the right platform for your video. If you’re using it for social media marketing, choose Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok. If you’re creating a detailed storytelling piece, choose YouTube or Vimeo.

While Filipa recognizes the importance of social media marketing through platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, she prefers to use YouTube or Vimeo to upload her videos. She prefers these platforms because she can display her videos in landscape display and does not need to decrease their size, for example in the portrait display used on Instagram. She believes that the best way to truly see a video is as large and detailed as possible, referencing light festivals held in France where a video is projected onto a historic site. Seeing a video in such a setting is likely the most impactful and detailed way to view a work.

Social Media
Key takeaway: Post frequent, high-quality content. Connect with other brands by commenting and messaging them.

However, Filipa does not discount the importance of utilizing Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn in addition to her preferred mediums. Two posts per week are optimum on a platform such as LinkedIn. Such posts should either include videos or photos in order to make an impression on connections. While LinkedIn may not be the ideal way for viewing a video, it does quickly draw in an audience. It is also critical to not only focus on promoting your brand, but also connect with other brands that post content that resonates with you. Having empathy and relating to others in your network, or outside it, can not only provide you with additional awareness, but also opportunities. Posting content can either draw in new connections or remind previous colleagues about the great work that you did together, as well as inform them about the work that you are doing now.