Effective videos start with a plan. In the latest issue of Floral Management, two marketing experts share best practices for planning and executing video.
If you’ve logged onto Instagram lately, you’ve no doubt noticed that short videos called “Reels” dominate the site, as they do on other social media platforms. Becoming a videographer may feel daunting given your myriad other day-to-day duties. Fortunately, the latest issue of Floral Management features tips from two of the industry’s seasoned marketers to produce simple, effective, and fun videos.
“Your social media — and video especially — is truly an extension of you in terms of personality and business, says Renato Cruz Sogueco, AAF, PFCI, vice president of digital strategy and education at BloomNet. “You have an electronic means to make a personal connection. This is a huge potential.”
Don’t Just Wing It
Behind every good video is a plan. Melanie Spilbeler, a managing partner with FreshPath Marketing, suggests planning content at least three months in advance to include major events (think: Petal It Forward, your holiday open house, Valentine’s Day prep), leaving room for unexpected, fun things that can be filled in last minute, she says. A content calendar helps you schedule development and publishing of posts. Some free tools to try include Hootsuite, Hubspot or Contentcal.
Before attempting to map out your video, ask yourself these three questions:
- Who is your target audience?
- What makes you uniquely different from your competition?
- What are your goals for social media?
For your script, don’t agonize and try to be too clever. Just be authentic, clear, and concise, Sogueco says. Introduce yourself and your business, including where to find your shop. Discuss three or four points, then close with a note about how to get more information. Also include a call to action, such as “share this video with your favorite bride-to-be/plant parent/high schooler preparing for prom,” “visit our website,” or “let us know what flowers you like the best.”
Get Acquainted with Your Equipment
Familiarize yourself with your smartphone’s camera and editing features, Sogueco says. You can significantly upgrade the quality of homemade videos by investing in a few tools: a selfie stick and a tripod to stabilize your phone, a mobile light to cast a more professional and flattering glow, and an external microphone to produce high quality sound.
Learn how to position yourself well, which certainly requires some trial and error with selfies. You want to frame yourself in the image, Sogueco says. Don’t cut off half your face or your chin. Also practice the pace of your speech so you don’t talk too fast or too slow.
For more tips on planning, filming and editing video, check out “Make Video Central to Social Strategy” in the July/August issue of Floral Management.
Katie Vincent is a contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
