When a video pops up on your social feed and you don’t have headphones, what do you do? Sure, you might let it play. But what if your SO is watching Netflix. Better hope the video is optimized for silence.
Today, after an incredibly close vote (like 352 to 348 kind-of close), Hootsuite is teaching us how we can create highly watchable silent videos for social media.
Tip #1: Add closed captioning. This is absolutely crucial. Not only does it allow silent watching of videos, but it’s also a matter of accessibility. Deaf and hard of hearing people will easily follow a video’s message if it is subtitled. Facebook and YouTube even have auto-captioning so you can get started right away.
Tip #2: Don’t rely on music for meaning. Let visuals do the legwork. When optimizing for silence, music has no business being front and center.
Tip #3: Show, don’t tell. Sure, captions provide guidance in silent videos, but so do images. If you can convey your entire message through imagery, then do it! It’s much more memorable and promotes an added degree of creativity.
Tip #4: Use sound intentionally. Complete silence in a video is great when people want it. But they might think something’s wrong when they try turning the sound on. Include some music or sound effects for those who want sound, but don’t make it a crucial element of the video.
Tip #5: Remember the 3-second rule. It’s imperative you don’t bore your viewer – especially not in the first few seconds. Begin your video with a captivating image or clip you might revisit later in the video so people will stick around and watch.
We couldn’t get to all Hootsuite’s tips, so check out the full article for numbers 6 & 7. (And don’t worry, we’ll discuss perfect titles and headlines tomorrow.)
