A Video Editing Guide for Social Media Influencer
Being a social media creator or influencer in the modern age means, above all, having a clear strategy and creating content that your audience likes.
In social media, engagement metrics are king
As a social media influencer, you’re always working with the algorithm. No matter the type or genre of content you create, engagement is ultimately what will help you grow as an internet personality and accrue a following interested in what you have to post. When editing your social media content, you need to keep in mind what tricks and editing styles are those that help you get the most engagement. By following these metrics, which are available on just about any social media platform or management tool with a business account, you’ll be able to see in real time what works and what doesn’t. Eventually, you’ll start to find your rhythm and own personal style. But without further ado, let’s get into one of the best ways you can drive engagement on social media platforms.
Choosing the right editor
If you’re new to the game, this should be your first step. There are plenty of capable video editors out there for social media, but most come with high subscription costs for the full version and almost all have a steep learning curve for someone with little to no editing experience. CapCut is a free, online, and all-in-one video editor that provides everyone with all the tools they need to create professional-level content for social media platforms. It’s a great place for beginners to start, and experienced editors to develop their editing style. You’ll have access to stickers, effects, filters, and much more to create stunning videos. This is paired with an intuitive and simple user interface and cloud-storage system for on-the-go content creation.
Understand aspect ratios for your chosen platform
Depending on what kind of social media video content you want to create, you should be producing it in different aspect ratios. Instagram posts, for example, do well in the 4x5 vertical format. Instagram Reels, on the other hand, should be 16x9 vertical in order to maximize the on-screen content. Other platforms, like YouTube, will benefit from horizontal video content. Generally speaking, it’s always a good idea to take up as much of your viewer's screen as possible in order to create the most immersive and engaging content. CapCut has different presets that let you get the right aspect ratio for your platform in the click of a button.
Make fast-paced, interesting content
It’s a widely known and appreciated fact that people’s attention spans are far shorter on the internet. The speed, accessibility, and diversity of internet content has made people impatient - so you need to get your point across quickly. One good way to do this is to understand what the hook of your video is. This is the point in which you grab people’s attention, and keep them watching until the end. By editing fast-paced content, you’ll get to this hook point quickly and ultimately drive more engagement.
Always include subtitles or captions
Especially on social media platforms like Instagram, a huge portion of your viewership will watch your content with no audio. Including subtitles helps grab these people’s attention and keep them watching what would otherwise be confusing video content with no audio.
Don’t ignore the importance of audio
As an extension to the previous point, audio still plays an important role in social media content. Many platforms like TikTok are now including viral music pieces in content that helps drive familiarity and amusement amongst audiences. Do your research and find audio that matches your theme, editing style, and is popular or trending. This will help you relate to your audience, grow your following, and accrue more views. Using CapCut, you can instantly synchronize trending music from TikTok.
Edit your content in a recognizable, unique way
After a bit of practice using a capable editor like CapCut, you will start to develop your own personal editing style and your content should start to become recognizably yours. This is an important step in creating perfect social media content, so slowly working towards it from the very beginning is a solid game plan.
