You might be familiar with how virtual assistants can help you be more productive, and your business more profitable, by helping you with data entry, copywriting, or other tasks. But did you know that virtual assistants can help you with your video editing of content as well?
These days, video is a crucial part of a successful marketing strategy. However, badly edited video is worse than not having a video at all. Make no mistake: Video editing is challenging. Why not let an expert handle it for you?
Why Hire a Virtual Video Editing Assistant?
If you aren’t producing videos on a daily basis, a virtual video editing assistant is a great option. For one thing, you’ll save money by avoiding the purchase of expensive video editing software. For another, you’ll get peace of mind knowing that your project is handled by a professional.
Let’s go over the steps to follow to ensure a successful video project.
Step 1: Identify the Type(s) of Videos You Want
Different virtual video editing assistants have different niches, so to choose the best candidate, you first need to know what type of video you need. Some basic types include:
- A Promo Spot: highlights a new product or service, usually with a brief story featuring it
- A How-To Video: can include a demo of the product or service, or a how-to in a related topic for content marketing purposes
- A Mini-Documentary: a bit more in depth, usually combining interviews with people along with footage of the product or service
Consider the video’s role in your marketing campaign and what style best suits it. For a lot of social media content, “natural”-looking videos often perform better than highly polished “business” videos. Keep this in mind when looking for your assistant.
Step 2: Locate Your Video Editing Assistant
Once you’ve identified the type(s) of video you want, find an editing assistant who specializes in that type. Look through their portfolio to see if any of their previous work matches the style you have in mind.
Step 3: Get the video editing assistant on board
Remember, your assistant can’t read your mind, so be sure that you clearly communicate to them what you have in mind as far as style and content. In addition, there are certain specs they’ll want to know:
- Length of the video: 30 seconds and under is best for promo spots. How-tos and mini-documentaries can run a little longer, depending on where you’re sharing them.
- Format of the video: It matters where you’re sharing the video. If sharing on social media, you need the video delivered in MP4 or MOV, while YouTube favors FLV and MP4. As you see, MP4 is a good option for cross-platform compatibility.
- Titles or captions: If you need text of any kind added to the video, it’s essential to provide that information to the video editing assistant before they begin work.
- Music: In general, adding music is a good idea, even if it’s in the background of the video. Your video editing assistant can help you choose royalty-free music that suits the style and topic of the video.
It’s best to draft up a scope of work with your assistant so that you are on the same page. If there are particular services you want, such as color-correction, cleanup of bloopers, or closed captions, be sure that those are included.
Step 4: Stay in touch through the process
Your video editing assistant will likely want your review of the first cut of the video. Be sure that you are thorough in your feedback to avoid a lot of back-and-forth. This saves you time, frustration, and money, especially if you’re paying the assistant hourly.
Other Uses for a Virtual Video Editing Assistant
Video editing assistants, despite their name, do more tan editing. Here are a few other things they can do for you to optimize your video marketing efforts.
Subtitles/Captions: If you’re distributing the video on social media, it’s important to add subtitles or closed captions to your video. YouTube and Facebook will auto-generate these, but they’re often flawed. A video editing assistant can help correct misspellings and format them properly.
Sound Effects: While you don’t want the video to sound cheesy, light sound effects or dubbing can sometimes help the video have more clarity and appear more professional.
Branding: You probably want your logo and other company elements in the video. A video editing assistant can add these and make them fade in or out in an aesthetically pleasing way.
SEO: Your video needs an SEO-friendly title, keywords, and description. Some video editing assistants double as video SEO specialists who can help ensure your video ranks in YouTube search results.
A virtual video editing assistant is a great investment for your business. Video marketing will elevate your promotional strategy and help you connect with your target audience, and a video editing assistant will help you to have professional, high-quality videos that make your brand look good.