You’re a freelance writer, which means you’ll be doing a lot of typing and shaping of the written word. However, the landscape for writers is changing rapidly. Before you know it, the ability to write might not be enough anymore. Whether you’re interested in blog writing jobs, content creation, grant writing, or other forms of writing for a career, there may come a time when you’ll need to know basic videography.
Freelance Writers Must Wear Multiple Hats
For the most part, writing will be your biggest talent. You’ll be highly valuable to companies for your ability to form strong, grammatically-correct content. It’s vital that you specialize in a niche to improve your talents and maintain job security.
However, this may not always be enough. Instead of freelance writing being all about the written word, it’s beginning to start encompassing multiple forms of knowledge exchange. What was once known as the field of technical writing is now technical communication as multi-media becomes the norm.
There’s plenty of writing work available, but in order to get a good job, sometimes you must bring a little extra to the table. Companies want the benefits of content creation without the ultra high labor costs. Therefore, if they have the choice between a single person with skills in both writing and multimedia creation and two separate employees with two separate specialties, budget restraints will likely encourage them to hire the first.
Knowledge in Video Production Makes You More Marketable
It’s true that blog posts, white papers, and other content are timeless ways to convert customers. However, the dynamic is shifting to include a whole host of multimedia. According to research, videos are a huge part of today’s content marketing. They increase conversions by 80 percent and 92 percent of mobile video consumers will share videos with others.
Videos are especially useful for business’s blogs and social feeds. They bring more engagement from their consumers while boosting their search rankings. This reduces bounce rates and encourages visitors to spend more time on a page.
Videos are also great for collaborating, sharing information, entertaining for the purpose of converting, and more. The need for writing is still alive and well, but freelance writers looking to diversify their portfolios and make themselves more marketable would do well to learn a little about video production.
Learning the Basics of Video Production
Now that you know the importance of varying your skill set, begin the learning process. You don’t need to become a master in videography, but if you know how to work with a good video production program and develop a semi-decent video for your company’s content marketing, you’ll be in good shape.
Visit YouTube
You can learn a lot from tutorials on YouTube. Start small with basic editing techniques and broaden your interest to include different camera angles and other technical knowledge. Do a little research, and find a channel that offers great information on video techniques.
Get Certified
There are dozens of excellent videography courses online. You usually have to pay for these courses, but you’ll get a certificate at the end that shows potential employers your skill set. These courses can often be beneficial because they add more structure to your learning. You’ll follow a logical course with a knowledgeable instructor instead of bouncing around on subject matter and skill level like you might on YouTube.
Most universities and colleges offer courses both on-campus and online. There are also sites like Lynda.com that offer a variety of quality content creation videos. With a little research and investment, you can easily find an educational medium that will teach you what you need to know.
Practice and Build Your Portfolio
You’ll learn the basics, but the only way to get the hang of it is practice. Create and edit both live and animated videos in your spare time. When you develop a particularly successful video, add it to your portfolio as proof of your skills. With practice and patience, you can make yourself a truly marketable job candidate in the realm of technical communication.
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