Creating Engaging Visual Content for Social Media

Creating Engaging Visual Content for Social Media

Overview

Engaging videos, eye-catching photos and graphics are what dominate our social media feeds. It’s essential to craft your content in a way that works visually. That means using the right strategy, toolkits and mastering how to capture your audience’s attention and keep it. Test, learn and innovate!

Social media posts with stimulating visual content perform best across major platforms. Humans are more likely to stop scrolling to look at a photo or watch a video, than to read a post. In fact, 90 percent of information processed by the brain is visual. That means if you want to connect with your audience, you need to communicate visually.

The main question is: how can you be creative? What does your target audience want to see? How can you capture and keep their attention? How can you be consistent?

EBU Academy’s Mark Egan will go through the 5 key ingredients necessary to be successful: Focus, Attention, Strategy, Design, Tools.

Mark will study each element with case studies, examples, and tips that you can implement immediately.

He will also talk you through some visual design concepts you should know that allow designers to craft visually appealing content that is both understandable and memorable. You will also learn how different platforms can require a different visual approach.

The sessions will also allow you to do some practical exercises, using free tools and resources, to turn theory into practice.

Who it's for

  • Web and digital producer
  • Editor
  • Journalist
  • Content producer
  • Digital platforms

Skills Learnt

  • Audience Insights: Understand what visuals work best on social media platform  & how to construct videos that attract and hold the viewer’s attention
  • Editorial: Make videos to support your strategy
  • Social Media: Learn how different platforms require a different visual approach
  • Storytelling: Craft visually appealing content that is both understandable and memorable

Programme Outline

Module 1: The 4 keys to structure your content

  • Understanding audiences and algorithms
  • The key to capturing the audience’s attention
  • Structuring videos for success
  • Creating consistent, engaging video content

Module 2: Platforms, images and concepts

  • How visuals differ on different platforms
  • Imagery that stops the scroll
  • Using graphics and stock elements to enhance your visuals
  • Design concepts you should know (even if you are not a designer

Module 3: Storytelling, strategy and visuals

  • Visual storytelling and how it fits your strategy
  • Live video and visuals
  • Ensuring impactful visuals across your platforms
  • Implementing your visual strategy

Topics covered

  1. What visuals work best on social media platforms
  2. How to construct videos that attract and hold the viewer’s attention
  3. How your videos can support your strategy
  4. How to design photos or graphics to tell a story
  5. How to create consistency in your videos and visual elements

Schedule

Day 1: from 10:00 – 12:30

Day 2: from 10:00 – 12:30

Day 3: from 10:00 – 12:30

Equipment needed by trainees

A computer/laptop

Practice (necessary for course certification)

Trainees will be asked to share any good examples from their own organisations. They Will also be required to use some free cloud tools to create visual content during the course.

Certification

After completing the 3 modules, you will be awarded an EBU Academy Certificate

Meet your faculty

Mark Egan

Video journalist, UK

Mark is an experienced media professional with expertise in training and new ways of working both in television and multi-media environments. Prior to starting his own production and training company, he worked for 12 years at the BBC across a range of programming from documentaries to news and entertainment and helped roll out video journalism across the company.

Academy experience

Prix Italia focuses on Historytelling in Lampedusa

Work history

June 2011 – present: Trainer for organisations such as BBC, Guardian Academy, SKY,UNHCR
Training staff on multi-skilling, videojournalism and programme-making.

Nov 2008 – Mar 2010: Video journalist, BBC democracy in action Citizenship Programmes
Shooting and editing 3 hours of content for BBC 2 for use by UK Schools in Citizenship classes. This
involved filming around the UK and abroad including India, South Africa and Australia.

June 2008 – Nov 2008: Video journalist Trainer, BBC London
Training journalists to film and edit their own stories as well as creating pieces for the regional news
programme. Working with Network producers to improve camera skills and encouraging more efficient
workflows using the latest technology.

Mar 2007 – June 2008: DV mentor, DV solutions Manchester
Consulting for departments such as Current Affairs, Religion and Entertainment on programme making using
DV and High Definition cameras and non-linear editing. This included testing cutting edge technology
including HD cameras for landmark programmes such as Around the World in 80 Faiths.

Oct 2006 – Mar 2007: Video journalst trainer, BBC People
Making news packages and delivering training courses for journalists and technical staff around the UK. This
also involved being part developing new multi-skilling practices for Nations and Regions. A key part of this
was being part of the team overseeing BBC Scotland's move to Pacific Quay.

Oct 2005 – Sept 2006: Video journalist, BBC local TV Midlands pilot projet
As a trainer and video journalist was heavily involved in piloting the BBC Local TV project in the Midlands.
The new ways of working and practices are now being adopted to form part of the new BBC Local plans.

June 2004 – Oct 2005: Video journalist trainer, Sonar centre Newcastle
My brief was to help roll out Video journalism in the nations and regions. I trained both journalist and
technical staff to make television news packages. As a trainer I also worked with the BBC Young
Filmmakers project, which involved teaching pupils from inner city schools about the film production. This
involved liaising with schools in various parts of the UK and maintaining ties in subsequent years.
 
Mar 2003 – June 2004: Video journalist UK-wide and for documentaries
My role during this period included working around the country illustrating how video journalism could be
used on programmes. I also jointly produced three documentaries. During this time I won a Ruby Award for
diversity broadcasting and was short-listed for the National RTS Sports Awards.

June 2001 – Mar 2003: Reporter / broadcast journalist, South East today
Reporting, producing bulletins and researching stories for the regional television news in the South East.
This involved assignments abroad and live reporting, working conventionally with crews and editors

Skills

Journalism

  • - Degree in journalism from Rhodes University, South Africa.
  • - Co-producer for documentaries and inserts for Grandstand.
  • - Producer – Radio and television bulletins
  • - Reporter for regional news programmes around the UK.
  • - 5 years of experience as a producer, newsreader and reporter for BBC Radio Kent.
  • - My training roles have included multi-media journalism training and creative storytelling.

Cameras

  • - Experienced in use of Z1, A1, PD 150, DSLR and EX1 cameras.
  • - Trained in using larger DSR cameras.
  • - Rigged the Yorkshire Air Ambulance with cameras for the “Helicopter Heroes” programme.
  • - Skilled in using minicams for secret filming and mounting in vehicles.

Editing

  • - Experienced user of Final Cut Pro and AVID, as well as a number of other editing systems.
  • - Good working knowledge of other editing software including Newsflash and Liquid Edition.

Training

  • - Experienced making programmes related to school curriculums.
  • - Have developed online multi-media training modules for use by BBC staff..
  • - Undertaken training for the Training and Development Agency training teachers.
  • - Experience in planning and running extensive courses at BBC Training and BBC College of Journalism.