Consumers increasingly want to know where their food comes from, that it is safely produced, and ultimately want to feel connected to the people growing it. 

We want a consumer to pick up a piece of Chelan Fresh fruit and feel excited to support the growers and regions they’ve come to know and love online.

Taking the time to record and briefly explain the day-to-day tasks that growers and team members are performing helps the consumer appreciate everything that goes into the fruit they pick up at the grocery store.

According to HubSpot’s 2022 Marketing Industry Survey, short-form video has the highest ROI out of all social media content. Educational video content has by-far been the most successful content across all Chelan Fresh accounts.

We are not looking for long, perfect and produced videos. A 10-60 second clip showing or explaining any part of the growing/packing/shipping process filmed on your smartphone is all it takes!

Here are a few tips for filming educational videos on your phone:

1) Always Film Vertically

Studies suggest that we universally hold our phones vertically 94% of the time, whether banking, chatting, calling, scrolling our news feed or – indeed – viewing videos. In addition, 75% of video plays worldwide are on mobile devices.

The biggest change when filming video for mobile devices is holding your phone upright vs. sideways. This will ensure that your video takes up the whole screen when being viewed.

Check out the examples below.

Red and Green Boxes Indicating a Correct and Incorrect Way to Vertically Film with Two Images of a Man

The example on the right was filmed horizontally and only takes up ⅓ of the screen on a mobile device. This makes for an unpleasant and less engaging viewing experience. It is difficult to see detail and text.

The example on the left was filmed vertically and takes up the whole screen on a mobile device. This makes it easy for viewers to read on-screen text and see exactly what you are taking the time to show them. The camera is close enough to see facial expressions and detail, but far enough to leave room for text and include the trees behind him as a backdrop.

2) Film in High Resolution

Filming in high resolution has many advantages.

A low quality video can be hard to follow, overwhelming and an overall unpleasant viewing experience for the consumer, which leads to less views. When the video quality looks realistic, it is far more engaging to the audience, which means more views!

High resolution video is also a mark of professionalism. A consumer is more likely to trust & engage with a brand that consistently produces quality video content.  

While lighting can play a big role in video quality, so can your phone settings. Follow these simple steps to change your phone settings and ensure that your videos are the highest quality possible!

3) Keep It Short & Sweet

For short-form educational content, it’s best to keep a video between 30-90 seconds. This is a perfect length to explain a very specific part of the growing/packing/shipping process in a way the average consumer can digest.

This can be accomplished by stitching a few of the best clips together from a longer video, taking the best parts of a few different clips and stitching them together, or by making sure the original video is under 90 seconds.

We want consumers to come across one of our videos, find it informative and engaging, then visit our page to “binge” the rest of our available content without getting bored. You can think of these videos as short episodes of a great TV show.

4) Speak Loudly, Clearly & Quickly

We know that the orchards and warehouses can be loud and busy, especially during harvest!

Be sure to speak loud and clear to ensure that viewers can still hear and understand you over the background noise.

In addition, speak with excitement and urgency to keep viewers engaged.

5) Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

The great thing about short-form video is that anyone can do it! All it takes is a smartphone and someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Don’t worry if you trip on your words 30 seconds into the video! Start right where you left off and we can edit it out. Don’t want to show your face for the whole video? Film a quick intro stating your name and the topic, then flip the camera and film what you’re doing while explaining in the background. We promise to make you look good!

These videos are not meant to be perfect or polished. They are meant to make the consumer feel connected to our brand and give them an authentic look at all the thoughtful work going into the fruit they enjoy.

5) Three Ways To Film

There are a few different ways to film an educational video. While we recommend always filming an introduction clip that shows your face, feel free to mix and match the methods below for the rest of the video.

  1. Have someone film you vertically using the back cameraUsing the camera located on the back of your phone, have someone film as you demonstrate and explain the subject matter. When recording this way, speak loud & clearly & be sure that the person recording keeps the phone on the same level as the subject matter.
  2. Film yourself using the front cameraWhen recording in “selfie mode,” camera angles & lighting are even more important. Front camera videos can easily look unflattering or unprofessional when filmed incorrectly, but they can also be engaging and effective when filmed correctly.

     

    To ensure best results indoors, place your phone on a steady surface, like a window sill, that allows you to face some sort of natural light, like a window. It is important to keep your phone at eye-level to avoid unflattering angles & lighting. Never film with a window behind you or the subject matter. This will reduce the quality of your video and the viewing experience online.When filming outdoors with your front camera, methodology is similar. Hold your phone at eye level and make sure the sun is in front of you, not behind you, so as to avoid harsh shadows. Do your best to keep a steady hand while recording or place your phone on a steady surface at the level of your subject matter.

  3. Film the process using the back camera while talkingWhen filming this way, it is important to speak extra loud & clearly, as the viewer will not see you speaking and there will likely be background noise. Make sure that the camera is on the same level as the subject matter rather than filming down at it.

Outline what you’re going to say. Rehearse what you’re going to say once or twice, and then DO IT. It’s okay if it’s over the allotted time. It doesn’t have to be completely off-script. We have an editing team and that’s what they are for.

We believe it is important for consumers to understand just how much time, care and attention goes into the fruit they eat. Educational videos are a simple way to get them feeling good about their choice to buy Joyfully Grown fruit and excited to support the real people behind the brand.

Thank you for helping us create an online community of people who respect and value what you do!

Note: Please avoid holding beverages or showing your dogs during filming, as most retail partners’ food safety protocols do not allow dogs in the orchard.