7 Tips for Editing UGC Videos

When potential buyers see content from actual buyers, it’s a far more convincing message than anything a brand could put forward. User-generated content videos are the best type of UGC, generating more views, shares and better retention than other types of content. Once you’ve gathered your UGC videos, it’s important to make them as appealing and accessible as possible. Use these tips for editing UGC videos quickly, efficiently and thoroughly.

7 Tips for Editing UGC Videos

User-generated content (UGC) gets more views and generates more trust than branded content. UGC videos are the most powerful type of user-generated content. Today, users watch an average of 16 hours of online video weekly and retain about 95% of the message. To make these videos as powerful as possible—without spending overextending your time or other resources—it’s helpful to have quick, efficient editing tools.

Closed Captions

Though this differs somewhat by the platform and video length, around 85% of users watch video with no sound on. This makes closed captions or other captioning alternatives essential to make your video enjoyable as well as accessible. In many cases, the platform you’re posting the video on can provide automatically generated subtitles, though the accuracy may vary.

You can also use video editing software like Adobe Premiere, AVS video editor, iMovie to add captions to your video while you edit it (more on this later). Finally, you can use paid services like Automatic Sync Technologies, 3PlayMedia, or cielo24, or pay a freelance transcriptionist to add more accurate closed captions to your video.

Add Your Logo

If you’re sharing your videos online, adding your logo is an especially important tip for editing UGC videos. Adding your logo to UGC videos will improve brand recognition and help viewers find your company if they’re ready to buy. This might include a simple watermark logo in the corner of the video or a glimpse of your logo at the beginning or end of the video.

Add a CTA

Your UGC videos are some of your best marketing tools. Though these messages can be convincing, they won’t be very helpful if your prospective customers don’t know how to make a purchase or enlist your services. A call-to-action will help viewers take the next step. Editing UGC videos with your landing page link, website, coupon code, or another call-to-action at the beginning or end of your video will help improve conversions.

Color Correction

In some cases, part of the appeal of UGC videos is their spontaneous and unscripted nature. However, this can also cause them to be low-quality or difficult to follow. Editing UGC videos will help you clean them up a bit without detracting from the authentic quality of the video. Most basic video editing software, including many free video editing programs, have the ability to correct colors and lighting.

Edit for Length

Some users may make short videos, thirty seconds or less, while others may make much longer videos. Editing UGC videos for length will help you create a video with the right effect. Consider the platform that you’re sharing your videos on and you can find the right length. You might combine several videos together to create a longer video for a platform like YouTube, or edit out a few minutes of a longer video to post to a platform like Instagram.

Clear Sound

When users make videos using their smartphones or create other spontaneous videos, the sound quality is not always clear. Editing UGC videos for sound quality will ensure your videos are clear and your message gets across. With a few audio editing tips, you can remove noise, balance the sound, remove echoes, fix muffled voices, and more.

Edit a Shaky Camera

UGC videos might also be filmed with a shaky camera. This can make them hard to follow and viewers might lose interest quickly. With a few editing tricks, you can stabilize your video. This will maintain the message and content of the video while also making it easier to watch. Viewers will also be more likely to share.

Before editing UGC videos, make sure you have the original creator’s permission. With permission to edit, share, repost and use the video for marketing purposes, you’ll have a powerful tool to reach other potential customers.