Short form videos are not only for entertainment. In recent years, the value of short form video has helped business owners find their audience, present value, and offer solutions in a way that is helpful and easy to digest by their audience.
According to Wyzowl, 84% of people are more likely to buy a product by watching a video. This offers a unique opportunity for you as a construction business owner.
In order to turn cold leads into potential customers, your main goals should be to attract, engage, and convert them. Here is how you can do so by creating a time-lapse of projects in progress.
Creating your time-lapse video on your phone is the easiest way to get started. Here’s what you need to get started:
You can start by shooting with your camera’s wide angle lense and locking on exposure and focus on your camera. Depending on the model of your phone, you’ll want to set your camera’s exposure before recording.
Here are some tips about the best exposure settings.
Start by downloading the GoPro app on your phone so you can edit your videos easily. You’ll want to use the shutter button to record your video. The red light will blink when your video is recording. Press the shutter button to stop recording.
For more in depth specifics on how to use your go pro, check out this guide.
If you have a newer android phone, you’ll have the time lapse setting built in. You’ll want to switch to video mode and select time-lapse. This setting could be under manual, resolution, or more, depending on your phone.
To keep your phone steady, try using a tripod.
The iPhone also comes with a time-lapse shooting mode. Tap your iPhone’s screen to make sure it’s in focus and swipe up and down to control the exposure. The red shutter button will start your recording.
While Android and iPhones offer great built in cameras to help you shoot your time-lapse video, these third party applications can help you to edit, speed up, and even add music to your timelapse video.
PowerDirector is a great third party app because it’s easy to use for beginners and has the settings you need to get started. Edits can be made directly from the app and can be done frame by frame.
You can also add extras such as animated titles, motion graphics, and blending modes. Create unique transitions and easily speed up your video with PowerDirector.
Lapse It Pro is an alternative to helping you create time lapse videos as well as stop motion content. You can use this method to easily choose the speed of your video, down to the millisecond.
Lapse It Pro has more than 50 filters for you to choose from as well as many manual options for both iOS and Android.
Need some inspiration on what to film for your time-lapse video? Here are some of the projects we recommend.
This time-lapse video was shot in 2019 and shows a great “before” shot of what a kitchen looked like before its remodel. We can see demolitions starting inside of the kitchen in the form of a frontal view.
Contractors start by taking apart the counter tops and then move into working on the flooring. They even show blueprints of their plans.
Enjoy this amazing view of a cliffside home being built from scratch. We can see this process from beginning to end starting with measurements and laying the foundation. It’s amazing to see what can be built and time-lapse video helps us to see this sped up process.
This is a video of gardening landscaping taking place. Hours of work have been condensed down into just ten minutes. There are several contractors working to make this job come to life and the end results are incredible!
In this video you can see the process of pouring concrete over a foundation. Timelapse on this video shows how much prep-work goes into making sure the concrete is smooth and ready for the coming stages.
Check out this flooring install to see a hard day's work compressed in just a minute! This process takes time and patience, but seeing it in a time-lapse video can help you see what the finished product will look like.
Check out this process of mudding drywall. You can see that the contractor engages in taping before going into the painting process.
On TikTok, creating a time-lapse video with your smartphone is easy. You can simply select the 3x speed button. Any video that you create will be sped up x3 which would help you show a lengthy project in a fraction of the time.
Check out this time-lapse video of a typical day at a construction site.
If you're new to TikTok, or want to see who to follow, check out the Top 10 TikTok Channels for Construction Pros.
A time-lapse video is referred to as a hyperlapse on Instagram. With the hyperlapse app, you can choose the speed and share the video directly to your Instagram or Facebook account.
Protip: To learn how to use Instagram to grow your business, check out The Complete Guide to Instagram for Home Builders and Remodelers.
Many phones have a time-lapse setting built right in and you can upload your video to YouTube shorts. Check out this demonstration video of time lapse on YouTube.
Beyond creating content of your own, YouTube is chock full of amazing construction content you can consume for free if you know which channels to follow. Here is our list of the top 15 YouTube channels for builders, contractors, and remodelers.
Growing an audience over social media can feel like a bit of a long game, but by being consistent and using a time-lapse video to stand out, you’ll be well on your way to booking long term clients. Here are some things you can do.
Even if you’re a contractor, you can still showcase videos and content that you’re most passionate about. Are you a whizz at bathroom remodels? Maybe your specialty is flooring or cementing? Make sure that your page is centered around your specialty.
Don’t set yourself up for failure at the beginning. Keep in mind a specific posting schedule and stick to it so your followers know when to find you.
If you’re ready to tackle the one thing standing between you and achieving the trifecta of construction — happier clients, more profits, and less stress — then sign up for a free trial of BuildBook today.
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