Engaging On-Brand Videos: Visual Branding and Video Experts Share Their Secrets

Tired of second-guessing your video content, wondering if it looks engaging, professional, and on-brand enough?

The definition of a “good video” varies a lot and is quite subjective. That said, there are certain best practices, elements, and approaches that can objectively make your content stand out. 

In this guide, we’ll share the expert insights of two seasoned professionals from VEED with keen eyes for good content: Alec Wilcock, video team lead, and Svyat Vishnyakov, creative director. Read on to learn their secrets and advice on how to make your videos turn out on-brand and engaging, every time.

Jump to a specific section:

• Phase 1: Setting Up Your Video’s Visual Branding
• Phase 2: Designing an Always-On-Brand Video Recording Environment 
• Phase 3: Editing Your Videos to Look Engaging and Professional

Phase 1: Setting Up Your Video’s Visual Branding

If you want your videos to stand out, while being memorable and recognizable, the first step is to align them with your brand’s visual identity. This means making sure you’re including your brand’s visual elements in your videos, such as your selected colors, fonts, and logo. 

To ensure you’re not scrambling to make your videos visually-consistent from scratch each time, Svyat recommends setting up your brand’s visual guidelines, if you already haven’t. 

Here’s what that entails.

Build a Brand Kit

A brand kit is a collection of your brand’s visual assets. Your brand kit should, at the very least, include your selected typography (i.e. the fonts), color palette, and logo. Assemble one and keep it stored in a central location that’s accessible to all team members.

If this is the first time you’re building a brand kit, here are some tips on how to go about picking and setting up your assets:

Choosing the Fonts

Svyat says, “Pick at least two fonts; one for titles and calls-to-action, and another for the smaller on-screen copy, like your subtitles. These two fonts should be different from each other.”

Your selection of fonts will depend on your personal preference. That said, according to Svyat it’s good practice to choose a font that’s very legible for the smaller copy (known as the “functional font”). Sans serif fonts — a category of fonts in which the letters do not have extending decorative flourishes — tend to be great choices for subtitles. Since they lack the decorative touch that may compromise legibility, they are easier to read.

On the other hand, the font you pick for titles and bigger calls-to-action can be less legible and more decorative to make them pop and grab attention.

Here are some great pairings of Sans Serif and Serif fonts you can try today:

• PT Sans + PT Serif 
• Roboto + Roboto Serif
• Oswald + Averia Serif Libre
• Noto Sans + Modak

Did You Know? You can find all of the above fonts already locked-and-loaded in the VEED editor. Try it now.

Picking the Colors

Choosing your brand’s color palette boils down to a lot of things, such as your brand’s personality, the industry you’re in, and your target audience. However, you want to try and differentiate yourself from your competitors as much as possible. 

To this end, Svyat recommends doing a quick review and avoiding picking the same colors as that of your closest competitors. Place them all on a color wheel and see what’s left, and then pick accordingly.

Most brands typically split their palettes into two parts:

• Vibrant: for calls-to-actions, buttons, and text
• Pale: for background

You don’t have to go for 5 or 10 colors for the above; just one or two for each should suffice. A good approach is to have a mix that results in decent contrast. For example, you can use a pale green background and apply dark green typography, and that would be very legible.

Another approach is to pick one main color for all your primary marketing and communications (i.e. be a one-color brand), but be open to other colors for special occasions or one-off videos. For instance, your primary color could be blue, but in festive seasons, you may opt for red, pink, or purple in your videos as well.

 If you’re struggling to find the perfect color combos for your brand, you can use a free online dynamic color wheel to experiment. 

Designing Your Logo

According to Svyat, your logo should be:

• Memorable: your logo doesn’t have to be a very detailed illustration. It should be something that is instantly recognizable, even when it’s shown on a very small scale (such as in the corner of your videos).
• Meaningful: your logo should ideally have some sort of a meaning behind it. There are no right or wrong ways when it comes to adding meaning behind your logo, so trust your creative judgment.
• Unique: it should be original — completely different from the other creators/brands in your space.

If your logo is long and also includes text, Svyat advises to keep a smaller, simplified version of it in your brand kit. Always use the shorter version of the logo on your videos as the watermark, since it’s less distracting.

You can set up your brand kit on your VEED workspace and conveniently access all of your assets from within the editor as you edit your projects. Watch the video below to learn more.

Set Up Video Templates

Creating on-brand videos from scratch each time is a hassle. It’s far more convenient to set up branded video templates that your team can use whenever they need to create an asset.

“Instead of editing a video to look on-brand from scratch, they can just pick a suitable template and go from there,” says Svyat.

PS. You can create and store video templates conveniently on your VEED workspace.

Depending on the types of videos you create and the channels you share them on, you can have as many templates as you want. For instance, you can keep both a 9:16 template for Instagram reels and YouTube shorts, as well as 16:9 ratios for standard landscape YouTube videos.

These templates should include an intro, outro, and presets (in your brand colors) that can be modified according to your project requirements.

However, keep in mind that creating templates should not be a one-off job in the long-run. 

“It’s good practice to add iterations to your templates. After testing them out for a month, consider how your videos perform, and then add iterations to your templates if needed.”

Svyat Vishnyakov, Creative Director at VEED

For example, you might notice that your templates are too bright, and you may need to lower the vibrancy so the videos aren’t too harsh on the eyes. Or you notice that a certain genre of music seems a bit distracting, so you implement rules around what type of music to use and at what volume. 

In other words, nothing should be locked or cemented; as long as there is room for improvement, keep tweaking the templates.

Phase 2: Designing an Always-On-Brand Video Recording Environment

“For any video to look good, it starts by capturing high-quality footage,” says Alec. However, that does not necessarily mean recording your videos using an expensive camera; a relatively recent smartphone would do the job. The important thing is setting up a recording environment that helps you shoot consistently high-quality and on-brand videos.

What does that entail? According to Alec, it boils down to two main things:

The Lighting

The lighting can make any video look good. It is what ensures that studio-grade quality all creators strive for.

The most economical way to get good lighting in your videos is to record yourself in front of a window and use the sunlight.

If you don’t get a lot of natural daylight and have some budget to spare, the best option is to get a key light — which includes a main light and a softbox. “The bigger the softbox or the diffuser, the softer the light is going to be, and the more natural your video is going to look,” says Alec.

If you want to take things to the next level, you can also add a secondary, dimmer light (also known as a fill light) to fill up any noticeable shadows, resulting in a more high-quality footage. You can also add a backlight to create more distinction between yourself (the subject) and the background.

Not Sure Which Lights to Purchase? Check out our beginner’s guide to video equipment for product recommendations from our video experts.

Once you’ve obtained your lights, here are some things to consider:

1. Position

When using two lights, always place your main light source (key light) at an angle of about 45 degrees from where you sit, to create some details and shadows. The fill light should also be placed at the same angle — opposite from the key light — to amp up the quality of your videos.

If you only have one light source, keep it behind the camera, so it’s facing you directly. Play with the brightness until it looks soft and not too harsh.

2. Warmth and Brightness

Keep the brightness at a minimum and to opt for warm lightning as opposed to a cooler light. This will ensure that warm, cinematic touch, as opposed to an overly-bright and somber look that can cause strain to the eyes.

Composition of Your Video

The composition of your video can make or break its visual aesthetics. This consists of what’s in front (i.e. the foreground) and what’s behind the subject (i.e. the background).

When it comes to the foreground, a common mistake is to have a poorly framed video. A good talking head video shows the subject from the lower chest to the top of the head, while leaving a little space above. But a lot of creators still make this error of having the top of their head right in the middle of the frame, leaving too much space above. The subject should be perfectly centered in the frame.

You also want to make sure that there’s nothing in the foreground that hides the subject’s face, like a microphone.

The background is equally as important as the foreground, if not more. Alec says, “If it’s too messy and distracting, it can take away from the clean and professional look you’re going for.” A nice decor in the back — including a backdrop in your brand colors and perhaps even a neon light shaped like your logo — can go a long way in making your videos look on-brand and professional. Spread the items in your background instead of lumping them together, as it gives the illusion that you’re shooting in a large space.

It’s also important that you’re not too close to a wall, as you want some separation from the subject and the background for some depth. With the right camera (an iPhone or a DSLR), it will also help create that blur effect, which puts the focus on the subject.

Want More Expert Tips to Set Up a Home Studio? Read our guide on how to design a home studio like a pro.

Phase 3: Editing Your Videos to Look Engaging and Professional

You’ve shot the perfect video, keeping everything on-brand, and according to the best practices. Now it’s time to edit the footage. Getting this final step right will help you make your video look professional and engaging. 

Here’s one video that does it right:

If you want to achieve similar results, here’s what you must absolutely do when editing your videos:

Using Subtitles

About 83% of people watch videos on mute. Adding subtitles can therefore significantly amp up the total watchtime and engagement of your videos. Today, they are pretty much expected and have become the norm.

However, you need to be careful of how you include the subtitles in your videos. Alec’s advice is to take care of the following:

• Placement: a common mistake is having the subtitles too low, such that they appear stuck to the bottom of the screen. Similarly, you should not place them too high. “You want your subtitles to be just a little bit above the bottom of the video” says Alec. 
• Clarity: your subtitles should be easy to read. One way to ensure this is to have a nice contrast with the video. Alec says, “Let’s say you want to have white subtitles but your video’s quite bright. In this case, you should add a background to the subtitles.”

Did You Know? The Auto Subtitles feature in VEED lets you generate and add subtitles to your videos in one click. Forget manually typing out everything; let AI do it for you. Try it now on VEED.

Color Grading and Correction

You want to make sure that your videos have near-perfect brightness, contrast, and vibrancy. Adjusting these things is a sure-fire way to make your videos achieve that professional, studio look.

You can adjust the video settings using any modern editing software, though VEED makes it a lot easier. With your video loaded up on our editor, simply:

• Click on the video in the timeline. This will open the Media tab on the left side.
• On the media tab, click on Adjust. This will open the adjustment settings. 
• Toggle with the options until you find that perfect balance. 

While there are a lot of things you can adjust, you should definitely pay attention to the following:

• Brightness: make sure that your video isn’t too bright, as it may be strainful to the eyes of your audience and make them swipe away. Similarly, the brightness shouldn’t be so low that the viewers can barely make out what’s happening in the video.
• Contrast: good contrast helps you better distinguish the different elements in your videos and make them appear more vibrant. Play with the contrast until you get that perfect, crisp look.
• Saturation: if needed, liven up the colors in your video by slightly adjusting the saturation. However, make sure not to overdo it as the final result may be straining to the eyes.

The key is to experiment with the settings and strike the perfect balance. Do not oversaturate, or make your videos too bright or too dark. 

Once you achieve that balance, make sure to consistently follow the same settings for all your videos, so your content turns out looking similar. However, if you don’t shoot your videos in the same spot or during the same time of the day, then tweak the settings for each video until you achieve the same look and feel.

Background Music

Some subtle background music can go a long way in making your content more engaging and pleasant to watch. Carefully select a beat that fits the mood and vibe of your video.

“A common mistake is making the background music too loud. We don’t want it to be too distracting in the video.”

Alec Wilcock, Video Team Lead at VEED

The music should fill the silence and set the mood and tone for your video; don’t let it overpower the actual words being spoken by the subject or the narrator. 

In addition, make sure that you have the appropriate permissions to use the music. Social platforms like Instagram are very quick to flag down videos that include copyright-protected music.

Looking for Copyright-Free Music for Your Videos? VEED offers an extensive built-in library of stock music where you can find the perfect beat for your next video. Read our comprehensive stock content guide to learn more.

Minding the Safe Zones

When creating videos for social, you want to make sure that any element you place on your video is not covered by any button or section of the social platform’s’ user-interface. TikToks, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts are all 9:16 vertical videos. The layouts for these videos are similar, with the description at the bottom, logo at the top, and social icons at the right. 

“I like to call these the safe zones. Essentially, these are the areas where you want to avoid putting any elements in.”

Alec Wilcock, Video Team Lead at VEED

For instance, you don’t want to include your subtitles too low, otherwise they would get hidden by the description.

You also have to keep in mind that devices have different aspect ratios themselves. So while the video is 9:16, some phones don’t display the actual edges of the video. Alec adds, “It’s better to keep things more centered, like your subtitles, for safety, rather than to go all the way to the edge.”

Adding Subtle Effects or Animations on Objects

If you’re adding any element to the video, don’t make it appear too abruptly. A great way to make it look more polished is to add a slow fade-in or a slide-in animation. 

This is the same for any element. For example, if you have a lower-third, which is your title and your name, a great way to introduce into the video is having it animating in and animating out. 

Remember: Practice Makes Perfect

“You’ve just got to put in the reps,” says Alec. 

The more videos you edit, the more you understand what looks good and what doesn’t. People often look at editing as a very daunting process and they don’t know where to begin. But the reality is that you don’t have to implement highly advanced editing techniques to create a good video.

If you’re happy with the video you’ve captured and the main message you’re trying to convey, you don’t necessarily have to add all the fancy effects to spice things up. There’s beauty in simplicity. The less you tweak the video, the more authentic it will turn out.

“At the end of the day, as humans we love authenticity. If you’re not sure what to add to your video while editing, chances are that it might not be something that needs to be added in the first place.”

Alec Wilcock, Video Team Lead at VEED

There’s also absolutely nothing wrong in looking at what other creators are doing. Check out their most successful videos. Think about what makes them work and how you can creatively apply the same concepts in your own content, while keeping everything on-brand.

All the best! 👋