Sending video birthday messages is a creative way to celebrate a friend, family, or coworker for completing a successful trip around the sun.
Video birthday cheers offer a more personal touch than traditional greeting cards, allowing them to create a memorable experience. The e-cards also let you express your emotions more profoundly, which is necessary in fostering a personal connection with the celebrant.
However, only so far has a video birthday message been able to spread positive vibes. Specific strategies are necessary to craft greetings that will leave a lasting impression on the recipient.
Below are the top tips for creating truly impactful video birthday cheers.
1. Pick a Suitable Video Platform
There are two ways to create video birthday messages. You can either record yourself on your smartphone or choose pre-recorded clips.
The latter option is preferable as it’s timesaving. Besides, there are several online platforms to access pre-recorded birthday wishes.
A noteworthy mention is the African Birthday Wishes website, which lets you pick a high-quality greeting from Africa video and share positive vibes from the continent. Each clip features unique dance moves to spice up the birthday occasion.
Moreover, greeting videos from the website can be tailored to the recipient’s needs. Simply pick a clip of your favorite African dance team and incorporate elements unique to the celebrant, such as photos of them and their favorite soundtracks.
2. Begin With the End in Mind
Whether crafting a video message for a high-level marketing campaign or celebrating a special someone in your life, it’s always recommended to begin from the end and work your way backward.
This essentially implies understanding your audience or, in this case, the recipient of your birthday cheers.
What are their tastes and preferences? What about their age and social class? Do they fancy certain visual aesthetics, and are they particularly choosy about birthday soundtracks?
The answers to these questions will help you create a video birthday message that strikes the right chords.
3. Tailor the Message to the Recipient
No two birthday celebrants are similar. Even twins can develop entirely varied tastes and personalities. So, after understanding the recipient, craft a message that speaks to their style and interests.
Shun common Happy Birthday tunes and incorporate the celebrant’s favorite song instead.
It’s also prudent to use visual effects after the recipient’s preferences. For instance, shades of orange and yellow would be ideal if the individual favors warm colors.
Ultimately, video birthday cheers should contain heartfelt messages that only the recipient can relate to.
4. Keep It Short but Sweet
Video birthday cheers should be long enough to cover the essentials but short enough to arouse interest.
While there’s no consensus on the ideal length, aim for between 1 and 2 minutes.
Short video birthday cheers let you maintain engagement while sharing your heartfelt birthday wishes. Besides, shorter videos are easier to save due to their smaller file sizes.
Most birthday celebrants would certainly desire gifts that they can preserve for years, serving as a nostalgic reminder of specific birthday occasions.
5. Speak From the Heart
Video birthday messages undeniably carry more emotional depth than traditional birthday greeting cards.
However, the sentiments conveyed in these e-cards can only have maximum impact if they are genuinely expressed.
Wear appropriate facial expressions when recording yourself in a video birthday message. Birthday celebrations aren’t occasions to put on a somber or melancholic face. Instead, flash an organic smile as you joyously sing the melody of Happy Birthday.
Many pre-recorded video birthday wishes feature characters showcasing their dance moves. This can help spice up the occasion, particularly if the celebrant is young or a hippie.
6. Share Jokes or Memories
While each birthday celebrant is unique, everyone has a sense of humor. Therefore, you can’t go wrong with a dose of humor.
Share a short pun about the recipient’s age or personality.
However, avoid overly embarrassing jokes or those the celebrant may find offensive.
If you know the recipient personally, you could inject a reminiscent aura into the celebration by sharing a memorable experience. It helps remind the person how far back your relationship goes and how deeply you cherish the memories you’ve made together.
7. Incorporate Animations
What makes video birthday wishes so engaging is their animated display. Fortunately, you can incorporate additional visual elements into the clips to create a more unique appeal.
Overlays are particularly recommended, as they let you integrate clickable hotspots at strategic points throughout the video’s length.
The celebrant can readily click on these active links to connect with you on social media or (in the case of marketing videos) access your company’s website or product page.
Besides overlays, you may incorporate montaged pictures of the recipient into the video birthday cheers. Include photos that date as far back as their childhood.
8. Play Around With Different Soundtracks
Music can make or break your video birthday cheers.
You can replace these melodies with modern birthday songs rather than settle for the common Happy Birthday tunes. There are dozens of top-charting songs dedicated to birthday celebrants.
Besides actual music, you may add unique sound effects to make your video birthday cheers more impactful. Party horns, confetti pops, and clinking glasses can all help to create a celebratory atmosphere.
However, don’t overuse music and sound effects. The trick is identifying the main birthday song and then incorporating soundtracks that harmonize with the chosen tune.
9. Double Check Overall Visual Effects
Whether creating a video birthday message from scratch or choosing from a premade list, it’s important to take care of the lighting.
The video should be well-lit, with a focus on the message. Eliminate shadows as they can distract the recipient and reduce the clip’s professional appeal.
It’s also best to double-check the background of a video birthday message before sharing it with the recipient. Remove distractive elements, such as uninvolved people walking in the background. You can use a background remover to clean your video birthday wishes of unnecessary clutter.
Don’t forget the video’s overall quality. Aim for birthday videos recorded in at least 1920×1080 for a professional look.
The Bottom Line
Video birthday cheers carry a deeper personal touch than traditional greeting cards. Using video e-cards, you can inject more depth and dimension to otherwise ordinary birthday messages, leaving the celebrant feeling genuinely treasured.
It’s exciting to know that you can maximize the impact of video birthday cheers by implementing the above strategies.
Remember always to have the recipient’s interests at heart when crafting video birthday wishes. Besides addressing the individual by name, incorporate quirky elements that speak to their style and personality.
