Online Cooking Demo Success Tips
Watch a few of the top influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. You will see what you like or don’t like and be set up for success. Then decide where you want to post the video and what the goals and recipe should be.
•If you plan to post your demo on YouTube, a website, or show it in class, the video can be a little longer (1-3 minutes) and should include clear instructions to make it more educational and valuable. It will likely be the traditional 16:9 ratio (horizontal).
•If it's a reel for social media, it should be faster (30 seconds or less) and entertaining, as well as have a 9:16 ratio (vertical). It can always have a link in bio to a blog with a recipe and a longer video.
•Consider the audio - do you want a live version with you speaking while you're doing it, or would you prefer to film/edit and then add a voiceover? The latter is the easiest!
When ready to film, prepare all the ingredients in advance. We prefer using glass bowls because people can see what's inside from any angle. Take the time to clean up the shooting area. Make sure the lighting looks good. Take a quick test shot with your smartphone. Keep your work area cleaned up as you go.
Be engaging and make everything clear and easy to see.
Don’t be afraid to change the camera angle to engage the viewer and give them a good view of what you’re doing and what the food looks like. Sometimes, the camera can be handheld, and at other times, it can be mounted on a tripod.
Think about making your actions for the viewers. No one wants to see your hand in front of the camera while you add things. Pour everything towards the camera!
Keep watching the clips as you make everything to be sure. It is better to do everything in stages, watch, and reset as you go, rather than to put the camera on a tripod and do the whole thing at once.
After filming, you can easily edit your recipe video on your phone in an app like InShot. Splicing is a valuable tool for removing a lot of boring footage or bloopers. Sometimes, you might want to show the demo as an educational class, but for social media and its algorithms, you will want the reel to be 30 seconds or less. Hint: People only need to see one revolution of a stir, not you stirring for 2 minutes. The introduction clip to the video should show the finished dish and hook people into watching. We like to film the finish in many ways, so we have good editing options for the beginning and end of the video.
You can do a voiceover and add text in editing if you wish. It is best to add music in an app like Instagram or TikTok.
Happy cooking and shooting! Explore our entire collection of free videos online. Let us know if you have any questions.
