Professional marketing videos promoting your business aren’t cheap. You get what you pay for when it comes to marketing your products and engaging your audience. However, there are tools you can use to accomplish these tasks without breaking the bank. You don’t need Hollywood; you just need fast and free.
Incorporating marketing videos into your strategy accomplishes several things:
How to Make a Video Like a Professional
You don’t need expensive equipment to make a great video. Sometimes you don’t even need your own footage. An idea is a great place to start. Try storyboarding your plan and writing a script. Find or create the footage you need. Edit it using an online app. Upload for viewing!
Free Stock Footage
Now for even better news. You don’t even need your own camera. Seriously. There are so many great places to find stock footage. You can repurpose existing photography, find material on stock footage sites, and shoot your own footage with your phone. It gives it a great, home video feel that appeals to today’s audiences.
Sites you can check out for stock videos include Videvo, Pexels, Distil, and Pixabay. They contain photos from around the world, high-quality graphics, and vibrant animations. Public domain sites like Pond5, Archive.org, and NASA contain historic footage and vintage videos. You can also find free audio on Freesound.org, Looperman, and Converse Sample Library.
Paid Music and Footage
Sometimes free just doesn’t cut it. But you don’t have to spend a fortune either. Audio Jungle and Video Hive have sounds, music, and video effects for you to sample. It may be worth the monthly subscription if you plan to continue making marketing videos.
Free Tools
You can use the live streaming feature on most social media platforms to create a video. For producing quick, high-quality videos, there are a lot of free apps online. Some even come with their own library of stock images. Try Quik by Go Pro, Lumen 5, or Teleprompter Video Creator.
GIFs are gaining in popularity, and there’s one for every situation. Most social media platforms allow users to search for GIFs using keywords and respond easily to any comment. You can use Giphy to turn your marketing videos into GIFs in hopes of becoming the next internet sensation.
For editing, try Resolve for your desktop editing or Power Director for editing on your phone. They include professional features allowing for color corrections, stitching, object removal, and much more. If you use Power Director, you can shoot video, edit, and share directly from your phone.
Making Engaging Videos
Videos perform better and have more viral potential than text or photo. Often, people watch videos on social media with no sound, so use captions to garner more attention. Many social media platforms even autoplay videos with no sound at first, so with captions, your audience can pause to watch your video without extra clicking.
Use thumbnails to entice people to watch your videos. They provide a headline or a snapshot of what your video is about, so use Canva to create something that grabs users attention. More importantly, make sure your marketing videos are responsive to mobile since that’s most likely where people will watch them.
Don’t let the cost of professional video creation and editing stop you. You need competitive material, but you can do it all yourself and have fun in the process. Engage your entire team for a memorable experience, or use stock material to save time. Be resourceful and use the free tools available to you to create engaging content that doesn’t cost a fortune. Subscribe to DFY for free to get weekly updates and other tips!
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Currently, I am working with other entrepreneurs and new business startups on challenges they encounter by sharing my experience and knowledge, and through coaching and mentoring when opportunities arise. I enjoy helping others fine-tune their operations and succeed in business and life.