6 tips for creating cost effective on-site video content
In case you’ve been living under a rock, video is a massive deal. More people watch video now than ever before. YouTube alone registers billions of views every single day and seeing as Google owns YouTube you can’t afford to ignore the importance of this definitive digital duo – at all. The only thing you have to consider (especially for you smaller companies) is how to make your video effective for your site and easy on the wallet. Here’s our list of tips to make that happen.
Screencasting
You’ve heard the phrase, ‘you’ve got to learn to walk before you can run’, well this method is the digital equivalent of taking your first steps. Which is not to say that it’s not effective. Screencasting programmes such as ScreenFlow records various pieces of footage of you using your screen which you can string together into a piece of video content. It gives an ‘over-the-shoulder’ style which gives a personability to the content. Make sure to accompany this with audio of a convincing script and you’re good to go.
Invest in a good microphone
Now that it’s been brought up, audio is everything to video. They are co-dependent and nothing without each other – aww. Without good audio, great video footage is pointless. Think of Planet Earth without Attenborough’s smooth voiceover and you’ll get where we’re coming from. With that in mind, it is vital to invest in a quality microphone.
Internal talent
Making the most of the people around you is the sure way to create a good piece of video content: it gives you an increase of control, allows for more collaboration and is cheaper than outsourcing. Chances are that somebody in your company considers themselves to be an unleashed Spielberg. So, unleash them.
Video testimonials
Video testimonials are an extremely popular technique used by companies the world over. There’s something endearing about watching ‘Julie’ or ‘David’ give a real-life opinion on your product. They increase trust from the viewer, plus they’re easy to record. In fact, an extremely high-quality video testimonial can appear insincere so this is one of the easiest ways to create good video. Don’t believe us? Think of Microsoft AI new ad, and reconsider.
Use free-to-use video and images
This is a technique for all the creatives out there. Using video and images from sites such as Pixabay and Unsplash is completely free and can create highly effective video content in the right hands. Ask the most creative member of the team to think of themselves as a collage artist and let them have a go.
Use Upwork and Fiverr
You don’t need the finest video editors and actors on the scene to create good video content. Using freelancers on sites such as Upwork and Fiver is an extremely cost-effective way to get good results. The competition on these sites is astounding, all you have to do is pick a dark horse and you’re onto a (cheap) winner.
YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet and it’s only getting bigger. With the video-loving public always on the rise, creating video content is the most effective way to expand your business. We’ve given you some great tips for creating cost-effective video content above, and without sounding too preachy, you’d best to take heed of them. If you need more convincing that we know our stuff, take a look at our other video-focused blogs here and here.