Video is one of the most effective content and sales marketing options available, but according to Kantar Media only 24% of brands are currently using video to market to consumers. One of the reasons many businesses are reluctant to implement video is the cost associated with it. Video marketing can be an expensive strategy, with potentially high costs for video creation and promotion. However, it is possible to create a video marketing plan on a budget, while still achieving excellent results.

Video Creation

Direct-to-Camera Videos

Creating a direct-to-camera presentation is easily affordable, but it is also a recognized way of presenting video online. As long as you use high-quality video and audio, there is no reason this type of presentation needs to appear low budget. For appearances, you could create an interesting background or even take a camera on location.

Slide Presentation

A slide presentation can work if you are presenting a tutorial. While slides might not grab people visually, the information you are conveying can take care of the engagement factor. Try to make each slide short and direct, limiting the amount of text on each page. You can use products like PowerPoint to create an interesting presentation, while there are also free option like OpenOffice.

Use an Employee

One of the main issues when creating video is a lack of self-confidence in presenting. Many business owners are skilled at creating and marketing their products, but not as effective at conveying this to an audience. However, you may have employees that are naturally suited to being on camera or performing voice-overs. If you have someone with this skill, make use of them. It is usually far better to have a brand ambassador with ties to your business rather than employing an actor.

Interviews

Interviews offer a simple way to create engaging content, with very limited expenses required. If you have a product or service available, an interview can be used to convey its qualities. A short product demonstration can be added to the interview, adding a more interactive element. You can also create interesting content by interviewing other experts in your industry.

Video Promotion

Social Media

Social media is free to use, but you will have to expend some time to do it right. Social media lets you tap into a large crowd of people, with many of them highly targeted to your niche. It helps if you can add viral elements to your videos, but you can just aim to make the content engaging and smart. It takes time to gain momentum, but social media can lead your video marketing campaign when it starts to take off.

Add Annotations

Annotations allow you to add text links over the top of the screen, enabling you to recommend something related. To use this effectively, link to other videos you have created to perform some simple cross-promotion. Annotations are effective because they appear directly in front of an engaged viewer.

SEO Optimization

While SEO is not often free, it can be less expensive than a typical paid advertising campaign. Ranking videos, particularly on YouTube, can often be simpler than ranking your own website, so you might be able to get some quick results. SEO traffic will be highly targeted, resulting in consistent and engaged traffic.

Contact Relevant Bloggers

Blog owners are always looking for interesting content, so there are usually opportunities to create content for these sites. If there is a way to create a quality blog post, contact the owner to inquire about guest blogging possibilities. Building relationships via social media is also a way to get your videos posted on relevant blogs.

Implementing these video creation and promotion methods are a low-cost way to get started with video. Consumers are used to creative videos, with expensive, professional content often having a negative impact. Think of a way to effectively promote your business through video, create a plan, and start to experiment. While a large number of businesses are ignoring the potential of video, you should start to get more traffic, prospects, and buyers.

Andrea Kalli – Video Virtual Assistant
Video Editing Services & Video Marketing

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