Did you know that 60% of marketers commit 11-50% of their marketing budget to video content? This is a clear indication that brands and marketers are getting serious when it comes to investing in video content marketing. Video content has been thriving these past few years, and it would be unwise for businesses to neglect it.
The problem is that most small-to-medium businesses and solo entrepreneurs might not have all the budget to utilize video content and include it in their digital marketing strategy. Still, this doesn’t mean that you can’t try to incorporate video content into your business’ marketing. Video content marketing is still possible on a budget!
Is video content marketing a good strategy?
Video content marketing is a marketing strategy that includes creating and publishing video content on digital platforms. This can include social media videos, livestream videos, webinars, and more. Video content can be a good marketing strategy, especially if it is utilized properly or fits well with the niche or audience. With its various benefits, video content is an effective tool that can elevate a brand or a business.
According to Wyzowl, 88% of video marketers claim that video has helped them increase user understanding of their product or service. 90% of them, on the other hand, say that video has helped their brand increase brand awareness. 86% of video marketers say their video content increases video traffic, and 87% say it has helped them generate leads and increase sales. Other results of video content include longer website visits, fewer website queries, better brand perception, and more.
Here are a few more reasons why video content marketing is an excellent strategy for business:
- High Engagement: Video content tends to capture the audience’s attention more effectively than text or images alone. Videos can evoke emotions, tell stories, and convey better information in a dynamic and engaging way.
- Increased Conversion Rates: Including video content on landing pages or in marketing emails can significantly increase conversion rates. Watching a product video often leads to a purchase decision or a specific action being taken.
- Improved SEO: Video content can help improve your search engine rankings. Search engine platforms like Google often prioritize video content in search results, as well as social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok. Having videos embedded on your website and posting social media videos consistently can increase its visibility.
- Enhanced Brand Awareness: Compelling videos can help increase brand awareness and recognition among the audience. When viewers share or engage with your videos, it exposes your brand to a wider audience.
- Effective Communication: Videos allow you to convey complex information more effectively than text or images alone. Whether you’re explaining a product, sharing customer testimonials, or showcasing your company culture, videos can communicate your message clearly and succinctly.
- Versatility: Fortunately, video content can also be repurposed and adapted for various platforms and purposes. From social media posts to website content to email campaigns, videos can be used across multiple channels to reach different audience segments while also reducing effort and time.
- Builds Trust and Credibility: Authentic and well-produced video content can help build trust with your audience. They provide an opportunity to showcase your expertise, share testimonials, and demonstrate the value of your products or services.
- Mobile-Friendly: With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, video content is highly accessible to consumers on the go and mobile device users. Mobile-friendly videos enable you to reach and engage with the audience wherever they are.
In conclusion, video content marketing is an effective way to connect with your target audience, drive social engagement, and achieve any specific marketing objectives. Create high-quality and relevant video content, even with a budget, and you can maximize its effectiveness.
What are video content marketing examples?
Video content can come in different forms, which makes it a flexible and versatile marketing tool for a lot of businesses or entrepreneurs. Whether you want to engage audiences, convey messages effectively, or showcase a certain product or service, video is a good approach.
Here are some video content marketing examples for businesses:
- Product Demonstrations: Videos can showcase how a product works, its features, and benefits. For example, an electronics company might create a video demonstrating the functionalities of a new smartphone. This will help catch the audience’s attention while providing engaging and persuasive content.
- Tutorials and How-To Guides: Educational videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or accomplish a task. For instance, a beauty brand might create makeup tutorials using their products. These videos can be effective for customer onboarding or purchase follow-ups.
- Customer Testimonials: These refer to videos featuring satisfied customers sharing their experiences with a product or service. These videos help build trust and credibility, all the while enhancing a brand’s social proof.
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage: Videos that offer a glimpse into the making of a product or the inner workings of a company are also good. This type of video content humanizes the brand and fosters a sense of authenticity.
- Explainer Videos: These are animated or live-action videos explaining complex concepts, processes, or services in a simple and engaging manner. These videos are particularly effective for introducing new ideas or technologies, which might be good for brands who want to position themselves as thought leaders.
- Interviews and Q&A Sessions: Conversational videos featuring industry experts, influencers, or company representatives also make good content. This is where experts discuss relevant topics or answer questions from a live audience.
- Brand Stories: Businesses can also take advantage of narrative-driven videos that communicate the brand’s values, mission, and history. These videos help forge emotional connections with the audience.
- Live Streams and Webinars: Real-time video broadcasts can also allow brands to interact with their audience in a dynamic way. Live streams and webinars can be used for product launches, Q&A sessions, educational events, and more.
- User-Generated Content: There is also user-generated content, or UGC. These can refer to videos created by customers or fans featuring their experiences with the brand or its products. User-generated content adds authenticity and encourages audience engagement.
- Social Media Stories and Reels: And of course, short-form video content designed for platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok can also be utilized by brands and marketers. These videos are typically brief, entertaining, and optimized for mobile viewing.
All the diverse video formats might be overwhelming for some businesses that haven’t tried videos yet, as well as businesses that don’t have a big budget. It helps to remember that you should choose the type of video that will fit more with your specific objective or campaign to fully maximize its benefits.
How much does it cost to make a video advertisement?
The cost of creating a video advertisement can vary widely depending on various factors, such as the complexity of the video, production quality, length, location, the talent or production team involved, and distribution channels.
According to Business.com, a semi-pro team can cost $1500 to $3000 per minute for a professional brand video. A full-professional video company, on the other hand, can charge as much as $20,000 per minute.
This kind of cost would be way out of range for a lot of small to medium businesses. It’s not surprising that some might be a bit more hesitant or nervous when it comes to making videos for their businesses. After all, it can be a significant and costly investment. To incorporate video content marketing, small businesses and entrepreneurs need to establish a budget, know what to prioritize, and allocate resources effectively.
Tips and best practices when creating video marketing content on a budget
Creating marketing videos on a budget is possible with careful planning and creativity. Brands, marketers, and entrepreneurs need to carefully assess their resources, look for the right tools, and know the right budget-friendly practices so they can try video marketing on their own.
Here are some useful tips and best practices for creating video content on a small budget:
Define Your Goals and Audience
Before you start getting into video content marketing, it’s better to clearly define your objectives and identify your target audience. Which platforms are your audience using? Where are they most active? Understanding who you’re trying to reach, where they are, and what you want to achieve will help you tailor your content accordingly. Choose only the platforms where you can find your audience, avoid choosing too many platforms at the same time.
Keep it Simple
To start, you don’t need overly complicated videos. Focus on creating simple, straightforward, and professional videos that convey your message clearly and succinctly. Avoid overcomplicating your production with unnecessary effects or elaborate setups.
Use a Good Phone
Using your phone is a good alternative to a professional video camera. Use a smartphone with a good camera to shoot videos highlighting products, company culture, behind-the-scenes, and more. Shooting videos with a smartphone is also convenient when you’re making short-form video content for social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
DIY Lighting and Sound
Good lighting and sound are crucial for creating professional-looking videos. Use natural light whenever possible, or you can invest in inexpensive lighting equipment. Additionally, consider using external microphones or audio recording devices to improve sound quality. For short-form video platforms, relying on trending audio and popular music as background can also help elevate your content and reach a wider audience.
Plan Your Shots
Plan your shots in advance to make the most of your time and resources. Create a storyboard or shot list outlining the scenes you need to capture, along with any necessary props or locations. This helps you be more organized, maximize time, and reduce wasted resources and labor.
Optimize Free Editing Platforms and Software
There are many free or affordable video editing software options available nowadays, offering powerful editing capabilities to marketers and beginners. You can use this to experiment with different tools to find one that suits your business needs and skill level.
Save and Use Video Templates
It’s also best to use templates when creating video marketing content on a budget. Templates allow you to reuse the same format and style for certain video content types. As a result, this saves you and your team a lot of time and effort. Create good templates, find out what works for you and your audience, and then save those video templates for future use. If you use video creation platforms, they might have their own pre-made templates that can help your process.
Repurpose Content
Of course, you can maximize the value of your video content by repurposing it for different platforms and purposes. For example, you can create shorter clips or teaser videos to share on social media or use excerpts in blog posts or email campaigns. You can also cut short clips from a webinar video, explainer video, Q&A sessions, and more and post them as Stories, Reels, or TikToks.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
You can also encourage your audience to contribute user-generated content for a chance to be featured, mentioned, or incentivized. This includes testimonials, product unboxings, product reviews, shop visits, and more. User-generated content not only saves you time and resources but also fosters community engagement and authenticity. The more involved your audience is, the more you can leverage UGC and boost your video marketing strategy.
By incorporating these tips into your strategy, you can create compelling video content without breaking the bank. Be authentic with your content, and be wise with your resources to maximize the impact of your videos.
Tools for video content marketing on a budget
As mentioned above, you also don’t need a lot of expensive tools and complicated software to start leveraging videos for your small business. You only need the right set of tools that will allow you to create engaging and relevant videos while staying on budget and not compromising on quality.
Here are some examples of tools to help you produce professional-looking videos on a budget:
- Canva – Canva is a versatile all-in-one design platform that offers templates and easy-to-use features for creating graphics, animations, and social media posts. Anyone can create a free account or avail of a premium version.
- Lumen5 – Lumen5 is an AI-powered video creation platform that can easily turn blogs or text content into an informative and engaging video in minutes.
- CapCut – As a free, all-in-one short-form video editing platform, CapCut can be used to edit videos on a mobile device or in browsers.
- Unsplash – Unsplash is a good website offering high-quality, royalty-free images for use in your videos.
- Tripod – A tripod, of course, can be a beneficial tool for brands shooting videos with their phones. Tripods with lights can also be really convenient, providing ample light every time you shoot a video with the front camera.
Having videos in your marketing strategy doesn’t have to be overwhelming and lavish. Be resourceful, organized, and wise, and you can start creating videos for your business while on a tight budget!
Do you think you need more help? You can get help from some of the best digital marketing services for your video content. Contact Twin Rams today and let us help you with your video content marketing!
References:
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-on-budget
https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/video-on-a-budget/
https://blings.io/blog/video-marketing-on-a-budget/
https://altmarketingschool.com/record-videos-on-a-budget/