Video Marketing for Business and Non-profit Does Not Need to Break the Bank!
Marketing is one of the most important contributors to business growth. The benefits video marketing for business and non-profits is proven to be one of the most popular and well-liked forms of media consumed by people. That being said, finding affordable video marketing services is still pretty difficult.
But marketing with video can be costly, especially for small businesses. We are here to offer you some video marketing tips which will help you save money yet also move your business forward.
Table of Contents
The Script
You cannot have a good video if you do not have a good script; this is essential for video marketing for your business. It is essentially the core of the video-making process and it can be done by you.
Writing a script may seem daunting at first, but if you take the time to brainstorm ideas, you will be able to visualize it in your head and put pen to paper. It is also important to keep the script interesting and dynamic, so you will keep the viewer intrigued.
Brainstorm Ideas
Sit down with your team to brainstorm what you think should be in the video. This can include the main point of the video, brand values, and identity, where and what type of call-to-action you want to add in, what product or service you want to showcase, and so on.
Once you have your main ideas down, writing a script will become much easier.
Structure Your Business Video Script
A good business video script should be concise and easy to understand. It should help the viewer achieve their goal by offering a clear plan of action or approach. Furthermore, it needs to sound professional and attract attention from potential customers. When writing your script, it’s important to use words that people aged 13 would easily understand. Additionally, make sure to capture the imagination of your target audience and present them with clear ideas that will compel them to take action.
Remember that every second counts. You will only have (at most) 10 seconds in the beginning of your video to catch the attention of your audience.
Adding Visuals to Your Script
A business video script is not complete without visuals. Visuals can help bring your story to life and help capture the attention of potential customers. You can include specific descriptions of images and/or camera movement to enhance the narrative.
Do research on popular marketing campaigns that have achieved success in order to better inform yourself and create a visual strategy for your business video script. However, don’t get to hung up on what others have done and worry more about what you can do at your budget.
Even if you don’t plan to use a video production company to shoot your video it may still be a good idea to contact one and pay for a few hours of consulting. Experienced visual storytellers tend to see things differently and could potentially save you a lot of time, money and effort by helping you to avoid production pitfalls.
Bringing It All Together
Once your research is done, you have a good sense of what type of video content works best for your audience and the story that you want to tell. You can then begin writing the script using clear and concise language so as to make sure it resonates with your target demographic.
Don’t Panic! Even if you are working with a small team or limited budget, don’t let that stop you from writing an effective script.
Finalizing Your Script
Once you have the initial script written, it’s time to take a look at it and make sure that it will be engaging and communicate your message. Start by checking if you are using the appropriate words for the intended age group and whether or not the story is coherent. Don’t forget to check for grammar, spelling, and any other errors before putting the script into production.
Also, it’s time to take a look at the practicality of your script. Can you actually say the words without tripping up? Can you actually create the visuals described? Now that you have on paper, figure out what’s do-able, what’s not likely and make your adjustments from there.
Again, it may be beneficial to consult with a professional for this.
The Equipment
The next step to a good video for marketing your business is creating the actual content. Once you have the script, you will surely have the general plan for the video in your head. DIY videos have been around for a long time, and all it takes to create one yourself is some dedication.
The equipment required to create a marketing video is not the place to get hung up!
Check Your Pocket
Do you have a phone in your pocket? If you said, “Yes” then you have all the equipment you need to create a marketing video.
However, that doesn’t mean you necessarily wrote a script that can be effectively shot on your phone. Also, creating compelling visuals often requires lights and your phone’s audio will most likely not be of sufficient quality without an external microphone. So if a phone is your only asset you may need to revisit your script or explore other options.
Renting
Renting video equipment is often a cost-effective option, as it helps to preserve capital and provides greater flexibility. This is particularly beneficial for businesses with fluctuating or unpredictable needs in audiovisual gear. Renting gives you access to state-of-the-art tools without the prohibitive price tag of ownership. Ultimately, renting video equipment is an excellent way to maximize convenience and minimize costs.
Research local companies that rent video equipment. There are many companies that rent out audiovisual gear for a very affordable price.
Buying
Purchasing video equipment will cost much more than renting up front, but it can be a hugely beneficial move, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Not only does it provide access to high-quality footage that is far more impressive than that resulting from a smartphone, but it can actually cost far less than renting in the long run.
For example, if you are planning to distribute regular video content as part of a video marketing strategy that requires you to rent equipment once a week, or even once a month, then it would not take long for the cost of renting to eclipse that of purchasing. Also, having the equipment always set up in a permanent location that is always ready to go can be very beneficial in assuring that your regular content strategy is actually implemented regularly. I have the seen the opportunity cost in this example many times.
It can also reduce the cost of professional help...
Even if investing in video equipment doesn’t eliminate your need for professional help completely it could still save you a tons of money. I know if a business hired One Song Studios to come help them with a video production and they:
- Already had all the equipment.
- It was set up and ready to go.
I would be more than happy to deeply discount our services if we just need to show up and direct the video production! This wouldn’t save you money on just one production, but if we show up very month to produce content for you this would result in huge savings.
Hiring
Hiring a video production company for your business video can be incredibly advantageous. It can completely eliminate the need to worry about equipment all together, and with the right professionals you can achieve truly remarkable results.
With professional equipment, lighting and sound technicians, as well as creative directors and producers who know how to bring out the best from your project, you can guarantee that your video production will have an impact on its viewers.
Working with experts allows access to their considerable knowledge, experience and equipment. This may cost more in money, but will save you tons of time and effort which in many cases is far more valuable.
Post-Production
The next step after you have your content is editing it.
I’ll cut to the chase here and say that in almost all circumstances I would suggest hiring a professional editor.
And if consistent content is your goal (which it probably should be) I wouldn’t stop with the professional editor, but also highly suggest an overall content producer.
DIY Post-Production
If you have some extra money left over in your budget, then you can invest in professional software such as Adobe Premiere or Avid for your video editing. You can watch some Youtube videos to learn how to edit using the software. But this is a huge investment in time and energy that I think should be avoided in all but the most simple of edits.
Basically, if there is a need for:
- Anything more than the simplest of video edits,
- Any audio editing at all,
- Any color correction,
- Any color grading
I believe it will benefit you in the long run to hire professionals to handle it for reason I will talk about further in the following sections.
That being said, there is software that is already on your computer that you can use to edit. For mac laptops, this is iMovie, and for PCs, it is Windows Movie Maker. These programs are made to be user-friendly, so you shouldn’t have too much difficulty learning how to use them.
Professional Post-Production
I almost always suggest hiring a professional commercial video editor when it comes to business video because there is so much riding on the edit. Things that the average person (and the average editor) doesn’t think of and the Youtube tutorials aren’t going to teach you. Things like:
- Capturing attention
- When?
- How?
- Problem/Solution
- When?
- How?
- Presenting your Why
- Presenting your Who
- Presenting your How
- Effective Calls-To-Action
- Incorporating Branding
- etc….
The list goes on and on, and you may need 1 of them and not need another. The decisions made here can make or break your results, so I believe it’s worth it to invest here.
BTW… Commercial video editors can only work with the footage you provide them so it can be very beneficial to consult with them prior to production.
Video Marketing for Business: The Easier Option
An easier option instead of combining the above steps is contracting affordable video marketing services. Affordable video marketing services can help a business create and produce high-quality videos to reach their target audience. It allows the business to focus on the creative aspects of their video content, and let professionals take care of the production side. Having a professional video production company handle your project will ensure that you have an engaging and effective campaign.
Of course, this may sound expensive, but it shouldn’t be if you do enough research. There are many companies that offer high-quality services at a low price. You will just need to look for one that fits your budget and needs. Also, check out their portfolio, experience and reputation before deciding which one to go with.
A good video marketing strategy is essential if you want to reach a huge audience and capture their attention. So it’s important to find a video production company that knows where they fit in the overall marketing campaign and how they can best serve the campaign goals. Having an appropriate team of people to handle this aspect of your campaign can help ensure it’s success.
How Can One Song Studios Help?
Our team at One Song Studios understands how costly it can be to run a video marketing campaign. That is why we have chosen to keep our prices affordable to business of all sizes and have developed techniques that allow for massive video content output at much lower costs. We believe that helping businesses and non-profits achieve their media marketing goals without having to spend every last dime is a worthwhile goal for the planet.
We are here to support you every step on the way to a successful video marketing campaign, whether that is creating a Youtube marketing strategy or filming a promotional video.
Conclusion
In order to make the most of your budget and achieve the best results, you need to focus on creating high-quality video content that will help you stand out from the competition.
As you can see, video marketing for your business is not an impossible task. So what are you waiting for, get your head in the game, brainstorm, and start your next successful marketing campaign!
FAQ
Video is no longer a piece of an overall marketing strategy. It is now the central concentration of online marketing efforts. Especially online social strategies. Four of the top six channels consumers utilize for video are social channels. Among a host of other benefits video increases traffic, increases understanding of products and services, increases sales and reduces support calls. If you aren’t using video effectively, you are falling behind.
In a word, “Yes!” The stats around video marketing have been increasing every year and they just keep getting better and better. Check out the most recent stats on Wyzowl’s Stats Page, and you will see why.
As with so many questions like this the answer is, “It depends.” There are many many variables to consider. I am working on an article to help you navigate the process of pricing your video marketing efforts, but in the meantime feel free to contact us and we will help you through the process. Whether you are a potential client of ours or not, I am happy to provide this service to anybody willing to reach out to us.
To get started with this effective form of promotion, it’s important to develop an overall plan that outlines your goals and objectives. Start by assessing your target audience and identifying what kind of content they might be interested in seeing. You’ll also want to consider how often you plan to release new videos, who will be responsible for creating them, and the budget you have available. Feel free to contact us or read more on the blog!
To be honest, I have never run across and business or professional that couldn’t benefit from some sort of video strategy. Some times it’s as simple as a sales person using video emails to increase their response rate. Another time it was a small business owner that went from having to talk to every single customer on the phone before making a sale to 90% of her sales happening without her involvement.
It’s not always a commercial or product video that is needed the most. Sometimes it’s a strategy that you’d never think of on your own that makes a huge impact.
