No matter how shoestring your marketing budget, you can’t afford to not invest in video marketing. Videos are highly shareable pieces of content that capture customers and encourage them to engage with your brand. In fact, marketers frequently report higher conversion rates and increased CTRs when video is used for email and social media marketing purposes.

But your customers aren’t the only ones who’ll look favorably on this rich media content. Google’s algorithms also give extra weight to video, which can ultimately help improve your site’s SEO rankings.

Ahead we’ll make some recommendations about what kind of video content to create and how to do it.

Marketing Video Inspiration

Like all content marketing, you want to use videos to speak directly to your target audience. That means uploading them strategically based on where they’ll get the most airtime.

Here are some places your video marketing content can take center stage:

• Social media accounts – make company announcements, introduce sales, or promote new products across all your social feeds. It’s like show-and-tell for your customers.
• Your landing page – websites that employ this strategy convert like crazy. Just be mindful of your load time.
• Vlogs – blog content is a proven search engine marketing technique. Supplementing the strategy with a few short vlogs (video blogs) a week could give you a serious competitive edge. Plus, you can create your own YouTube channel to syndicate the content and reach a wider network.
• Testimonials – have a handful of happy customers? Add a section of video testimonials to your site. It’s the most personal way to show prospective customers the quality of your work.

Creating Video Content

When it comes to visual content, the most important thing to remember is to keep it authentic. One great way to do that is to shoot marketing video from a smartphone. The screens are large, the resolution is high, and even Hollywood filmmakers are creating movie magic from the palms of their hands.

With the right tools in pre and post-productio, you can make it great without breaking the budget. Here are five focus points to create high-quality marketing videos:

1. Stability. Invest in a tripod or Steadicam. If you’re doing a single shot, prop your phone to the proper levels. If you’re moving around, spring for a device that can keep the video constant, even as you travel.
2. Lighting. Fluorescent lighting never did anything for anyone. If you don’t have access to or a budget for professional camera lighting, use nature’s lighting. Natural lighting can do wonders for your product videos. Golden hour (around dusk and dawn) are notoriously lovely times to shoot, but a brightly lit room with windows can work just as well.
3. Audio. It’s worth springing for a microphone, especially if you are sharing about your brand. Not only will it cut down on ambient noise, but it’ll also give your video a much more put together feel. Make sure to pick some good intro music to introduce and close your video, too. The more seamless and intentional it is, the more professional you’ll sound.
4. Background. Keep the setting interesting, but clean. An all-white background isn’t the only choice you have. Pick somewhere that demonstrates the unique quality of your brand and don’t shy away from colors, especially if they complement your logo!
5. Effects. Whether you use iMovie or software like Adobe Premier, speeding up or slowing down the frames can be an effective way to market your business. For detail shots, try a slow-mo feature. If you’re trying to condense a process try the time-lapse feature.

More and more, we’re seeing smartphones and video marketing dominate the digital landscape. Mobile demands are increasing and since phones also happen to be our most familiar medium, we’re going to continue to see video content as a go-to digital marketing trend.

Looking for a professional videographer to help you with your full-service production and promotion needs? Our marketing team will get your business ready for its close up.