If you haven’t launched your video marketing campaign, what are you waiting for? Perhaps you don’t want to publish unprofessional videos and you’re afraid your video editing skills don’t make the cut. While professional videos are certainly important, your editing skills are probably better than you think.
Video marketing is the future of content marketing and can exponentially increase your conversion rates. Each day you postpone publishing your videos is a day of lost income for your business.
While it’s true that a professional videographer will produce clean, high-quality footage and turn over the end product quickly, if you don’t have a budget for video marketing, don’t let that stop you.
Here are 6 reasons to launch your video marketing campaign, ready or not:
Hiring a videographer to edit your marketing materials doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need to hunt down the people who edit Disney films. If you’re not a trained videographer, anyone you find with formal training will have the skills necessary to help you create a good production. If you’re on a tight budget, the key is to find a videography student rather than a studio professional.
Hiring a videography student doesn’t mean you can get away with paying them five dollars an hour. Their time is worth more than bargain rates and smart videographers will reject your proposal if you try to talk down their rates.
When negotiating a project price, make it clear that you’re not looking for a free work and you’re simply trying to avoid paying the $200 per hour that a seasoned, experienced professional would charge. However, be prepared to pay a decent wage even to a student.
Your marketing videos will generate leads. If you sit on your video marketing campaign and refuse to launch until everything is perfect, you’ll be missing out on leads.
Consider that video marketing generates 66% more qualified leads each year over other methods. Also, 93% of marketers report having obtained at least one new customer from a video posted to social media. Video marketing is a highly effective lead generating method.
As long as your video quality is decent and your audio is strong, your videos have the potential to be effective. Of course, their efficacy depends on the content, but you don’t need perfection to make that happen. Every business begins somewhere and sometimes that means starting before you have a dedicated studio with your kids running around in the background.
Take your time gathering the right equipment. You don’t need to start with the most expensive audio and video equipment. There are several decent lavalier microphones that cost about $25 that will provide better audio than your phone or laptop. You can also find a smartphone tripod for less than $30 and use your smartphone to film. Cheap equipment will carry you a long way until you can afford to buy top-of-the-line tools.
While video editing can be a complex task, video marketing doesn’t have to be difficult. With a little self-education from the right source, you can learn everything you need to know about getting started.
For instance, HubSpot published a thorough guide to video marketing that includes instructional videos, video templates, and tips for launching an effective video marketing strategy. The guide discusses 12 different types of marketing videos and presents a detailed list of questions to answer to nail each video. Their guide also covers how to structure the content to capture and retain attention along with technical tips for getting the most out of your phone or camera.
If you’re ready to film today but don’t know how you’re going to get the footage edited, don’t wait. Start filming and get as much content as you can. You can hire a video editor later on.
Don’t wait any longer. If you’re inspired to create content, do the best you can and get it out into the world. The sooner you start, the faster your production quality will improve.
