Cost management is one of the important factors in planning video marketing strategies. You can manage your costs better if you know that you can produce effective and good quality videos for free. It means that you don’t have to spend more for equipment and software. You just use your existing resources. Here’s how you’ll make your free videos:
1. Equipment, Tools
You’ll need the following to create your video: computer and webcam, internet connection and you. Since you already have these, you have zero cost for equipment and tools.
2. Video Creation Software
There are various video creation software that can be downloaded and used for free. It depends on the kind of video you want to create. In this article, three video styles are discussed: Presentation, Screencasts and Talking Head.
For video presentations, PC users can use the latest PowerPoint version, Camtasia Studio, SlideRocket and many more if you’ll search online; Mac users can use Apple Keynote. It’s important to choose a program which allows you the option to control the movement of the slides or to move the video forward or backward as you discuss your presentation. You can then record the presentation with your discussion into video for sharing to various sites.
Screencasts is the preferred style in how-to videos as well as in videos showing solutions to problems. PC users can use Screencast-o-matic.com, CamStudio, etc while Mac users can use QuickTime X, Copernicus, etc. Jing is a software that can be used for both PCs and Macs.
To create Talking Head Videos, you need a software to record the images and audio from your webcam. To make your video interesting, add props or graphics to highlight important points in your presentation. Don’t forget your own performance – smile and talk clearly. PC users can use Windows Live Movie Maker with Windows Live Essentials (for webcam option) while Mac users can use QuickTime X.
3. Video Editing Software
Edit your videos to make it fit your purpose in the shortest possible time. Don’t forget to add the appropriate text, graphics and music to create effective content for online video marketing.
Add text below the speaker’s face for added information such as: speaker’s name, company name, or website but take them out after a few seconds. Add music to call the viewer’s attention but turn it low when necessary to avoid distraction to the speakers. Emphasize your Call to Action with text to make it more powerful as well as to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion regarding the information you are sharing.
Both PC and Mac users can use YouTube and WeVideo Online Video Editor. Windows Movie Maker is for PC users only. You can search online for other free editing software.
Make sure your free videos have the following components: Short but effective introduction; Content that matches exactly with the video title and Call to action which specifically requests the viewers what to do. You can do a lot of video marketing tactics if your videos are created at zero cost.
