Bringing a Startup's Low Budget Video to Life

6 Steps to Creating a Low Budget Video

Did you know that over 4 billion videos are watched over the Internet every day, and on average users will actually double their time on webpages that include videos?  This makes a great case for creating your own for your company’s website.  Making even a low budget video can add some great interactivity and dynamics for the users on your site as long as you’re not sacrificing quality. So before you dive head first into a project like this, it’s important to learn some video making best practices.

Through working with startups that have had an interest in creating company and product videos to attract new customers, we’ve come up with answers to 6 common questions that you can use to embark on your video production journey.

1. How do I get started?

Start with a goal. Are you making this video to better explain your product? Are you trying engage your website visitors for longer? Are you hoping to acquire new leads? Knowing the goal of the video will help guide and prioritize the content, style, and tone.

Next, decide the types of video features that you want to include. Do you want to use screen shots and voice over the narrative? Do you want to interview a person from your company while overlaying music? The best way to decide this is to start watching other company and product videos, and make a list of what you like and don’t like.  If you have competitors, watch their videos to find ways to differentiate your video from theirs while still staying true to your company’s brand. You’ll find there are a number of websites out there that can help you create a low budget video without sacrificing quality.  When you have some time, check out Brainshark or KnowledgeVision.

2. How long should my video be?

Right now, short-form videos are dominating total video views on the Internet.  This means you should try to keep your videos under 3 minutes, and the shorter the better. Viewers are much more likely to watch ten 30-second videos than one 5-minute video, especially if this is the first time visiting your site.  This is going to take planning so that each video, while brief, is purposeful and meaningful.

3. What should I include in my video?

Video content isn’t just about educating your viewers on your company or product; it’s also about engaging with them. There’s a few ways to do this.  First, try making a connection with your viewers by including a brief word from the founder or sharing the inspiration behind your startup. Viewers will be more intrigued if they get some context behind your products or company.

Second, always include a call-to-action at the end of your video to provide a way for your viewers to take a next step.  One way to do this is by showing a screen at the end of your video with your contact information. This will provide a seamless process for viewers to reach out with any questions they may have or to request more information.

 4. How much creative flexibility do I have? 

Don’t be afraid to get creative, but understand that creativity should never sacrifice your message or overall video-making goals. Some ways to be creative are to add music, tell a story, or make a joke. Be careful with humor, though. Unless you’re paid to be funny for a living, it can be risky to try to fit too many jokes into your video.

Always ask for feedback on your video before you post it publicly. Soliciting brutal honesty can be one of the most cost-effective ways to ensure that your creative additions aren’t too distracting from your video’s overall message.

5. How will my target audience find my video?

Once you’ve created your video, it’s important to share it through multiple channels. Your homepage is a great place to promote your video, as is social media.  Twitter and LinkedIn are excellent networks for promotion. On Twitter, make sure to use relevant hashtags to increase the number of people who can see your tweets.  When promoting through LinkedIn, don’t limit yourself to just your company page.  Find LinkedIn groups related to your industry or business.  This way you’ll gain a wider audience for your promotions.

Another way to promote your video is through email. If you already have a list of contact information for your prospects, sharing your video through email is a great way to keep your target audience engaged. Remember: the more places you promote your video, the more likely you’ll grab the attention of the right customers.

6. How will I know if my video was worth the effort?

Once you’ve promoted the video, it’s time to measure the results of your efforts by checking the analytics on your website. For example, setting up events on Google Analytics can tell you:

• How many unique page visitors have been to your video page
• The average length of time on the page
• How many visitors clicked to watch your video
• The breakdown of traffic sources to your page

Through this data, you will be able to track how many people are watching your video and which channels were the most successful in leading them there.

Fifty two percent of customers have said that watching product videos brews confidence in their online purchase decisions. When done correctly, even a low budget video can help bring on more customers and engage your current prospects. For advice on planning and scoping a video for your startup, contact us today.