In today’s digital age, there’s a screen in everyone’s back pocket, and it’s no surprise that video has risen to be one of the most powerful weapons a marketer can have in their arsenal. Video marketing engagement has skyrocketed and shows no sign of decline, making it one of the strategies you shouldn’t overlook. If you have zero experience in video production, you may be ignoring an excellent video idea because you have no idea where to begin. Outsourcing to a marketing agency means you may need a significant budget, which may not be feasible. And doing it yourself can feel as daunting as hiking Mount Everest. However, using some of my favorite resources, testing your hand at DIY video marketing doesn’t have to be so scary.
1. How to Plan Your Video Marketing Strategy
Long before you begin scripting or framing a scene, you must answer some questions:
This blog from VidYard details the planning process to establish a successful video marketing strategy for your business.
2. The Wistia Guide to Being on Camera
If you’re new to the video marketing game, you likely have little to no budget and videos can get pricey fast. One of the best ways to cut costs and create brand authenticity—efficiency for the win!—is by crowdsourcing actors from your coworkers or by getting in front of the camera yourself. However, turning regular people into stars of the big screen is no easy feat. This Wistia blog gives excellent pointers on being both in front of and behind the camera.
3. How to Set Yourself Up for a Successful Video Shoot
I cannot reiterate this enough—the key to producing a successful video is plan, plan, and when you think you’re done with planning, plan some more. The level of thoroughness in pre-production will determine how smoothly—or how messy—production and post-production runs. Be sure not to overlook any of the steps outlined in this Wistia blog.
4. The Social Media Video Checklist
According to Forbes, over 500 million people are watching video on Facebook every day. With a statistic like that, it would be foolish not to put your videos on social media. However, adding social media as part of your video marketing strategy adds a few more steps to consider in the overall process. Don't worry, though, because this Wistia blog covers all of it.
5. 6 Helpful Apps for Shooting and Editing Video on Your Phone
Between camera equipment and programs like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro, just getting started with video production can cost a pretty penny. But if you have a smart phone in your pocket, you have a camera to point and shoot. This blog lists a few awesome video editing apps so you can dip your toe in the video marketing pool without committing the money.
6. 9 Video Production Faux Pas to Avoid
By this point, you’ve got a good idea of what steps are necessary to produce a successful video, but with every stage of this process also comes fundamental faux pas you should avoid. This blog is especially important to check out if you are still relatively green to the wonderful world of video marketing. Bonus: there’s a link to Wistia’s collection of groovy tunes you can download for free!
7. The Ultimate Guide to Video Marketing
Last, but certainly not least: HubSpot’s holy grail of just about everything you need to know to add video to your marketing strategy. They help you define your strategy, choose which equipment is best for you, and measure your video’s performance. It’s all right there, making it an invaluable resource.
Obviously, I’ve outed myself as a Wistia fangirl here by giving them a ton of love, but that isn’t without reason. Wistia is a leader in video marketing, and their Learning Center is a treasure trove of incredible information. Check out Wistia’s Learning Center.
So, there you have it. Now that you have read through these fantastic video marketing resources, you’re ready for DIY success!