Experts predict that video-watching will make up 82% of internet traffic in the next few years. And that same report also shows that people are already watching close to one million minutes of video being watched every second.
Video content isn’t just valuable because it’s popular. It’s also effective as a marketing tool. Videos generate 1,200% more social media shares than text stuff, and 62% of people become more interested in a product after seeing it in a Facebook Story.
And when it comes to informing or educating (whether that’s about a product, sale, etc.), video content is so much more effective than anything else. Research showed that the average person can retain up to 95% of the message in a video they watched. Now compare that to 10% of retention when reading the exact same message in a text-based medium.
In other words, video content isn’t just “effective” as a marketing tool. It’s downright invaluable.
But it can also be expensive. And if we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll admit that it can be hard to feel confident about investing in a new channel or type of content if it requires making any big changes in how we build our marketing strategies.
However, creating video content doesn’t have to claim 95% of your budget. And with a couple of inexpensive (or even “free”) web-based tools, you can create effective videos before the end of the day.
6 Tools To Simplify Video Production
Even casual content creators recognize the big names in production. From software (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro) or kits (RED, Canon, Sony), certain brands have become the go-to options for filmmakers, video editors, ad agencies, and more.
But those big names come with big price tags, either as one-time purchases or as recurring subscriptions. Anyone working on a budget knows that sometimes the only way to make the content you want is if you can make it for cheap. And between licensing software and hiring people to help with production, video content quickly becomes an unattainable goal.
But a single online tool can save hundreds of dollars. All of the sudden your Premiere Pro subscription becomes irrelevant. The same goes for the freelancers you hire to film and edit video clips.
Having access to the right tools can make all the difference in any situation. Most online web tools often come with affordable subscription fees or no fees at all. So on one hand, using these tools gives you the space to create a video while also reducing production costs.
But it also equips you to make high-quality videos without having to spend the next year learning all the different components of video content creation.
(Obviously, those options will still help you create the highest quality videos. They’re tried and true for a reason, after all. But you probably can’t put money into that sort of thing until you have proof that video content will convert for your audience; that’s where these web-based resources come into play.)
With all of that being said, let’s look at five absolutely essential web tools that will help you with all of your video marketing production needs.
StoryPrompt (Video Engagement Platform)
StoryPrompt allows you to capture authentic video testimonials from your happiest customers and easily embed them on your website. Users can create professionally produced videos with company branding, music, and b-roll in minutes. All videos are automatically produced and edited using AI so there’s no need for additional time-consuming editing software.
All StoryPrompt plans give you the opportunity to create an asynchronous video-first community. So you can truly engage with clients, students, or team members and capture video content simultaneously.
StoryPrompt really is the all-in-one solution for companies wanting to showcase video content without spending massive budgets and considerable time editing. You can sign up for StoryPrompt for free, with plans starting at $39/mo.
Biteable (Video Editing)
For most people, editing is the most intimidating hurdle for getting into the video content space. Viewers have been trained to expect certain things in video quality, and no matter how much work you put into a project, people will skip over it unless it means those standards.
Biteable takes all of those fears and streamlines the process with templates, stock video clips, and other features that make video editing accessible for anyone to use.
Think of Biteable as the Canva of web-based video production tools. It’s also a tool that you can start using for free, with plans starting at $19/month that help you take more ownership of the content you make.
Vyond (Explainer Videos)
Vyond is an all-in-one resource for anyone looking to make explainer videos. This type of content has really taken off in the past couple of years, with some brands and YouTube channels basing their entire online presence around this very specific style.
But people love to learn about new things. And because the video is such a powerful medium for relaying (and retaining) information, that makes explainer videos a crucial asset for any company that uses software or technical products.
Vyond includes every piece of that in one app: Animation, art, transitions, and even voiceover can all be structured and put together within the same convenient tool.
Creatopy (Visual Production Platform)
Marketing teams always look for ways to improve engagement, especially on social media platforms. Creatopy (formerly known as Bannersnack) is a powerful tool that helps anyone create video banners and social media ads.
The app handles all of the technical stuff, including design specifications for each social media platform. You’ll also get to choose from thousands of templates, animation styles, etc.
If you have video content recorded — or may be prepared using one of the other tools on this list — you’ll be able to translate that into banner ads and implement that as part of your content strategy.
Audacity (Audio Recording)
Sound is a big part of the video experience. And while you can find great stock video libraries that help you get good footage, the final product can only be as strong as the video’s message.
Unfortunately, online video tools can’t do everything. And one of those blind spots is audio, particularly in terms of the narrative voiceover we expect to include in our marketing videos.
Audacity might not be a web-based app, but it’s a free download on Windows, Mac, or Linux. This means you can record the voiceover for your videos, completely free of charge. And with the right video editing tool, you’ll be able to drag and drop that right into your video projects.
Studiobinder (Production Manager)
On the off chance that you’re already comfortable with video production, Studiobinder helps you simplify and manage every facet of the process. This web app has the resources and support to help you steer a project from pre-production planning all the way to exporting the final file.
It’s a bit more technical than the other tools here; it’s also the closest to “traditional” content creation, which can make it intimidating. But it can serve as the perfect middleman between a web app-only production strategy to a fully functioning in-house production team.
That might not be the end goal for everyone. After all, web tools allow for a kind of flexibility that most marketers crave. But Studiobinder is like the finish line. The “You’ve made it to this point and now you’re ready to leave the nest if you want to” moment.
Bonus:
Visme (All-in-one video creator)
For many of us, editing a good-quality video takes a long time. Combining different software to produce the top-notch video content can be both time-consuming and intense for the RAM memory. Visme offers a solution for both of these challenges. It provides us with an online video creator with features that will get us covered from video editing to the final production stage. You can use this tool online, without needing to download and install yet another software, plus you will also benefit from a large database of stock videos, animations, and effects available from inside the editor.
Thankfully, you don’t need that. By utilizing these video production tools (or any of the alternatives out there), you’ll be well on your way to diving into the video content world and making the most of this absolutely essential marketing channel.
Bio:
Drew Gula is the copywriter at Soundstripe, a music licensing company that produces resources, like shot list templates and YouTube background music, for creators and businesses.
