3 Low Cost Videos Entrepreneurs Can Produce Today

Marketing is crucial to survival as an entrepreneur, and these days an important part of any marketing strategy is video.

Now, you might think video marketing is for big companies with big budgets. If that’s the case, you’re not alone. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to create low cost videos, and there are different types you need to consider producing right now.

About Us

The About Us video is the one video every company needs to produce. There are plenty of others that can help your business, but this is the one everybody should start with.

A good About Us video tells viewers who you are, what you do, and how you can help them. Think of this as your first-impression video. When new customers visit your website, the About Us video is your best chance to get in front of them and introduce yourself.

Unlike text, video is great for this because people get to see and hear from you. You’re a real person they can relate to. You’re a real person they can do business with. Video gives them a chance to get to know you, and we all know people are more likely to buy from someone they know and like.

Andy Crestodina is the co-founder at Orbit Media Studios in Chicago. His team builds high-end business websites, and he says they recommend video because it’s the next best thing next to face-to-face.

Creating an About Us video is like that first handshake with your prospects. Your website, social media, email newsletter… they should all feature this video.

Product/Service Video

Once you’ve produced your About Us video you’re free to test other waters. One that I recommend is the product or service video.

Produce a video on each of the products and/or services you offer customers. Now, if you offer 50 products, you don’t have to create 50 videos. It wouldn’t be wrong, but I’m also realistic about budgets.

Instead, think about how you can group your products, then produce videos on the various product groups. You can do the same thing with services.

In each case, share with viewers what the product is, how it can help them, and what sets it apart from competitors. If it’s a unique product, share the story about how you came up with it.

Testimonials

There are few marketing tools as valuable as a customer testimonial. Get them on video and you only amplify their power.

Having someone on-camera telling viewers who they are, what they do, and how your business helped them… well… it’s a home run.

We live in a customer review world. Thumbs up or thumbs down. How many stars did it get? These are the things we consult before making a purchase. Whether it’s a diapers on Amazon, a movie on Netflix, or a multi-million-dollar B2B transaction. Everyone wants some validation that they’re making a good purchase.

Providing customer testimonial videos is a great way to do that.

Just like your About Us video, they work because we get to see and hear from real people. This isn’t some name at the the end of a quote. It’s an actual human being telling viewers how you helped them.

Video testimonials are one more way to help your audience relate to your business.

Why These Three Low Cost Videos

There are plenty of other types of videos I could mention, but I chose these three for a specific reason. Think about the journey your customer is on.

They’ve found you online, or someone has told them about you. They visit your website to learn more and come across your About Us video. Feeling good, they move on to take a look at the various products or services you offer. After watching some of those videos, they’re becoming interested. Finally, they see that one of your existing customers has endorsed you, so they watch the video to hear what they have to say.

Chances are after going on this journey, the next step will be to contact you.

About Us, product/service, testimonial… it’s a natural progression… all three can become part of your sales funnel.  

Thinking about DIY?

This might be the point where you’re thinking about how you can produce all three on the cheap, and that could lead you to consider a do-it-yourself project. Here’s what I have to say about that… beware.

Anybody can produce a video these days. We all have smart phones with HD video cameras in our pockets, and there’s free editing software to be had. But just because anyone can do it, doesn’t mean they can do it well.

Here’s the deal… if you have zero marketing budget and your audience knows (and may appreciates) this about you, go for it. I’m fine with you producing your own videos.

However, if you and your business’ reputation is important to you, find a professional to produce your videos. It might mean producing them one at a time over a longer period of time than you’d like. It’s worth it.

Nothing screams “unprofessional” more than a poorly produced video. The last thing you want is to look unprofessional, so why would you risk that by creating your own videos. Remember, that About Us DIY video you’re considering in many cases will be the first impression people have of your company. Don’t blow it by attempting to do-it-yourself.

Need some help? There are plenty of talented production companies and independent producers out there standing by. As a matter of fact, we even developed a specific process to produce high quality, low cost videos called, 3-Step Storytelling. ;-)

One Last Thought

Now that you’re psyched about producing some videos, one final thing to keep in mind. These videos aren’t for your business. They’re not for you, the entrepreneur. These videos… are for your customers. They’re for your prospects.

Every video you produce should be focused on them. If you’re wondering whether or not to produce a specific video… or to include something in a video… simply ask this simple question. Why would my customers care?

If you don’t think your customers would care… about this video… about this snippet of information… then don’t include it.

This might entail killing video ideas you really like, something you think is really cool. Again, this video isn’t for you. Set your ego aside and ask… why would my customers care?

Video marketing is a great way to endear yourself to customers. Used properly, it’s a tactic that will help earn you business. The best part… the more videos you produce… the more people will feel like they’re getting to know you and your business. The more they feel that… the more business you’ll earn.

 

Tony Gnau - T60 ProductionsTony Gnau is the Founder and Chief Storytelling Officer at T60 Productions. He’s a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, has led T60 Productions to winning 18 Telly Awards for its corporate videos, and is the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller “Lights, Camera, Impact: storytelling, branding, and production tips for engaging corporate videos.”