There’s no denying that video is one of the most powerful marketing tools at your disposal.
According to Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing Survey, 84% of video marketers say that their videos have proven effective for increasing leads. What’s more, 94% say that videos help people to understand their products better, with 80% believing that video leads to positive sales impact.
The message is loud and clear:
Video marketing creates leads, increases sales, and helps your customers.
The challenge is that you don’t have the production tools many people claim are required. You have no lighting rigs, haven’t invested in an expensive camera, and don’t have a team to help you create videos.
It’s just you and a laptop.
The good news is that you can create compelling videos using this setup. Just follow these three steps.
Step #1 – Leverage Screencasting
Let’s assume that you want to make a video that shows your viewers how to conduct an essential task. With Screencasting, you’re able to capture what you see on your laptop screen and turn it into a helpful video.
Typically, you’ll need to download a tool to help you do this. There are many available online, with charged versions tending to offer more features than free ones. The key with all is that they allow you to capture the activity you’re conducting on your laptop, in addition to using the device’s built-in microphone to record audio.
When searching for a tool, look for the following features:
• Simple navigation.
• High-definition video support.
• Audio capture.
• Additional effects, such as the ability to highlight a portion of the screen.
Before creating the video, outline a set of steps that you want to take and practice them. It’s also a good idea to write a script that you can read out as you work. When you sit down to record, make sure you’re in a quiet room so there’s no additional sound to interfere with your microphone. Some screencasting tools will also allow you to use your phone’s microphone if you’re more comfortable with that over your laptop’s microphone.
Step #2 – Editing the Video
You have your screencast video recorded. However, when you watch it back you notice there is a lot of dead air and other parts of the video that you’d like to cut out. This means you need to edit the video so that it is perfectly streamlined.
Again, there are many tools you can purchase that allow you to do this. However, both Windows and iOS come with free tools that will enable you to edit your video content.
The Windows Photos app features a useful trim tool that works similarly to the cropping tool for images. Use it to highlight the portions of your video that you want to keep, discarding the rest. You can also use the tool to add text and 3D effects to your video. When you’re done, you can easily export the completed video to your laptop’s internal storage or the cloud.
If you’re working on a Mac, the iMovie tool serves a similar function to Photos. Again, it allows you to crop and trim the dead weight out of your video. It also provides several effects that you can add to the video.
Editing is a critical step in the video creation process as it streamlines your content and makes it look more professional.
Step #3 – Use a Video Generation Tool
If you’d rather not go through the hassle of handling all of the video creation and editing yourself, Netwave Solutions DIY video generator may be the best fit for you. With video generation tools like these, a lot of the work can be done for you.
Many of these tools allow you to created branded videos based on the raw content you import into them. Some also leverage artificial intelligence or offer human editors who can edit your videos.
These tools only require you to shoot the raw video and they can do the rest.
Creating Video Is Easier Than You Think
Video marketing doesn’t have to be a massive production. With the right tools and know-how, any business owner can create effective videos quickly. In doing so, they open themselves up to the lead generation and sales benefits that videos can provide.
With these steps, you can easily create videos using your laptop. All you need is a suitable topic and a little time to dedicate to both creating and editing the video.
