6 Steps to Create a Video for Your BusinessVideo is now a vital part of marketing and just because you don't have a giant budget doesn't mean you can't have an impressive video. Shoot it yourself! From concept and pre-production to equipment and execution, here's a simple breakdown detailing the 6 steps to create a video for your business.

With the attention spans of humans these days, it’s necessary to

convey information quickly. MIT tell us that 1 minute of video is worth

1.8 billion words while Mark Zuckerberg has declared that we’ve

officially entered “the golden age of video”. If you want your business

to keep up and get ahead, it’s time to make video part of your

marketing plan.

There’s no need to pay for air time to get an audience because the

internet provides you with free platforms to share your videos.

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo make it easy! Hiring

traditional production companies can be expensive but it’s now easier

than ever to shoot your own high quality footage.

Here’s a breakdown of the 6 steps it takes to create your own video...

Determine the Purpose. 1 What is goal of your video? To keep Facebook followers engaged with your brand? Explain your business to first time visitors of your site? There are many kinds of videos you can make. Here’s a few of the best to start with:

Explain who you are, what your business does for your customers and why you do it. This should be a quick overview of what you can provide, while also illustrating your brand and what you’re all about.

Posting a “how to” video related to your business for a subject that people are already searching for on YouTube will introduce people to your business. You’ll position yourself as a trusted resource, rather than another advertiser -- but you’re still getting your name out there.

Own a café? Share a recipe video. Are you a graphic designer? Share the top 3 principles of good design. Don’t be afraid to give your content away. These types of videos are perfect to share via social media because you’re providing useful information, not just marketing your business. But you’re actually marketing your business (and showing that you know your stuff!) at the same time.

Plan it. 2 Visualize the look and feel of your video. Will it be a talking head? Will it be your head doing the talking? An interview piece? A music-driven montage? Fall down the rabbit hole that is YouTube to get ideas and see what other people are doing.

Then outline it!

Create a list of the order of things you want shot and a rough script the words you want said.

This will boost confidence and prevent rambling if you’re on camera. It will also make the shooting process way more efficient.

Get The Tools. This may be the fun part if you’re into gadgets or may be the annoying part if you’re not, but here’s what you need:3

Audio can make or break a video, no matter how great it looks. A wired lavalier (like Rode’s smartLav) will plug straight into a phone to record or you can even position an iPhone as a boom mic (above your subject, outside the shot) to capture great audio. Audio is wildly important, so more handy tips can be found here.

You probably have one of these hanging around the house...or perhaps in your pocket right now!

Grab a camera phone, a GoPro or a DSLR.

Make your video infinitely better simply by not having shaky footage.

Depending on your camera and where you want to shoot, go for a Gorillapod or Ravelli Tripod.

If you’re gonna utilize mother nature for this, shoot during the morning or afternoon to avoid shadows.

If you need equipment, you can put together a cheap lighting kit with just a trip to the hardware store.

Shoot It. 4 And get a friend to help you. Whether it’s your business partner or your teenage daughter who probably knows more about technology that you do, it’s helpful to have a second set of hands and eyes when shooting a video. Plus, it’s more fun.

Once everything is planned out, you can shoot a video pretty quickly so if you need multiple videos (i.e. 3 short tutorials on “How to Plan a Road Trip” if you run a travel website) plan to shoot them in batches.

One afternoon of filming can produce 4 videos, which means a whole month of weekly video content for your business!

Edit It. Great editing can turn decent footage into a rad video. But, this is where things get tricky.5Learning how to edit takes a lot more than 6 steps and editing software can get pricey. But there are video editors out there who can help you with this, so ask around! And look around online.

And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t recommend using an affordable online video editing service like EditMate.

Share It. All Over The Internet! Now that you have an awesome video, upload it to YouTube, Vimeo or Facebook and share it all across your businesses (and maybe even your own) social media channels. When you post, remember to write a call to action that will tell viewers what to do after watching the video. Tell them:

A. What To Do: Subscribe (to your channel), visit (your store), call (to set up an appointment) or email (to learn more).

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B. Why To Do It: What will they be getting by taking action? More useful video content? Superb customer service? The best meal they’ve ever had? Let them know what they have to look forward to.

C. How To Do It: Give them the link to your website so they can click it, your email address so they can email you or your phone number so they can call. People are more likely to follow through when the information is right in front of them.

That’s it. You’ve just created a video in 6 steps. Well done! High-fives all around.

Pssst...need more inspiration?Here’s some of our favorite videos + resources...

VIDEOS

The About Me: The day of a graphic designer Content Marketing: Share your journey

Content Marketing: Recipe Video The About Me: What’s in the box?

(Click image to watch)

Visit out Shooting Tips page on editmate.co for regular curated tutorials and shoot-it-yourself video inspiration: And follow us for daily video tips + creative inspiration:

@heyeditmate

@heyeditmate

@editmate

heyeditmate

Easy as, mate.