Video content creation can still eat up time and money even with the dirt cheap tech that’s available these days. While you don’t want your videos to look like you shot them in your mother’s dim basement, if you can’t afford to drop a lot of cash on production or post-production work, you’ll need to spend every cent wisely to get a steady stream of good content.
Go Cheap on Editing Software
There is some free software out there, but most free titles are very limited when it comes to features. Invest in lower-priced software so you have access to tools that can really help you polish your base clips. AVS, for example, offers a suite of programs for less than $100 a year. Do some research and try demos to determine which budget-priced suite will work the best for you. Sample the full range of tools, features and functionality of the software before you buy using free trials.
Keep Up With Tech Trends
You’re probably already keeping with industry trends, so take a few extra minutes to follow video technology trends too. You can be the first to use a new effect or tool in your content if you stay educated about changes in the online video production field. Professional online blogs and tech magazines should be all you need to stay up to date.
Go Simple
You can still make decent content even if your budget is nearly nonexistent.
Try tutorials, interviews and simple promo video formats if you really don’t have the money to invest in a video campaign right now. As long as you’re willing to go in front of the camera, or know someone else who is, you shouldn’t have any pre-production costs using these formats. Use your smartphone as the camera if you can’t afford a basic video recorder at the moment but want to get your campaign started.
Look Around
You may have video lying around you can use. For example, recordings from professional shows your brand visited or even films of meetings can be used to increase your content output for free. Just remember that you need written consent from everyone who appears on the footage, including the organizers and facility management associated with any live events. Take filming opportunities as they arise so you can build up a supply of footage to augment what you shoot when necessary.