6 Strategies for Small Budget Video Marketing

The evidence is clear - if you want an effective way to grow your business, you need to incorporate video into your marketing content. However, many brands that fall into the startup, micro or small business category are often unsure whether video marketing can be worked into their budget. This is because video marketing traditionally has been used for higher end productions and was therefore limited to medium and large marketing budgets. However, times and technology have changed, making video marketing accessible to any business.

Here are 6 solid strategies to embrace small budget video marketing for your brand:

1. Build your video marketing skills with free resources.

If your video marketing budget is genuinely nil, don't despair! There are a range of opportunities to create marketing materials for your brand that are free (assuming you are already set up with a smart phone or computer system). For example, apps like Hyperlapse and Boomerang are great if you are looking for an easy way to dip your toe into social video. Both programs create short-form videos that are perfect for giving insight into your brand. Not feeling confident about creating your own content yet? Dip your toe into GIFs – there are 1000s of free to use GIFs online for you to use on your social channels.

2. Try live video marketing.

You should also consider experimenting with live video, using platforms such as Periscope and Facebook Live. These can be used to cover events or show 'a day in the life' of your employees. If you are comfortable in front of the camera, you might even hold regular FAQ live video sessions or provide daily tips in your field of expertise. Live video works well for these types of sessions as you can respond to viewers’ questions in real time. Although you should try to create a professional tone for your videos, the nature of live video means that viewers are more forgiving of hiccups or dips in production quality.

3. Consider creating DIY marketing videos.

A lot of times, DIY is synonymous with cheap or lower quality items. While it is true that DIY videos will not be to the same standard of a professionally produced video, there are a number of programs that create decent videos for brands on a small budget. Animoto, for example, creates video slideshows from photographs and clips, allowing you to repurpose existing media assets. With pricing starting at $22AUD a month for a professional account, it definitely won't break the bank. Similarly, professional Powtoon accounts start at $19USD per month. Powtoon lets you easily create animated videos and presentations using their template designs.

4. Recruit an influencer for your product.

If you have a small budget but are not comfortable in front of the camera or do not want the hassle of creating videos yourself, you may want to consider recruiting an influencer. While you can specify the terms of your arrangement with an influencer, a popular option is to have the influencer film themselves using or reviewing your product. The influencer would then post the video to their agreed social channels, getting your product in front of new and targeted audiences (assuming you select the right influencer for your brand). Budgets for influencers vary, with some influencers agreeing to provide a video in exchange for the product and other influencers requiring payment of $10o upwards. A great website to look for influencers or post job opportunities for influencers in Australia is theright.fit.

5. Create partnership opportunities and work with other businesses.

Can’t afford to hire a videographer for a day shoot on your own? Why not partner with complementary businesses to create a video that benefits all parties? For example, if you are a jeweller, you might partner with a florist, chocolatier and lingerie store to create a promotional video for Valentine’s Day. The cost of this advertisement could be split between all businesses involved, making the investment minimal for each brand. Similarly, you could look for an opportunity to organise a filming day with other local businesses and split the cost of the videographer. For example, this would work well if your brand requires testimonial videos: an interview room could be set up and dozens of people interviewed within a single day, making it an extremely affordable investment for each business.

6. Develop a long-term strategy with a good videographer.

Similar to the last strategy but for businesses with a slightly larger budget, you could consider working with a videographer to develop the most cost-effective solution for your brand for the next 12 or 24 months. For example, if you would like to unveil 12 videos across the year, with forward planning these may be able to be filmed in a single day. This would greatly reduce the overall cost of these videos, as many videographers charge a day rate or call out fee for each shooting session. Similarly, many videographers offer discounts for bulk work, so the editing and post-production costs for 12 videos is likely to be at a highly reduced rate. A good videographer will also know to shoot evergreen content for your brand, allowing you to repurpose footage for multiple videos and potentially avoid the need to shoot new content for future videos.

Do you have any other strategies for small budget video marketing? Let us know below in the comments!