The stats don’t lie – at least according to HubSpot’s latest video marketing report which surveyed 611 marketers and consumers.

• “83% of marketers now say that video gives them a good ROI, up from 78% twelve months ago.”
• “74% of those who aren’t currently marketing with video say they expect to start in 2019 “
• ‘Over two-thirds of consumers surveyed (68%) said a short video would be best to learn about a new product or service’

I wanted to make this blog as practical as possible so, with that in mind, I decided to frame it around some of the most common justifications I have heard from companies for not using video marketing.

3 common justifications include:

• Lack of budget
• Lack of equipment
• Lack of ideas

1. Lack of Budget

Definitely the most common one out there. “Video is expensive”, “We are a small company”, “It costs thousands to produce a video”

This was true. Video used to expensive, so by default only used widely by “big companies”.

It may sound obvious, but your smartphone is a great place to start.

The evolution of smartphones has brought both superb video quality and the ability to edit and share your video without ever powering up a laptop.

So you have a smartphone, what else do you need?

A question that segways nicely to justification number two:

2. Lack of Equipment

As mentioned above you can of course get started straight away using just your smartphone and nothing else.

A couple of considerations if taking this option and some recommendations:

i. Stabilisation

• Even with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) being very common nothing beats being able to mount your phone and not worry about a shaky hand or a poorly framed shot.
• Recommendation: Tripod with smartphone mount ~ $25/ €22

ii. Sound

• The native sound in smartphones has improved but factors like shooting outdoors, distance of subject from the camera and sound clarity for the viewer mean a small investment can make a huge impact.
• Recommendation: Lapel microphone ~ $30/ €27

iii. Lighting

• In most cases, natural light or the light in the room you are filming in will be sufficient but once you use a studio light you probably won’t want to go back!
• Recommendation: Freestanding studio light ~ $40/ €36

3. Lack of Ideas

Let’s face it, your first video isn’t going to be a blockbuster success. Keep it simple, focus on telling a story and ideally keep it under 90 seconds.

3 ideas to get started with video today:

i. Pitch

You can do it in person, you can do it over the phone so why record a video and have a tangible item to send your prospects or customers before/after your next meeting? It will engage them in a way competitors haven’t thought of yet and brings the human element of communication to your conversation.

ii. Interview Someone

It could be a customer who loves your company and is happy to shout about it on camera. It could be an employee who has just started working at your company and wants to tell the world how great it is to work there. These videos are great assets to share across your social media channels and also be sure to have on your website for prospective clients and job candidates to view.

iii. Events

Whether you are hosting an event or just attending- videos have a unique way of capturing the experience, the ambiance and  the key takeaways. If you have a stand at an event why not take a quick video when setting up encouraging people to drop by. Share it on social media using the event hashtag and watch your visitors roll in!

I hope these tips have been useful and help you get started with making video a key part of your marketing strategy!

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“No matter what you do, your job is to tell your story”

Gary Vaynerchuck, CEO VaynerMedia