You may not have dreamed of being a film star, but if you’re running a business you would benefit from creating video material to raise your profile.
If you hate having your photo taken, you’re probably not enthusiastic about appearing on camera, but the good news is that you can create good content without actually having to appear on screen. However, if you can get comfortable talking to the camera, there’s nothing like a real person appearing on screen, it all adds to the authenticity.
There are alternatives and there are a number of ways to create video – with various costs associated with them.
1: DIY
Most mobile phones today have good quality video recorders so you could be your own director – but you’ll certainly need video editing software to produce a professional result and that takes time.
If you have an Apple computer you’ll have built in video editing software, but if you’re on an android device you’ll need to download a video editing app. There are some free apps, but you’ll also need to learn how to use them.
An alternative is to find someone who does video editing maybe on Fiverr or a similar site. To get the result you want you’ll need to give them a very specific brief.
2: Slides to video
If you have PowerPoint you can create a slide show and there is a facility to record these as a video and narrate them too. The ‘Record’ button is usually top right.
The advantage to this is that you can have your brand featured throughout and a professional title page and end screen.
The downside is that the images are static only moving when you go to the next slide.
3: Video creation app
There are any number of these. I use Invideo, but there are many others. They allow you to create a combination of stills that move slowly and video clips with text. You can choose to add a voice over or a music accompaniment.
With still images they use something called the Burns effect to give the impression of a moving image. It just adds a little bit of ‘sizzle’ to the finished product.
4: Get a professional
You can find people who will make professional videos locally or online, but there is always a higher cost to having bespoke videos created. If you’re looking for video to feature on your website, it’s probably worth the cost. If you just want disposable videos for social media, the cost may not be cost-effective.
Some professional social media consultants offer video creation as part of their package.
