What's the best way to create a video marketing plan on a budget?

The trick here is not to think like a videographer but a marketer. Understanding your client, their needs and the interests of their audience comes first. The project should be built to find a way to connect those two entities through the visuals that you create.

Always check out what people in your business niche are doing before anything else! You don't need to re-invent the wheel! Spend 99% of your time researching the content if you are new to video marketing...

Research what your competitors are doing, what your audience like to watch and wat is trending, align this to your goals and outcomes weather you are trying to drive sales or gain awareness. For example if you are planning to gain awareness, look what topic is tending or what songs are trending in platform like Instagram and TikTok, create a video about the trending topic or use trending song to gain reach in the various platforms.

We are fortunate that we live in a time where video gear is becoming much more approachable both in terms of difficulty and price: -Gear: Camera's are constantly changing, and are similar to cars. The minute you buy it, it is worth less than it was at the store. Buy used when possible, and get a camera that is at your skill level. It doesn't have to have all the bells & whistles. Know your gear, & make sure you have a good mic and some budget lighting. -Theme/Location: Maximize the amount of content you gather in one shoot. Plan your shots. Save by having the subject be someone you know, and shooting on the streets. Also shooting during the day will minimize the need for lights. Good luck on your journey & tell some amazing stories!

With so many videos competing for attention, being concise, engaging and having a strong value proposition are all important ingredients in a great audience experience. Be strategic and do your homework. Search for similar topics and projects and find the ones that are having the highest impact, then reverse engineer to see what might work for you. As we learned in broadcasting, pre-production planning prevents poor programming. Work your plan and stay focused and your get the results you are looking for.

Make sure you know where the audience lives, and factor this into the content you create: -Audience Mean Age: curate content that will resonate with the average age. -Brand: make sure your content balances audience requirements with brand guidelines. Also think about whether the audience wants to have educational content vs. entertainment vs. news. -Time: ensure the content is optimized in its' length for the audience & where it will live. Try not to throw too much at people in a short timeframe.

Besides script I also find it useful to do storyboarding to visualise my scene, it helps me understand how long each scene should be, the actions and movements of character or camera, what kind of setting or props needed in the scene, helps me see flow of the story. It also helps to plan the type of transitions I want to do in editing, so I can film the shots accordingly.

Always create scripts, whether it is shorts or longer videos. The reason you do this is because the better the recording is, the quicker the editing will be, don't make the mistake of rushing the recording to only create 5 hours of extra editing. Ask me how I know...

The script should be very clear ,it will allow all other departments to be in touch with the story. I always ask the scriptwriter to be very specific on mentioning what he or she wants. Why? Because when we make the group reading or there is a script reading by departments everything will be more clear and of course each department will know what they need.

Once you have set your budget, this is how I plan out content/scripting: 1. Product/Service: Determine & finalize the needs of the client in terms of what you are showcasing. 2. Audience & Objective: Work with your client to establish who their target audience is, where the content will live, and what their objective is (ie brand awareness vs. sales). 3. Location & Subject: Plan around your subject/timeframe. Plan for the optimal output, one shoot might be enough to create multiple posts. Match your subject to a model & location. 4. Scripting: Telling a story is excellent, but it is limited depending on the platform it will be posted on. If you are looking at short form, remember less is more, & and instead create multiple posts.

In today’s day and age with the technology being so accessible and platforms like YouTube, I encourage young filmmakers to just start making content. You can use an iPhone and a tripod and create! I really valued my time at Film School as well and I think education is essential, but also just practicing your craft and putting content out there is so important.

Cameras: This is something totally dependent on your budget/experience. If this is your first time shooting consider renting. Your camera purchase should be based on the type of content you are shooting. Stabilization: Make sure you invest in a tripod for most shots & a gimbal if you want to have stabilized footage. Just make sure you get an L bracket for your camera and that the tripod/gimbal can hold cameras in portrait & landscape. Lighting & Sound: Invest in a good shotgun mic and a budget set of wired lavaliers. Start off with one portable light & one studio. Editing: Use a program that is comfortable. I use final cut as it is intuitive and efficient.

Your context can evolve the equipment that you need, but you can also evolve your context around your equipment and budget. You don't always need the best gear.

I am excited to share some valuable insights on how to create a stellar video marketing plan on a budget! To get started, here's a simple yet effective strategy: 1 Start by defining clear and measurable objectives to define your goals. 2 Maximize your content by repurposing and reusing. Convert blog posts into video summaries or make short clips from longer videos. 3 User-Generated Content: Encourage your audience to create content for you. A buzz can be generated by contests or challenges without having to pay a lot of money. 4 Make use of video editing and creation tools that are free or inexpensive. Explore alternatives such as CapCut canvas, iMovie, or Adobe Spark.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) has been a crucial factor in ensuring that my work reaches its intended audience. This has been advantageous for both written and video content. To enhance discoverability on platforms like YouTube, make use of relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags. Conduct keyword research to uncover the terms your audience is seeking.

Video marketing is an essential tool in today's digital landscape. At @Moovly, where I specialize in video marketing, we've found that incorporating video content into your strategy doesn't have to break the bank. With platforms like Moovly offering user-friendly editing tools, businesses can create professional videos that engage and convert viewers

Shorts are where massive growth can be seen right now and they are focused on Trends. Trending topics, trending music, trending styles, all of these have to be incorporated to make them work. Long form content is more search driven, you have to understand this difference to be successful.

With video marketing the landscape changes all the time. Short form videos are hot right now, but what some people don't realize is that if you begin cranking these out - you are expected to continue to meet your audience's expectation. It's challenging to sustain that - especially if you're doing it alone. To reduce burn-out, give yourself a break, look at "easier" video marketing products, like maybe some podcast interviews to break up things up. Plus, you it gives you a chance to see what your audience engages with - and how it looks for your long term plans. I've seen way too many people think they can create content every day, for years, alone. It's a brutal schedule...

Learn some directing techniques. Anyone can pick up a camera but most people you film dont have an acting background. A good director bridges that gap. Going from emotionless reading prompts to engaging connection points that tell a story. Be patient. Be kind. Be open to ideas. Film more than you need. Edit to what you want.

As a creator be curious and be always communicative with your clients, be open, be honest, make them aware what you are capable and not capable of. Don't be afraid of asking questions. Always work with checklist and always share your checklist with your client. Being a well organized video creator is a rare gem in industry.