At Wistia, we just love using video as part of our sales and marketing strategy. Video allows us to convey our message succinctly, in a highly engaging way. It also allows us to build rapport and credibility with our prospects. Video makes every part of the sales process more efficient.

“Video makes every part of the sales process more efficient.”

We used to spend countless hours on the phone with prospects, explaining the basics of what Wistia does; now we use a 5-minute sales video to pre-educate, so that subsequent phone calls are more productive. Another great incentive for using video: a majority of people and companies aren’t using video yet, so it’s an easy way to stand out in the crowd. For some reason, “the crowd” seems to believe that they can’t do video because it’s too expensive. But let me share a little secret: video can be done--and done well--on the cheap! Let me show you how.

Studio Space

Don’t worry that you need a fancy studio to make a great-looking video. Any old room can be turned into a studio with a little bit of effort.

And don’t be daunted if you’re unable to implement all of these tips. Using even some of them will make your video look and sound a lot more polished.

Gear

You don’t need expensive gear to make an awesome video. In fact, we’ve made entire videos using just the iPhone! Nowadays, the cameras on smartphones are pretty high-quality. You can record good sound on inexpensive microphones, and you can get great lighting for less than $100. Or even easier, use natural light! Do invest in a tripod to keep your camera steady, since there’s nothing more distracting than shaky, Blair-Witch-esque footage. Ultimately, keep in mind that the gear you use is far less important that the message and content you are sharing. People are very forgiving of low-budget production quality if the content is good.

Get Started and Iterate

Investing a bit of time video can pay off big for your business. And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The important thing is to get started now, even if it feels scary at first. Your first try might feel a little rough, but we promise it gets easier the second time, even easier by the third, and so on. Nobody is an expert at something the first time they try it. It’s the same with video--just get cracking, and you’ll see improvement in no time! To make it even easier, check out this XL Wistia free account: extra video hosting and extra bandwidth for life!