Most small businesses don't have a marketing budget that allows for big video productions. Most don't even have anyone on staff that specializes in video. That doesn't mean that your small business can't create compelling messages using video. You don't need to be James Cameron to create a video that effectively tells a story that will resonate with your audience.

Video is projected to account for 74% of all internet traffic in 2017. So if you want to stay relevant in your industry, it needs to be part of your overall marketing strategy. Here are 6 ways you can use video in your small business-even on a shoestring budget:

1. Use Short-Form Video for Big-Time Impact

Although Lowe's isn't a small business, they have a brilliant Tumblr blog called "Fix in Six," where they use six second Vine videos to show home improvement projects and tips. Anyone can use a mobile device to create videos with apps like Vine or Instagram for free. These apps also make it extremely easy to share on social media or embed on your website. Just be creative and make the content useful for your audience, like Lowe's has done:

2. Create a Free YouTube Channel

Setting up a YouTube channel for your business is easy and free. And since YouTube is owned by Google, you have the potential for high search visibility. When publishing your videos, be sure to include a descriptive title, as well as relevant tags and category information for higher rankings. Also, don't forget to provide links to your website and social media pages. Mashable has a great article about maximizing your marketing efforts on YouTube.

3. Use an App for Easy Video Editing

There are several video editing apps that you can download for free, or for just a few dollars. My favorite is Magisto, a free website and iPhone app that allows you to easily edit and splice photos and videos from your library, and even add themes, effects, and music.

4. Share Your Expertise

Hopefully, you're already using content marketing as part of your strategy. (If not, you should be! See our Content Marketing section on the blog for more.) Video blogging is another great way to use thought leadership to engage your audience. John Kohler has a popular series on YouTube called "Growing Your Greens" where he shares organic gardening tips. With nearly 170,000 subscribers to his YouTube Channel, Kohler has made a name for himself as an expert in organic gardening, simply by giving helpful information to his audience. You can see from watching his videos, that you don't need to be a talented actor to make a successful video. You just need to be honest and knowledgable about your topic.

5. Show Your Product in Action

If you are marketing a product, what better way to show its value then a video demonstration? You have probably seen at least one of the "Will it Blend?" videos with Tom Dickson, CEO of Blendtec, in which he blends items like mobile phones, tablets, skeletons, and even Justin Bieber CDs. These videos have millions of views on YouTube, mainly because of the outrageous things Dickson blends, but also because the capabilities of the blender are pretty impressive. It is a genius way to show a great product in action.

6. Be clever

No amount of money or video expertise can compare to wit, cleverness, and a truly good concept. If you can relate to your audience and provide genuinely helpful content, you can create compelling videos for your small business. Just be sure to avoid being controversial, offensive, or overly cheesy: