Home builders have many tools available to them for construction projects, but they may not be aware of the many tools available to them for video marketing. Although most contractors are not interested or have time to produce quality videos for marketing, some smaller businesses are forced to learn as they go as demand for dynamic video content increases. According to YouTube, the site has over a billion users, which represents nearly 1/3 of all Internet activity. Additionally, hundreds of millions of hours of YouTube videos are watched each day, generating billions of views.
Such attention-grabbing statistics make it impossible to deny the power and popularity of video. While it is important to integrate video into your marketing efforts, often there simply isn’t room in the budget for a dedicated marketing manager; luckily, there are tools to help the budget-conscious spice up their videos and make them more engaging, even on-the-go.
So before you pick up your phone to create and post a typical and predictable video of a job site or event, check out some easy-to-use apps that may be useful in kicking your video up one notch closer to professional:
- iMovie (iOS) – Let’s start with the easy one first. The iMovie app is already front, center and preloaded for iPhone users. While the app won’t make you the next Martin Scorsese, it will allow you to quickly trim and perform very basic edits of your video clips before sharing.
- Boomerang – Introduced by Instagram in 2015, Boomerang became quite popular for creating gifs that get noticed. While you wouldn’t use this app for full coverage videos, it can be great for sharing a ta-da moment from a finalized project, company event or sneak peek of a new product or service line. It shoots 10 quick shots and instantly turns it into a looping gif-style clip.
- Adobe Premiere Clip – Now just because it is made by Adobe doesn’t mean that it’s for experts only. Adobe is known for its professional-grade programs for artists and illustrators, but this app requires no previous technical expertise while offering features that may certainly make you feel a bit more professional. It’s somewhat of a “gateway” to their more robust and related programs, and it includes enough features to bring your video to the next level. The in-app features include: cropping/trimming; speed adjustment; text and titles; music; lighting adjustments; and, of course, the ability to transition it to some of the other Adobe programs.
- Videorama – If you are looking for special effects that you can’t get with most video editors, you may want to check out Videorama. Depending on your objectives for the video, you can go as mainstream as just clean clips, text and music or as unexpected as special visual and sound effects that can completely change the look and feel of your video. The ability to overlay images and the options for filters and adjustments make it unique and fun to use.
- Spark – Looking to do a little more storytelling and less time behind the video camera? Then this app will give you a little “spark”. Another app created by Adobe, Spark is a story teller, allowing the user to combine images, videos, text, music and voice. It is very easy to use and offers a unique approach for telling your own business story, highlighting a charity project or launching a new service.
While video is just one part of the marketing pie, it is one of the easiest ways to gain your audience’s attention quickly and effectively. Take advantage of the many tools available to help you build videos and stories so that you can focus on building your client portfolio and their homes.
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