Top Tools for Creating Engaging Video Content (Plus Exactly How to Use Them)
We all know videos are highly effective for marketing:
- Mention the word ‘video’ in the subject line of an email, and enjoy a 19% higher open rate.
- 78% of marketers claim video has increased their sales.
- Guess what attracts 12 times more shares on social media than text and link posts combined? You’ve got it… video.
- Want to increase the conversion rate on a landing page by over 80%? Use video.
So yes — it works.
Yet for many businesses, creating an effective video seems a daunting prospect.
The good news is that, given all the tools now readily available, it’s actually far easier to create engaging videos than you might imagine.
It can often take no more than a few minutes, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Here are well over a dozen of the top tools available. With each one, you’ll also find a few popular YouTube tutorials that show you exactly how to use it.
Download the list as a free cheatsheet so you have it to refer back to:
Tools to Make Video Content (Plus Tutorials to Get You Started)
1. Promo
Summary
Create marketing videos using Promo’s video clips (they have 12 million available), professionally-created templates, and music library.
You simply start with a relevant video clip or template, add your logo, customize the text, and add a suitable music track from their library (the music comes with a lifetime license).
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $39/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
2. Moovly
Summary
Professional promo videos, explainer videos, training videos, and video tutorials can be created in minutes.
Modify templates and video clips via their online video editor. Or create a video from scratch.
Drag and drop video clips, images and sounds into your video from their royalty-free libraries.
Caters for larger brands, as well as small business owners.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $24.92/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
3. Wirecast (Telestream)
Summary
Use this sophisticated software to stream live videos, such as from events.
The streamed video can be produced from multiple input sources, including desktop computers, cameras and microphones.
With an additional support subscription, you get access to half a million stock media assets, including backgrounds, lower thirds, videos and music.
Supports streaming live video to one or more channels at a time, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo .
Many other features available.
Pricing & Access
- User license $599.
- Downloadable software.
Tutorials
4. Animaker
Summary
Used to create 20+ million videos so far, by 10 million users, including leading brands and small businesses.
Their drag-and-drop builder lets you create animation and live-action videos, and is suitable for complete beginners.
Create your own unique characters for videos via their drag-and-drop character builder.
Thousands of templates available, along with tens of millions of stock photos and video clips.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $10/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
5. Animoto
Summary
Another tool suitable for complete beginners, Animoto provides access to dozens of templates, thousands of licensed music tracks, and a million plus clips and photos from Getty Images.
Again, you create videos by simply dragging and dropping creative assets onto the canvas.
Customize videos with text, colors and design tools.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $15/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
- Getting Started With Animoto Marketing Videos
- How to Create a Video Using Animoto 2020
- How To Create A Video With Animoto
6. Evaer
Summary
Use this software to record Skype and Teams calls — video and audio.
That includes screen sharing over Skype, with up to 10 people on a Skype group call.
Output options include:
- AVI or MP4 for video.
- Separate MP3 audio file if required.
Pricing & Access
- User license from $19.95.
- Downloadable software.
Tutorials
7. VideoScribe
Summary
I expect you’ve seen those whiteboard-style animation videos. This software gives you an easy way to create them, no design or technical skills required.
Creating one simply involves dragging images and text as required onto a canvas. The software then animates them, leaving you with a professional video.
Their libraries include over 7,000 images, along with different fonts and music tracks.
Videos on their free trial tier include their watermark, which you need to upgrade to remove.
Over 4,000 videos are created each day with VideoScribe. According to the site, it has a global user base of 2 million people.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $14/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
8. Magisto
Summary
This tool is actually ran by Vimeo.
If you upgrade to their Professional or Business Plan, you get a Vimeo Pro or Vimeo Business Plan thrown in. That makes it cheaper (at least, at the time of writing) than going to Vimeo directly.
Use the software through your browser, or via their downloadable app for Android or iOS.
It works by creating “video stories” from other photos and videos you supply, using what they call an AI-powered video maker.
The stories are created using your choice of editing style, along with a soundtrack you select from their library.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $4.99/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required, but downloadable app available.
Tutorials
9. SnagIt (TechSmith)
Summary
SnagIt makes it easy to create screen-capture videos, which you can then mark up as required.
It’s ideal for example to create quick how-to videos, whether for use in marketing, or perhaps for internal training videos.
While the editing functionality gives you fewer options than something like Camtasia (also from TechSmith), it’s ideal for creating quick videos on the fly, as well as screen capture stills.
Export options include animated GIFs.
Pricing & Access
- User license $49.99
- Downloadable software.
Tutorials
10. StopMotion
Summary
Available for iOS and Android, as the name suggests, you use the StopMotion app to bring inanimate objects to life, the “easiest app to get you into stop motion movie making”.
Use the app to:
- Apply different backgrounds and foregrounds.
- Edit your video frame by frame.
- Use fade effects, such as between scenes.
- Use a green screen.
- Enhance your video with filters.
Pricing & Access
- In-app purchases.
- Downloadable app.
Tutorials
- EASY STOP MOTION TUTORIAL using Stop Motion Studio
- How To Use The Best Free Stop motion App
- Stop-Motion App Tutorial
11. Powtoon
Summary
Powtoon is “the visual communication platform that gives you the freedom to create professional and fully customized videos your audience will love.”
Use the software to create:
- Social media videos and animated gifs.
- Whiteboard explainer videos.
- Animated videos.
- Videos for ads.
Their libraries provide hundreds of templates, soundtracks, video backgrounds, animated characters, and other design assets.
They appear to particularly target enterprises and larger companies, with the software “used by 96% of Fortune 500 companies”, but are used by smaller businesses too.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $19/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
12. Wideo
Summary
An easy and quick way to create animated videos, Wideo’s features include:
- Video templates.
- Music, fond and video libraries — or upload your own.
- Creation of custom animations via keyframes.
- Intro/outro animation effects.
- Scene transitions.
You can also use Wideo to create slide presentations.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $19/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
13. WeVideo
Summary
A sophisticated video editing and creation suite available for use via your browser or downloadable app.
Includes features such as:
- Slow motion.
- Record your screen and webcam at the same time.
- Unlimited video storage.
- Screencasting.
They have over a million “commercially licensed media” such as music, images and video clips available for use in your videos (depending on plan level).
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $4.99/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required — downloadable apps available.
Tutorials
14. Biteable
Summary
Create animated videos, with hundreds of templates available, along with millions of stock photos and video clips, and background music tracks.
It’s a popular tool used by top brands such as Disney and Microsoft, as well as small business owners.
Pricing & Access
- Monthly or yearly fee — starts at $19/month (billed annually).
- Free trial available.
- No download required.
Tutorials
To Conclude
As you can see, with all the tools available, creating an engaging video for your business is probably far easier than you may have imagined.
Remember, as mentioned at the beginning, videos are powerful marketing tools. Once created, share your video through channels such as your website or blog, social media, YouTube and other sites like Vimeo.
Don’t forget to download the list as a free cheatsheet so you have all the options to hand:
Sincerely,
Steve Shaw
EverywhereMarketer
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