Making a YouTube Video on a Budget
If you’ve read our other blog post about YouTube, you know the video sharing platform is a great avenue for small businesses looking to increase their online presence. However, besides coming up with a great idea, creating the videos is the hardest part. The good news is this: you don’t need professional tools to make it on YouTube. This article will explore 3 steps of creating a YouTube video on a budget.
Equipment
Your first step will be to gather the right equipment. You don’t need a lot! Cell phones are constantly improving their camera capabilities. The iPhone 7 has an amazing camera and would do the job for a great YouTube video. If you don’t have access to a good cell phone camera, you can always use a DSLR camera. If you’re going to make a lot of video content, it might be worth investing in a new camera. Even something in the $500–700 will do a great job. You can find used cameras on different classifieds and thrift apps like OfferUp. It may be possible for you to borrow one, or rent one from a local camera store.
You’ll also want some sort of tripod or stable place to rest your camera while you film. No one wants to watch a shaky video. A tripod will create a professional feel. If your video will involve dialogue or narration, it will be worth investing in a mic. You can find a good one for less than $30 new. Again, you can always support your local businesses by renting one! Finally, you’ll want some lighting. No need to buy anything too professional. Experiment with different lamps around your house. You may have just the thing.
Filming
Shooting the video is the next step. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you plan your video.
- How long will it be? We recommend short videos, maybe 1–2 minutes. Anything longer will require a lot of content and will end up being more work on the both ends for you.
- How will you hook your audience? If your video doesn’t capture the audience in the first 10 seconds, chances are they won’t keep watching. Grab their attention right away and they’ll stay for the rest of the video.
- Where will you film? This is an important consideration because of lighting and background noise. Filming outside is great, but sometimes there is too much going on and the light is too strong. Film in a quiet place where you can perfect the light, sound, and angle.
Editing
Editing is the final step in producing the video. There is plenty of free software at your disposal. If you have an Apple Computer, iMovies is your best bet. If you have a background in video editing, Lightworks is a free software you can use. It will do way more than you need it to but it gets the job done. Consider adding music to your video. You can get free music here.
As you can see, these steps aren’t too difficult. You’re not going for big screen quality, you’re going for fun, engaging, and relatable. The best way to learn is to try. Just like a blog post, Instagram photos, or team unity, your YouTube videos will only get better with practice.
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