09 Video Tools
You’re not alone when it comes to video marketing. Arm yourself with tools for every stage of the process, including editing, hosting and measuring success.
With video traffic predicted to account for 80% of all online consumer traffic by 2022, you can’t afford to ignore the internet video marketing revolution. But let’s face it, the myriad steps that go into producing and publishing videos and analyzing audiences’ responses to them can be expensive and time-consuming–especially for small businesses. The solution is to take advantage of the best video marketing tools available to plan, execute and analyze your video marketing strategy.
Let’s look at some of the top tools across all stages of the video marketing process.
What’s in Your Toolbox?
Production Tools
Video Scripting
If you’re creating longer videos, such as tutorials, there are many moving parts to keep a handle on. That’s why a video scripting tool is indispensable to keep you organized, maintaining a chronological list of shots, dialogue and action, and detailing the who, what and when of each scene.
Celtx is a video scripting tool that will take you from concept to completion. It not only gives you complete control over your storyline but also enables you to establish a schedule, allocate and monitor budget, and allow the entire production team to add content and make changes at any time.
Price: From US$15 to US$20 per month
Video Maker
Creating an effective video doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. All it takes is a good idea, a video maker, and a choice of smart video templates to help you realize your vision. In-browser video makers feature templates in a range of formats that you can edit without the use of software.
Placeit can simplify the video editing process by providing templates, from slideshows to Instagram Stories, into which you can drop your own images, text and video clips to create compelling videos. Video templates come complete with a selection of music tracks to elevate your video.
Price: US$29 per template or unlimited downloads from US$29 per month
Video Editing
If you use a video maker, all your editing is done for you in the online tool. However, if you create a video without the assistance of a video maker, you’re going to need post-production software to edit your footage and create a polished and professional end product.
Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best video editing software options on the market. It allows you to import all your footage, edit it, import and add motion graphics from Adobe After Effects, and export your files in various formats when done.
Price: US$20.99 per month, or US$52.99 per month for the entire Adobe Creative Suite
Distribution Tools
Video Hosting
YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are great for sharing your videos on social media, but if you want to create videos for your landing page or place videos behind a paywall that only select users can access, then you need a video hosting service like Wistia (side note: Envato is a Wistia customer).
Wistia allows you to store your videos on its server and embed responsive, lightweight, and SEO-friendly videos anywhere on your own website. In addition, Wistia tracks how each viewer watches your video, to give you insight into the consumption habits of your target audience.
Price: From $99 per month
Video Streaming
Lots of businesses are getting into live video streaming as a way of engaging potential customers and building brand awareness, through Q&A, classes, interviews, presentations, etc. All you need for a live stream is an internet-enabled device, like a smartphone or tablet, with a good mic and camera, and a platform to broadcast on, like Crowdcast.
Crowdcast allows you to set up your live event, register viewers, automatically send reminders, stream your event in real time, interact with participants and analyze responses afterwards.
Price: From $49 per month for light users to $195 per month for heavy users
Measurement Tools
Video Analytics
Every video marketer needs great video analytics software to find out who your viewers are and how they engage with your video content. This helps you to determine the effectiveness of your video marketing approach and to strategize about how to optimize your content to increase engagement and conversion. We’ll cover this topic in the next chapter on Video Measurement but, for now, while most video marketing platforms provide analytics, if you want to drill down to understand and reach your audience more effectively, you need tools like VidIQ (side note: Envato is a VidIQ customer).
VidIQ helps marketers make decisions such as choosing your title, description, tags and keywords. It provides insights from your competitors’ performance, enables you to discover what’s trending in your category, and more.
Price: From $7.50 per month
Video Assets
A video asset library can in many ways be thought of as the actual tools in the toolbox – the tangible bits you can reach in and grab when you’re short of time, need some inspiration, or are keen to incorporate new styles and techniques in your work. As well as a wide variety of themed video templates to get projects taking shape quickly, you’ll find stock video, audio and transitions to fill in any gaps.
Envato Elements features everything you need for your creative projects. Get unlimited downloads of studio quality, professionally designed video templates including titles, openers, lower, thirds and more for After Effects, Premiere Pro and all your favorite video software.
Similarly, Mixkit houses stock video clips, stock music and sound effects as well as video templates for DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro & more, all available for free for your next project.
The Anatomy of an Online Video Maker
Placeit’s Video Maker is designed to help you create video content quickly and easily. When you open up the Video Maker, the screen is divided into various areas for customizing your video template. Watch this explainer video to find out more:
What Next?
Now that you’re well versed in the Placeit Video Maker, and you’re aware of a number of other good video marketing tools available, head to the next chapter to learn more about measuring video performance.