There are so many cool things about video marketing. From the low costs of production to the huge audience that you can reach on social media, video marketing can be a game-changing tool to help you accomplish your business goals. In fact, according to the Aberdeen Group, video marketers get approximately 66 percent more qualified leads per year and obtain a 54 percent increase in brand awareness. 

The benefits are clearly there. Nevertheless, there are many business owners and marketers that have not yet taken advantage of everything that video marketing has to offer. There are a variety of reasons for this, but one common reason is that these individuals experience anxiety over the quality of their videos. They take a look at sleek, stylish marketing videos from competitors and think, “I don’t have the time, resources, or money to make videos like that.” An intimidation factor sets in and it becomes increasingly difficult to resist. Before they know it, video marketing falls to the bottom of their to-do list as they focus on other pressing tasks at their organization.

This is an unfortunate situation because it is based on a faulty premise. The fact is that video marketers do not need to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on their videos. On the contrary, spending gobs of money on your marketing videos may hurt you in the long run. 

In this article, I want to demystify this myth about video marketing. Regardless of your budget, there are several strategies that you can use to make your business videos look professional. By taking advantage of these strategies, you can create great-looking marketing videos that can help build a deep, tangible connection with your audience.

The Changing Definition of “Professional”

Before discussing our favorite tips and tactics, it is worthwhile to touch on what makes a video “professional.” Ten or twenty years ago, a so-called professional video may have involved hired actors, an actual set, a tested script, and many hours of editing. It just looked professional compared to marketing videos created by individual creators and small businesses. 

Since that time, the paradigm has shifted. Now, professional videos are all about being authentic and relatable. They are about establishing a true connection with your audience by delivering your chosen message. 

Granted, there are many embedded assumptions in this description. You have to recognize who your audience truly is, what problems they want to be solved, and whether your message (and your product or service itself) will actually solve those problems. These are all ongoing tasks and there are no easy answers. You have to constantly speak with members of your audience and step into their shoes. Feel what they are feeling and create your message so that they feel like their needs are being heard. 

Ultimately, empathy and authenticity are major components of professional videos today. While we are going to spend the remainder of this article discussing tips on how to make your videos more professional, I encourage you to remember the power of empathy and authenticity. They will be instrumental tools in helping you accomplish your video marketing goals—even if your camera is shaky or if the lighting is poor.

Making Your Business Videos More Professional

With this discussion of “professional” videos behind us, I now want to share some simple tactics that you can use to make your business videos more professional.

First, focusing on your video’s lighting is an effective way to make your video more professional. Poor lighting will make your video less welcoming. It will be harder on your viewers’ eyes and they will be more likely to watch something else.

To put it simply, you should be searching for even light. Sometimes natural light from your window or your existing lights is acceptable. It all depends on your workplace and the time of day that you are shooting your video. What you don’t want is light that has harsh shadows. For instance, try to avoid having bright lights behind you if you are appearing on camera. You’ll become a silhouette by doing so. Also, be careful of using your webcam in low-light situations. Webcams, for as much convenience as they provide us, do not work well in low-light. They need a lot of light to work.

Regardless of whether you plan on using a webcam for your videos, you may want to think about investing in a lighting kit. You can find affordable lighting kits on Amazon. And if you need suggestions on lighting kits? Check out our recommended video and audio gears here.

From lighting, you can make your business video more professional by monitoring your sound quality. Your videos don’t necessarily need to have the highest quality of sound, but the sound should be good enough so that your viewer can clearly hear your video. One of the best ways to ensure good sound quality is to invest in a microphone. This is especially true if you are using an external webcam or webcam built into your computer to record your video. And as with a camera, your microphone doesn’t need to be extremely expensive. You can find affordable lavalier microphones on Amazon. 

Alternatively, you can use your phone and record some fairly good audio. When recording on your phone, you likely don’t need an external microphone unless you are recording outside or in a place that is quite loud. At Dubb, we like the Yeti Nano microphone. It is versatile, as you can use it to capture sound for both videos and podcasts. 

Next, I want to talk about backgrounds. Having a good background adds to the professionalism of your video. This is true whether you work from home, an office, or if you are shooting video on-the-go. For the sake of simplicity, you can always choose a solid color as your background. On Amazon, you can find affordable stands with backgrounds. Whichever direction you go here, you want to make sure that your background represents your brand. If it doesn’t, your audience will notice this clash and will be less engaged with your video.

From good backgrounds, professional videos are concise. They don’t waste their viewers’ time. The simple fact is that a rambling ten-minute video will be much less effective than a two to three-minute video. Even if you are offering some of the best content in the world, viewers are becoming increasingly impatient. Their lives are busy, and often, they are multitasking. 

Because of this, there is no problem if you need to complete multiple takes to trim down your video. Doing so can help organize your thoughts and help you get over some of those initial anxieties when appearing on camera. 

Another great way to create professional videos is to capture footage of your great business moments. This echoes our discussion on creating an authentic video. Capturing and distributing this type of footage can not only build a closer connection with your audience, but it can show that you are a leader in your field. Whether you are meeting an influential person, going to a conference, making an important announcement for your business, or even reaching an important customer milestone, make sure to capture it on video. 

Also, you can make your videos more professional by leveraging testimonials. Testimonials are an outstanding way to build social proof for your product or service. Through testimonials, members of your audience see people like them positively talking about your business. It makes it more likely that they will trust your company and pull the trigger on a purchase. 

Therefore, don’t be afraid to ask some of your most satisfied customers for a testimonial. When doing so, ensure that you have their signed permission so that you can use their testimonial in your marketing videos. From there, don’t be afraid to exercise your creativity. However, you do it, including testimonials in your business videos show that your business is credible, respected, and improving people’s lives.

The Goal is Within Reach

I started this article by speaking about the simple anxiety or fear about not being able to create “professional” videos. While some people may not create videos at all because of the nearly impossible expectations about what their videos should look like, the simple fact is that anyone can create a professional video. It may take some time and may require several inexpensive investments. But that said, by combining the tips and strategies outlined above, you will be in an excellent position to create high-quality, professional videos. And if you get stuck? Just keep creating videos and experimenting with some of these tactics. You will inevitably see progress.  

At Dubb, we love thinking about this topic. We have seen the power of video in our clients’ lives and we know that you can create professional-looking videos to reach your business goals. If you have any questions about the tips or strategies discussed in this article, don’t be afraid to reach out. You can get in touch by visiting our homepage or on your favorite social network. I can’t wait to see what you create!