Startups often believe that video is too expensive or too time-consuming to produce, especially if they’ve never done it before. However, simple text and static images are no longer enough to capture the short attention span of today’s online audience.
Ease of access to online video tools has made it much easier to produce engaging videos, even on a startup budget. Even so, there are still many preconceptions and fears when it comes to creating a video for the first time. Here are three video challenges we often see startups face, and how to overcome them.
Challenge #1: “Our Product or Service is Difficult to Explain.”
If your startup is difficult to explain in a 30-second pitch, then video is your answer. You can liven up your pitch with an explainer video and get across your idea with fewer words and more visuals. A good video can work wonders when it comes to quickly capturing the attention of your audience — especially if you have a complex product or service.
Here are a few ways your startup can create a winning pitch video:
- Keep it short—Your video should not exceed two minutes. Aim for thirty seconds to one minute. You can create a 30-second video with Wideo for free, or showcase your idea in a 90-second+ animated video starting at only $9/month.
- Show the problem, offer a solution—Showcase the problem you are trying to solve but keep it short and to-the-point. The focus of your video should be on how your product or service is the solution.
- Skip the intros—In a pitch video, there is little time to talk about yourself or your personal story. Instead, use the limited attention span of your audience to explain why your product or service is so great.
Challenge #2: “We Don’t Have a Big Enough Marketing Budget to Include Video.”
You don’t need a Hollywood marketing budget to include video as part of your startup’s promotional efforts. There are many different video production options to choose from once your startup decides to make its first video. From freelancers to DIY animation platforms like Wideo, it depends on your style choices and goals for your video.
Freelancer Costs
Hiring a freelancer is a cheaper option than production houses and he or she can work closely with you to decide on the best story ideas and goals for your video.
Cost to Do-it-Yourself
We created Wideo to make it super easy for startups and small businesses with minimal budgets to include video in their marketing strategies. Everything from templates to characters to music is included so you can worry less about the technicalities and more about refining the message you want to get across with your video.
Challenge #3: “We Don’t Have Enough Time to Spend on Video Production.”
We’ll admit, making a video for your startup for the first time can seem like a daunting task. But as you progress, you will get faster at using your video tools and equipment. The most important thing to remember is to focus on keeping your video short. This goal will help you and your team be realistic about what you can accomplish with your time and budget.
If you have no prior knowledge of creating videos or a design background, Wideo is a perfect beginner tool. You can start creating short videos to share on your startup’s blog or social channels in a matter of minutes with our ready-made templates and drag-and-drop images, objects, and text.
As the video industry shifts its focus towards short-form video, it provides numerous opportunities for startups to experiment with video production in a simpler way. Instead of spending months on one long video, the short-form social video trend allows your startup to engage your audience with short, targeted video content. You can focus on one message or product at a time and create videos on a more frequent basis.
Here are some time-saving tips for your startup videos:
- Plan ahead—Before you starting creating anything, decide how many videos you will need over a certain period. This will help you schedule a time to create a video script and gather all of the necessary images, music, and other items you’ll need.
- Take advantage of templates—The Wideo template gallery is jammed pack with useful templates for your startup video. Just pick one you like, edit, and replace images where necessary.
- Keep a consistent style—It’s easier to create videos for your startup on an ongoing basis if you keep the design consistent. This will save you time when it comes to selecting colors, fonts, etc. as well. Keep your videos’ branding consistent and your followers will start recognizing fresh content from your brand in their social feeds.
Protip: Get more time-saving video production tips here.
With so many players in the startup arena, it can be a challenge to make your startup stand out. Thankfully, video marketing is no longer just for the big players — your tech-savvy startup can also ride the video wave without dedicating a tremendous amount of time, effort, or money.
For extra information about our templates go to our Online Animation Maker Software main page.
Hey Julie, I agree with you that with rising number of online video tools, producing a video for promotion is no longer hard or expensive task.
Hi Nick Colakovic,
Thanks for the comment. See you around!
Hello, I agree. This helped me a lot.
Thanks, Bumni!