![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/image6_94bfc0e2-d5c9-48c3-839a-b269f38c62dd.png?format=webp&v=1683464463\")
When it comes to making videos to promote your business, engage your audience, and showcase your products, professional quality usually demands professional prices.
\nBut sometimes you don’t need Hollywood production value for your videos. Sometimes you just need good videos you can turn around fast and for free (or at least affordably).
\nIf you haven’t thought about incorporating video into your marketing strategy, you should. Video is an incredibly versatile format—after all:
\nAs many as 81% of marketers say their video efforts have helped them directly increase sales. Video has a real ROI—you just have to get out there and create it.
\nThe best part? Just because you don’t have a budget doesn’t mean you can’t reap the benefits of video content.
\n\n\n
\n
You don’t have to leave your professional videos up to a video production team. In fact, with our easy-to-follow seven-step guide, you can create, record, and edit nearly any kind of video for your marketing strategy.
\nEvery video is going to start with an idea. But how do you get the right idea? First, don’t stress too much—you can create multiple videos if you have a number of great ideas. Right now, you just need to start with one.
\nTo get that first idea, focus on one specific topic. Each video should go in depth into a single topic, whether it’s an educational video, explainer video, product video, etc.
\nThen, pinpoint what the goal of your video is:
\nStill stuck? You can also poke around online to spark ideas for your own videos:
\n
When brainstorming ideas, it’s helpful to think about all the different kinds of videos you can make:
\nYou have an idea. We’re still in the very beginning stages of creating your video. Next, it’s time to research and plan how you want your video to go.
\nThere are three main steps to this:
\nWhat are you going to say in your video? Whether you record a voiceover or have your talent actually in the video, you need a script.
\nIf you’re planning on repurposing a blog post or podcast episode into this video, that’s pretty easy—just rewrite the blog post to focus on the main points in a more conversational manner. That’s exactly what Path, a photo editing service, does for its Photoshop tutorial videos. The brand actually has a bunch of Photoshop-related content, some of which have been repurposed into videos.
\n![\"Screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/path_9b5166ea-088d-4f20-a1d5-77632a71fa00.png?format=webp&v=1683542688\")
But if you’re starting from scratch, there will be a bit more work involved, as you’ll need to outline, research, and flesh out your topic before putting it in script format.
\nKeep the following tips and structure in mind when writing your script:
\nA storyboard is a page or presentation of a video’s planned scenes so your team knows exactly what to shoot when production starts.
\nUsing a template like the one below, teams can either draw out how they’re picturing the scene, or find online stock images that help depict each part of the story.
\n![\"storyboard\"](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/storyboard.png?format=webp&v=1661969562\")
Build out every scene and any dialogue that needs to go with it so you’re completely prepared to start sourcing your video footage.
\nThe final step in the research and planning phase is finding your location and making a schedule for the shoot.
\nThe location will depend heavily on the concept of your video. For example, if you’re shooting a video about skateboarding products, you likely need a street setting. A quiet office with a green screen backdrop or another basic background will be ideal if you’re creating an informational video.
\n💡 Action item: If you need to book your planned recording space, do so well ahead of time so your team can properly prepare.
\nIt’s also a good idea to build a detailed schedule for how you envision the day (or days) to go. Include the time slot, who’s involved, which scene you’re shooting, which props are needed, and where the shoot will physically happen. Distribute the schedule ahead of time so everyone knows when and where they’ll be needed.
\nThere are two ways to make a video: record your own or repurpose existing photos and videos.
\nRecording your own video is often intimidating to new business owners or video marketers, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, when you’re just starting out, you can create great video content with your smartphone’s video camera. This type of video is ideal for your Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, and other smartphone-based social media apps.
\nWhen you’re ready to step it up, you can rent or buy your own video equipment. Some of the basics you’ll need include:
\nAt the very least, even if you use your iPhone, gathering some lights and a lapel microphone is a good way to create a high-quality video on a budget.
\nOnce you gather your equipment, it’s time to prepare for recording. Get your camera set up with its tripod.
\nThen get your talent or your video scene ready and start recording. If you have someone reading off their script, consider blowing it up to place on a monitor as a teleprompter so they get their lines right.
\nDo some test runs to make sure the visual and audio are clear. Make sure the lighting makes your video look high quality and not like it was shot in a basement.
\nYou can repurpose existing photography, get what you need from stock footage sites, and even shoot your own footage with your phone, if you really need to.
\nThat’s exactly what sustainable swimwear brand Benoa Swim did in this TikTok video celebrating International Women’s Day:
\n\n
There are many places to look for great free stock footage, fitting music, and cool sound effects.
\nDepending on how the content is licensed, however, you might need to credit the creator of the footage you borrow or pay to use it for commercial purposes.
\nFor details on how and when to do this, check out the Creative Commons best practices for attribution, and be sure to take a closer look at the conditions for use on each of the following sites.
\nWhile you do have to pay, Audio Jungle and Video Hive are popular places to find sounds, music, video effects, and stock footage to use and sample. They also offer free music, video templates, and more every month, if you subscribe.
\n💡 Action item: Record test footage before recording the real thing to ensure your equipment works and the result will be high-quality and professional.
\nOnce you’ve finished recording or gathering your stock video or animations, it’s time to import your video clips into your preferred video editing tool. Although the placement will vary depending on which editor you use, each one should have a relatively universal Import video button.
\nPlug your memory card into your computer or use a USB connection to access the files from your PC or Mac. Then you should easily be able to select them from either your smartphone or your camcorder and drag them into your video editing software.
\nNow it’s time for the most important part of video production—editing your video. This is where you take your recorded footage, stock videos, and any other elements you want to include and mash them up to create a professional video that tells a story.
\nKeep these video-editing tips in mind to make sure you’re able to create a stunning video your target audience will love.
\nFirst, go back and watch/listen to all of your existing footage. Throw out or trim any video clips that you won’t need. Also be sure to cut out quiet parts, areas that you may have repeated yourself, or as many “ums,” “likes,” and “ers” as you can.
\nDon’t just let your recorded audio do all the work in your video. Incorporate sound effects and background music to provide even more depth to your video content.
\nFor example, if you’re listing out information, you might have a sound effect with the text popping up on your screen to help your audience follow along.
\nAnd you almost always want some kind of light ambient music playing in the background so there are no completely silent parts of your video. Find an audio clip that matches the mood in your video. For example, if you have a more lighthearted video topic, stay far away from somber music.
\nIntro and outro clips make your video feel complete. With an intro, you could include your logo, the name of the video, or even the name of the series if you’re planning to have it be part of an overall series.
\nAn outro gives you the perfect place to promote even more videos or provide your viewer with a call to action, like heading to your website, reading a blog post, or following you on social media.
\nIncorporating transitions in between different scenes creates a better flow throughout your video. However, just because your video editing tool might offer several different transitions does not mean you want to use all of them.
\nInstead, choose one transition you want to reuse throughout your videos to create a cohesive and recognizable look each time a viewer returns to a new video of yours.
\nDo the same with special effects. Don’t go overboard using every special effect in the book, and instead just choose one or two that you think fit with your message and your brand.
\nAnd speaking of your brand, you want to make sure your video content helps your brand to be more recognizable. A few things to match to your branding every time are:
\nThis helps keep all of your marketing content consistent, even your videos.
\nNot everyone is watching videos with the sound on. But also, not everyone can hear your video content, but they still want to consume it.
\nOffer the best of both worlds and put subtitles on all of your videos. Luckily, most video platforms offer an option to automatically put captions over your video—all you have to do is double check to make sure they’re accurate.
\nWhile you can record video natively in most video hosting platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, there are plenty of good video editing apps for producing quick, polished videos for different occasions and in a short span of time.
\nMany of the following tools are free, and some come with their own library of stock imagery and other assets for you to use:
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/premiere_pro.png?format=webp&v=1683543697\")
Adobe Premiere Pro is what the pros often use. It’s a part of Adobe Creative Cloud and is a robust tool that helps you put together professional videos that look like an expensive production team created them.
\nThis tool allows video editors to access royalty-free sounds and background music from Adobe Stock, add captions, input graphics and visual effects, and so much more. Plus, you can download your video in nearly any aspect ratio to create video content for multiple social media platforms.
\nAdobe Premiere Pro is $20.99 per month for individuals or $35.99 per month for teams. You can also subscribe to Adobe’s full suite of tools for $54.99 per month.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/after_effects.png?format=webp&v=1683543768\")
Adobe After Effects is tailored for videos with motion graphics. Features include the ability to adjust transparency, multi-frame rendering, and tons of effects and presets to choose from.
\nIf you’re making videos that incorporate some sort of animation, After Effects is the perfect platform to use. Equally robust to Premiere Pro, it has features tailor-made for your animation needs.
\nAfter Effects is $20.99 per month for individuals or $35.99 per month for businesses. You can also subscribe to the full Creative Cloud suite for $54.99 per month.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/filmora.png?format=webp&v=1683543868\")
Filmora is another full-featured video editing platform to make your videos pro-quality. Adjust colors, audio, and effects. It also has AI features to help reduce noise distractions, automatically reframe, and even cut out elements from the frame.
\nFilmora is free to download, but you’ll need to pay to access its features. It costs $7.99 per month for individual users and $155.88 per year for businesses.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/movavi.png?format=webp&v=1683543946\")
Movavi is more than just a video editor. Its full suite of tools, including features to help you convert video files, take screen recordings, and create slideshows. With Movavi, you can cut, trim, or crop videos, as well as add filters, titles, intros, and transitions.
\nYou can also access a massive library of stock audio and video footage to add dimension to your own content.
\n![\"vimeo](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/vimeo-create_962f6ef7-10e2-4d87-a244-108e7285efd5.png?format=webp&v=1661969675\")
Vimeo Create is a free video creator you can connect directly to your Shopify store. It uses AI to automatically turn existing product images and text into product videos and ads for your business.
\nJust answer a few questions about your product, choose images or videos to feature, add your logo, and customize styles. Vimeo Create then edits your video in minutes, even making suggestions for colors, themes, music, and fonts.
\n![\"quikbygopro\"](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/quik-by-gopro.png?format=webp&v=1661969728\")
GoPro is famous as a camera company for helping people capture awe-inspiring moments as they happen. Quik is its video editing app that lets you easily import and rearrange images and footage, adding text and music as you like.
\nWhile it’s meant for weaving together memories from your last vacation, it’s also a great way to create simple product videos, especially if all you have is product photos. You can create an engaging slideshow or a short video in no time at all.
\n![\"lumen5\"](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/lumen5.png?format=webp&v=1661969829\")
Lumen5 is great for making videos on social media that are simple slides of images or short clips that explain an idea or tell a story. Simply import an existing article, pick the parts of the text you want to include, edit it down so it flows nicely, choose your music, and you’ve got yourself a video. You can even start from scratch.
\nYou can brand these videos and add a call to action at the end to direct viewers to take whatever next step you’d like them to. Best of all, the app is free.
\n![\"DaVinci](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/davinci.jpg?v=1639528198\")
While you can always use iMovie or Windows Movie Maker for editing, DaVinci Resolve by Black Magic is a free video editing software with professional features that let you do color corrections, remove objects, stitch together footage, and more.
\nIt will take some time to learn if you’re new to video editing, but it’s one of the best free solutions out there for editing professional-looking videos.
\n![\"powerdirector](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Thumbnail_20190909022022474.jpg?v=1661970411\")
If you’d like to shoot and edit videos on your phone, PowerDirector is an app with many useful features.
\nThe advantage of a mobile video editor like this is that you can record new footage and audio straight from your phone and directly import it into your work in progress, making it easy to do things like voiceovers.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/InVideo.png?format=webp&v=1683544343\")
InVideo has features and templates to help you add the finishing touches to your video footage. InVideo is all about simplicity and accessibility. Its drag-and-drop editor is easy to use, and you can search and filter templates based on niche, platform, and more.
\nYou can also cut out objects from the background with its AI tool, as well as use AI to convert other content types, such as blog posts or podcasts, into videos. You can try InVideo’s free version or upgrade to Business for $15 per month or Unlimited for $30 per month.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/StreamYard.png?format=webp&v=1683544413\")
Ideal for talking head videos, StreamYard was made for livestreamers. It allows you to live stream video across a variety of channels, including Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, and your own website. It’s great for interviews or videos featuring just one or two people.
\nStreamYard has a free version, or you can upgrade to the Basic plan for additional features for $20 per month, or to the Professional plan for $39 per month.
\n![\"screenshot](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/switcher_studio.png?format=webp&v=1683544469\")
If you’re interested in livestreaming and recording with the intent to monetize the video content, Switcher Studio could be the option for you. As an alternative to StreamYard, it includes features to allow for livestreams and pre-recorded videos.
\nSwitcher Studio is $37 per month for individuals, $79 per month for businesses, and $149 per month for merchants who want to connect it to their Shopify store.
\nThe next step is to export your video to share on social media or YouTube. The best file format to use when uploading to your social media platforms is MP4. Give yourself plenty of time to export your video because it can take a while depending on the length and the weight of the video edits.
\nOnce you’ve finished creating and editing your video, it’s time to share it with your audience. You can publish your video on a video-sharing site like YouTube or Vimeo and then embed it onto your website.
\nYou can also publish it on social media, like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. Just keep your platform’s optimal video dimensions in mind as you create. For example, Instagram Reels and TikTok require vertical videos, Instagram feeds want square, and Facebook and Twitter prefer horizontal videos in their feeds.
\nMeasure your video’s success to see if creating your own video content resonates well with your audience. If so, repeat this process each time you plan to publish a new video online.
\nThe assets and tools above make videos easier to create, but there’s a lot more to know about using these videos effectively in your marketing.
\nFor one, videos that provoke an emotional reaction tend to perform better and have more viral potential, especially on Facebook. Since social videos are often watched with the sound off, captions also greatly increase viewership.
\nThumbnails also matter a lot, as they are essentially the “headline” of your video that entices people to watch. Use Canva to easily create eye-catching thumbnails for your videos if you’re going to upload your videos to YouTube or another platform that pits you against other videos.
\nFinally, since it’s not just how you create the videos but how you upload them too, you should be wary of the specifications for each channel.
\nIf you’re going to embed your videos on your blog or website, make sure they’re responsive on mobile. If you’re struggling to make that work, you can use the Embed Responsively tool to fix the embed code for you.
\nIt’s important to ensure you’re shooting in the right file format. Shoot in portrait for portrait videos, and re-orient to landscape if shooting something for YouTube, for example.
\nBefore creating your videos, research and watch other videos with similar content. Check out the comments section to see what people are saying. Make note of things they like and don’t like, as well as any trends in multiple comments. Be sure to take the feedback into account when executing your creative video ideas.
\nIt’s important to ensure you’re abiding by all local laws when shooting video, either on public or private property. Generally speaking, you’ll want to have release forms for all the people featured in the video, as well as permission from all property owners. You might also need permits or permission for certain video equipment. Always check with the local jurisdiction for the specifics of your shoot.
\nWhether you’re making videos or another type of content, quality is inevitably how you compete. But it doesn’t necessarily have to cost you a lot.
\nEntrepreneurs and creators can always make up for what they lack in resources with resourcefulness.
\nSo if you have a hunch that videos can take your marketing to the next level, don’t let the perceived costs and amount of effort stop you. You can get started for free using these resources and work your way up from there.
\n\n
Beginners can easily record video footage on their smartphones, and can even access some basic editing tools as well. Some of these tools include trimming, cropping, or adding filters onto your videos. However, you can also use several phone apps to edit your video, or you can utilize the editing tools inside social media apps like Instagram and TikTok to create a fun video for your audience.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-make-videos
\n\n
\n
\n
A new AI service for “parsing” music tracks.
\nThe Mikrotakt neural engine can split any track into vocals, instrumentals, bass, drums, and other audio tracks.
\nIn addition, you can upscale vocal tracks to clean up the voice and adjust the pitch. This feature is ideal for musicians and content makers.
\nThe new Chinese model DeepSeek-V3 becomes a competitor to ChatGPT:
\n– registration requires only your email and password
\n– the neural is quite fast: answers are generated in seconds
\n– Thinking mode, where AI turns into an academic on any topic
\n– the model can read diagrams and generate any texts
\n– files of different sizes can be uploaded
\n– the neuron is good at working with code
\n– absolutely free
\nHailuo AI from China can clone any voice without censorship in a few seconds. Its library includes more than 300 voices in different languages and intonations. The model also allows for full customization: you can change the tone, speed, and timbre and add sound effects.
\nThe Chinese have released a worthy competitor to ChatGPT.
\nThe Qwen2.5-Plus chatbot provides accurate answers, can read documents and images, and is completely free of charge.
\nKrea allows rotating models in its “Photoshop”
\nKrea developers have come up with an incredible feature for their neuro-Photoshop: you can drop any object and edit its position in 3D space.
\nThe Upscayl neuron has received a 16x upscale, so now it can save even the most hopeless photos. The download is free.
\nThe Wegic neural network has become even cooler.
\nNow websites are generated in seconds, and all your edits can be made with simple queries.
\nYou just throw in a promo and you have a perfectly(?) designed website.
\nA working AI meme generator.
\nThe Brainrot neuron follows trends, selects relevant images, and produces memes that are even funny to read. And all this is free.
\nGoogle has released a top free guide to AI agents.
\nIt contains everything: basic knowledge, tools, architecture, training methods, and a step-by-step recipe for creating agents on LangChain and LangGraph.
\nIt is a cool service for learning languages with an AI interlocutor.
\nThe Lingocat neuron imitates the native speaker, gives feedback, and has tasks to improve skills. And all this is free of charge.
\nThe free neural from the Chinese outperforms(?) ChatGPT.
\nA new model called R1 has been released that outperforms the best version of ChatGPT. R1 is twice as powerful as the previous version and it has literally everything you need: programming, math, rewriting, and everything else. It’s worth noting that if you look at the graph of how it “outperforms”, it doesn’t encourage you to switch from OpenAI to the Chinese neural.
\nUniversal AI photo editor.
\nGenerating, replacing, or deleting details, styling, changing the background, and upscaling – and this is not the whole list of functions of the new and free Dzine neural.
\nPrompt generator for ChatGPT
\nPromptEngine works according to the official recommendations of OpenAI. The service also supports other language models: Claude, Gemini, LLama, and Mistral, which can be selected from a list.
\nOpenAI President showed a feature for the o1 model.
\nAccording to Greg Brockman, the o1 model works a bit differently than other types of AI, and to achieve high performance, you need to follow a certain plan in writing promos:
\nthe goal, response format, warning, and context.
\n(The Anatomy of an o1 Prompt attached an example image)
\nChatGPT can now write first.
\nThe neuron will remind you of important things like a real assistant. For example, in the morning, it can provide a ready-made excuse for being late for work, and in the evening, a convincing explanation for a deadline shift.
\nSo far, only 10 regular tasks are available, but by the end of the week, all paid users will receive the new feature.
\nOpenAI offers free tokens for ChatGPT.
\nHowever, there is a caveat: in exchange, they ask for permission to use your promos to train models.
\nThe offer lasts until the end of February. Pro users can get up to 1 million tokens per day, and mini-version users can get up to 10 million!
\nTrump has canceled Biden’s decree on control over AI development.
\nThe document, signed in 2023, required developers to share test results with the government to reduce risks. However, Republicans insisted that this restricted freedom of speech and hindered progress. Now, AI development is unrestricted again.
\nChina will organize a competition between robots and humans
\nIn April, China will host the world’s first half marathon where people will compete with robots. The race will involve 12,000 runners and dozens of androids. Technology versus biology is a real race of the era.
\nAI tokens soar after the Stargate project announcement.
\nOn January 23, Trump announced a $500 billion investment from the private sector in the development of AI infrastructure in the United States. As part of this project, OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle will create a joint venture called Stargate. Immediately after this announcement, the AI and big data token market showed significant growth:
\n– AI16Z and AI Rig Complex (ARC) grew by 30% per day
\n– GRIFFAIN and ZEREBRO tokens doubled in price
\n– MetamonkeyAi (MMAI) showed an increase of 152.25%
\n– FLock.io (FLOCK) – by 57%
\nThe smartest o3-mini model will be free!
\nSam Altman said that this neural will be able to solve complex problems in programming, math, and data analysis – all for free.
\nFeatures of o3-mini:
\n– advanced analytical abilities
\n– accelerated data processing speed
\n– ease of use for everyone
\nThe release is planned for the near future.
\nOracle founder supports AI totalitarianism
\nBillionaire Larry Ellison stated that the total surveillance system with artificial intelligence based on cameras, drones, and police recorders will force citizens to “behave in the best way possible”.
\nOracle has recently entered into a partnership with OpenAI and Softbank. Digital dystopia is becoming a reality.
\nThe first Chinese base for robot training was opened in Shanghai
\nThey will learn to help around the house, play football, and assemble cars.
\nThe data obtained in the process will be shared with various companies.
\nCurrently, the center has more than 100 androids and plans to expand to a thousand by 2027.
\nChatGPT can now create any kind of application – a new Canvas feature has been released that runs the code right in the browser.
\n– There are no limits to ideas – we invent and ask AI to draw up a detailed project description.
\n– Copy and paste the request into the chat with the neuron, but add the “/canvas” command at the end.
\n– AI will produce a fully working application in React and HTML in a second – you can test it right away!
\n– There are no limits or restrictions – you can even clone YouTube in your browser.
\nThe feature is free.
\nTop 5 promos for working with any amount of information – the neural will squeeze out all the “water” from the source and give you only concise, verified facts:
\n![\"\"](\"/static/f0c3865203f0eb84451f04f5379021f7/85b06/A-weekly-inspirational-newsletter-1080-x-1080-px-1920-x-800-px-3.png)
![\"\"](\"/static/11ec55989bfb8fbe249559f786b70c9c/85b06/AI-NEWS-2.png)