Video dominates today‘s digital landscape – 81% of businesses use video marketing. But are you maximizing the medium‘s possibilities?
This definitive guide explores 23 flexible and affordable video creation platforms capable of producing game-changing video content tailored to your brand and audience.
But first, let‘s briefly review why video needs to be an essential pillar of your 2023 digital strategy:
Why Video Marketing Needs to Be Your Top Priority
Videos simply offer the highest ROIs across all content formats. Let‘s look at crucial video benefits:
???? Higher Conversion Rates
Viewers are 4X more likely to buy a product or service after watching branded social videos.
According to [Wyzowl](https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics), 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. Out of those, 76% report videos gave them more confidence to purchase.
Videos also create more positive pre-purchase experiences. 72% prefer videos over text to learn about offerings according to Insivia.
???? More Organic Reach
Videos average 1200% more shares than links and images combined per Buzzsumo data.
???? Search Visibility Gains
Google is prioritizing video, with "video snippets" now appearing in 35%+ of search results above traditional links based on Jumpshot findings.
💡 Pro Tip: Optimization techniques like contextual captions and video sitemaps can help you tap into video SEO opportunities!
Clearly, video needs to be an integral marketing element given shifting consumer and algorithm preferences favoring visual content.
Now let‘s explore your creation options! Below we review 23 capable and flexible video maker platforms serving diverse business needs.
We‘ll summarize key details of each service in an at-a-glance table, with deeper dives exploring unique differentiation factors. By the end, you‘ll know which solution (or combination) aligns best with your brand‘s goals, budget and resource capabilities in 2023!
23 Best Online Video Makers Compared
| Video Maker | Key Features | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
| MotionArray | – Over 1 million video assets – Adobe CC integration – Powerful collaboration tools |
Starts at $29/month |
| Promo | – 12+ million clips & templates – Tailored for social & advertising videos |
Free plan available |
Now that you‘ve seen key capabilities at a glance, let‘s explore differentiated value propositions for our top recommendations:
MotionArray: The Go-To for Unlimited Video Assets
Creative and production teams continually face asset access bottlenecks. But MotionArray solves this with unlimited downloads from an ever-expanding library containing:
- 1+ million video effects, templates & overlays
- 300,000+ royalty-free music tracks
- 530,000+ sound effects
- 3700+ video backdrops
Whether you require ongoing doses of unique B-roll footage…or the perfect animated background for this week‘s YouTube video… MotionArray delivers.
And their deep Adobe CC integrations streamline equipping your Premiere, After Effects and Photoshop projects with needed motion graphics, logos, fonts and more.
Collaborative features also help, with frame-accurate timecoded reviews enabling simpler client feedback cycles.
For these reasons and the power of unlimited downloads at affordable rates, MotionArray secures our choice as the ultimate "stockpile" for creators.
A professional video template offered at MotionArray
Promo: Built for Social & Digital Ad Domination
In our social media saturated age, video ads represent the most effective formats for showcasing brands and engaging desired audiences.
Yet many struggle translating objectives into tangible video deliverables matching platform and audience expectations.
Promo fixes this by consolidating 12+ million clips, templates, and editing tools purpose-built for prevailing social & digital advertising needs including:
- YouTube Ads
- Facebook Video Ads
- Instagram Story Ads
- LinkedIn Sponsored Video
- Twitter Pre-Roll Ads
Finding on-brand lifestyle scenes…locating the perfect animated background…overlaying location-specific text…Promo makes executing winning ad concepts easy.
And adaptive templating and editing features effortlessly size productions for any destination – no manual resizing guesswork.
Let Promo provide specialized B2B and B2C ad building blocks essential for best leveraging key channels like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more!
Animated video production at Promo
Now that you‘ve seen unique differentiation across leading options, let‘s switch gears to an equally crucial subject: actually producing effective videos optimized for contemporary viewer habits and platforms.
Crafting High-Impact Videos That Convert & Captivate
Even armed with the right creative tools, understanding modern best practices remains imperative.
Let‘s explore core techniques for video excellence:
Follow the Latest Length & Formatting Dimension Guidelines
Google actively surfaces videos meeting alignment with latest platform consumption patterns and display capabilities.
Ensure yours adopt continually evolving dimension, aspect ratio, and length sweet spots across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more using this always up-to-date guide:
Updated quarterly! 👉 Video Resolution & Aspect Ratio Cheat Sheet
Covering formatting, let‘s discuss maximizing quality.
Optimize Resolution, Frame Rates and Compression
Higher video quality directly correlates with content effectiveness.
Aim for:
- At least 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution at 16:9 aspect ratio
- 30 fps frame rate
- MP4 format with H.264 encoding
Managed cloud video services like Wistia and Vimeo automatically optimize uploads for web playback applying these rules.
But if self-hosting, leverage online converters ensuring proper settings are applied before publishing.
Remember, higher 4K resolutions don‘t currently provide enough visibility lifts for most use cases to justify heavier file sizes. Stick with 1080p for now.
Include Optimal Audio
Don‘t let poor audio undermine an otherwise strong video. Sound engineering missteps like clipping or inadequate master volume dramatically lessen perceived production quality.
When filming original commentary or product demonstrations, invest in quality microphone setups. Apply noise removal techniques ensuring clarity.
If incorporating background music, enable visualization previewing in players like Windows Media Player or VLC during post-production. Watch levels closely avoiding "redlining" or clipping throughout compositions.
Carefully Curate Supporting B-Roll & Lifestyle Footage
Skillfully aligning narration or messaging with contextually relevant images best holds viewer attention while communicating benefits.
Stock media services allow building thematic videos matching subjects without complex original shoots. Recommended affordable marketplaces with contemporary and sizeable royalty-free libraries include:
Spend time curating by capturing emotionally compelling "thumbnail previews" for later desktop sorting like in this example:
Such organization helps rapidly locate best fitting picks during editing.
Now that we‘ve covered technical guidelines in detail, let‘s briefly touch on conveying favorable styles and tones through video:
Match Styles to Your Brand Identity & Audience Values
While technically sound videos better start funneling, brand aligned messaging and imagery focusing on specific consumer emotional factors and practical needs elicit ongoing loyalty and sharing.
If positioned as a premium service, verify lush lifestyle B-Roll reinforces prestige perceptions.
Does your audience crave utility content revealing simpler ways accomplishing goals? Demonstrate product usability via bitesize tutorials helping consumers overcome pain points.
Evaluate wider contemporary visual medium trends too – such as leveraging Short-form TikTok or Stories styles should resonances exist.
Compelling video finds the intersection of technical precision, emotional connection, and modern attention-grabbing aesthetics. Never lose sight of core values in production process or proxy editing.
Let‘s recap techniques guaranteeing video excellence:
Key Video Creation Takeaways
📹 Adopt latest technical specifications across resolution, aspect ratios, frame rates and compression settings
🎙️ Invest in crisp, balanced audio through quality microphones and editing strategies
🎞️ Strategically source supplementary B-roll reinforcing messaging via proper visual curation techniques
🎥 Tie creatives closely to brand identity through honoring styles and themes speaking directly to target consumer psychographics
Those foundations coupled with the 23 capable and flexible video making platforms above equip producing standout video content in 2023!
Now that you‘re armed with expertise and options, the last step becomes implementation. Not sure where to begin? Try creating a few test videos applying covered best practices then expanding efforts upon seeing engagement lifts.
Small starts today compound over the long-term. Soon that competitive difference-making video content starts fueling measurable growth in traffic, subscribership and revenue critical for contemporary business success.
We wish you monumental video marketing victories ahead! Please drop any feedback or questions in comments below.
