According to WebVideoMarketing.org, video viewing online has officially reached an all-time high of 15 billion as of this past May. 15 billion. The population of the world is 6.9 billion. Holy mega video hits, Batman.

So does your marketing content include video? Whether you’re B2B, B2C or consume both markets, you could be missing out on a lot of business if you shy away from video marketing. Think about business videos you’ve watched. They may have had a team dedicated to organizing, filming and editing the video and had an entire studio where they could film. But your marketing department is on a budget…so how in the world are you supposed to create an amazing video like them?

Well, you’re not, unless you have the budget to hire video specialists and buy equipment. Of course, starting up is going to take a few extra dollars – after all, you can’t film without a great camera (Canon and Nikon are widely used), tripod, lighting and sound pick-up. Don’t forget editing, music and a general storyboard to follow. Overwhelmed? As I’m working on getting more involved in simple video making and editing, I understand the feeling. Here are a few suggestions that may help you breathe a bit easier.

You don’t have to be a showstopper. In order to get a decent amount of traffic and sharability, don’t stress about having an amazing video that looks perfect. While quality counts and you should do your best to strive for excellence, content and messaging are really the important factors for a business video. Think about a model: she could arrive to her photo shoot and look absolutely gorgeous. But if she isn’t playing the part and inspiring the audience to purchase the product she’s endorsing, she’s not doing her job. Think about this scenario as you shoot.

Be creative, while staying in-budget. Shoot somewhere with good natural lighting. If you need some extra lighting, check out Andorama or B&H Photo for an LED light that can hook right up to your camera. I have actually invested in some black white foamboards that cost $2.99 each (available at any supply store) to lighten or darken in both photographs and videos when I’m shooting. They work surprisingly well.

Prepare! Knowing what you’re going to shoot is important to figure out before you arrive to your shooting grounds. Do you want different angles and close-ups? Follow your storyboard as closely as possible to stay on track and finish filming in a timely manner. There’s always room for changes, but it’s better to have an idea and goal ahead of time than to be caught off-guard and frazzled trying to get a great shot. Be ready for improvisation – during any given shoot, there can be a multitude of unexpected events. As much as you prepare, you also need to learn to roll with the punches.

Optimize your video. Once you’ve filmed, made edits, added music and made your video as great and quality as it can be considering your resources, upload to YouTube, Vimeo, and other video sharing sites. Make sure your video title and description match keywords searched often for the topic you’re covering. Getting found is half the battle.

For more great tips on how to create videos on a budget, check out Outsourcing Live. Tyrone Shum does an excellent job suggesting ways you can improve your business with affordable video and other insights.

Stay tuned for more video tips in other blog posts!

Renee Achterhof is a content developer for MINDSCAPE at Hanon McKendry