This article was first published on July 9, 2024 and extensively updated on February 27, 2025.

Many companies set a tremendously high threshold for themselves to get started with video.

They think that their corporate videos must be Hollywood quality and that they need to hire a professional agency. But this is not necessary at all. In fact, it is much easier to create a good, quality video than many people think.

Besides, as a business, you can't afford to wait with video until you have the budget or the people to produce Hollywood-quality videos. Your (potential) customers want to see your videos now and 91% of companies are already thinking about a video strategy. So video is anno 2024 indispensable in your marketing strategy.

As a marketing and sales trainer and coach with a specialization in video, I help companies get started with video in a simple and effective way. Having grown up in a photo store, I was brought up with a love of photography and video.

In this article, I show you how to get started with video for your business in an approachable way. I share practical tips and tools that you can apply right away so you can quickly and easily create your first videos. By the end of this article, you will know how to produce quality videos that help your business grow with a relatively low budget.

Corporate videos do not have to be Hollywood-quality and there is no need to hire an outside agency.

What I often see is that emails from salespeople convert poorly. Many emails are not even opened.

With 1-on-1 videos, you can change this. You then speak a personal message to the customer via webcam. If you use low-threshold tools like Vidyard or Loom, you can share your screen in addition to your webcam and take your customer through an offer in a personal video, for example.

The result of adding a personal video is that the open rates of your sales emails go up, the emails are read better, and people respond to the emails faster and better.

Also read: Vidyard vs. Loom: which video tool fits your sales team best?

Emails with a personalized video convert much better than emails without video.

Salespeople often spend a lot of time traveling to (potential) customers when they could do some of the conversations they currently do on location online. This allows them to have more conversations.

For example, consider an exploratory conversation of half an hour to an hour, prior to a physical visit to the (potential) client.

Think about which sales calls you could also do online.

I sometimes hear from clients that they fear that video will make them less able to connect with their interlocutor. This is not necessarily so. You can buy a good webcam and microphone for a small budget that will significantly improve the online experience and also allow you to connect with your conversation partner virtually.

This is not to say that ALL sales calls should take place online. As a first step, map out which sales calls you are having and then consider which of these calls you could also do through Teams, Zoom or Google Meet.

A very approachable way to get started with video is to create video interviews on Big Five topics you already write articles about.

A practical approach is to have your content manager do interviews that you film. Your content manager creates a content compass, conducts an interview with a content expert, and you film this conversation. From this, very valuable Big Five videos can be extracted for your YouTube channel.

Don't have a content manager? Then a videographer can create their own content compass from the Big Five topics and put together an interview. The videographer can then act as an interviewer, creating Big Five videos independently.

Another effective step is to start with the Selling 7. These are seven types of videos proven to help increase sales.

The Big Five topics are often well suited for your YouTube channel, while the Selling 7 videos are specifically designed to increase conversions through your websites, sales materials and emails.

Most companies start from the Selling 7 by creating bio-videos. These are short videos in which all the employees in your company talk about who they are, what they do and what they enjoy doing outside of work. These videos make your company a lot more personal.

You can start with these videos by focusing mainly on so-called "a-roll content. You then only portray your employees and thus do not make the production process too complex. You don't add b-roll content (for example, images of the environment or close-ups of details).

In addition to the Selling 7, we have a video structure for recruiting new staff. Are you curious how you can use video to attract new employees? We would be happy to tell you more about it in a free consultation.

If you want to get serious about video, we recommend that you purchase a good camera. A professional camera will give you the best results and flexibility for different shooting situations.

If you want to start simple or if a professional camera is still a bridge too far in terms of budget, you can also use an iPhone or another phone with a good camera.

The iPhone 13 and newer models also allow you to film in a special movie mode. This allows you to turn on background blur afterwards, allowing you to really apply a cinematic effect to your video footage. So if you want to get started with video anno 2025, an iPhone will take you a long way.

For professional video production, you ideally need at least two cameras: one for an overview shot and one for close-ups. By switching between these frames, you keep your viewers more engaged. For optimal engagement, I recommend switching frames every 3-5 seconds, either through a camera change or by adding text/animations.

Our tips for a good camera:

• the Canon EOS R50 (entry-level)
• The Sony ZV-10 (entry-level)
• the Canon EOS R10 (midrange)
• the Sony A7S mark III (midrange)
• the Canon EOS C70 (high-end)

In addition, you need a tripod. This is a stand with three legs on which you can attach your camera. A tripod ensures that your camera is stable, preventing your image from moving while filming.

It is important to match your tripod to your camera: a film camera works best on a film tripod, while a still camera fits better on a photo tripod. The connections differ, which can lead to problems if you don't match it properly.

If you also want to record vertical videos, such as for social media, choose a tripod that can be tilted vertically.

Our tips for a good tripod:

• Benro KH25P (entry level)
• Manfrotto MVK502055XPRO3 (high-end)

Lighting is a crucial component that greatly affects the professional look of your videos. The basis for professional video production is a three-point exposure consisting of:

1. Key light - This is your main light source that shines on the subject from the front, but not directly from behind the camera. Place this light at an angle for a more natural effect.
2. Backlight - This light is placed behind the subject and shines toward the camera. It visually separates your subject from the background and adds depth to your image.
3. Fill light - This light source softens the shadows created by the key light. If you are working on a limited budget, you can start with just a key light and a backlight.

Our tips for good lighting:

• Ledgo E268C bi-color kit (entry level)
• Amaran 60x S (high-end)
• Amaran 200d S (high-end)
• Amaran 200x S (high-end)
• Godox Octa Softbox + Grid 95cm (high-end)
• Godox Octa Softbox + Grid 120cm (high-end)

Many companies don't think about lighting, but a video with proper lighting looks more professional.

What is perhaps even more important than picture quality is sound. This is something whose importance, like the importance of lighting, is often underestimated.

But if you watch a video with a super-crisp 4K picture, but with poor sound, you will fade away. On the other hand, if you are watching a live stream that is interesting in terms of content, and the sound is great, but the picture is blurry due to network problems, you will probably linger.

Ideally, of course, you want both good picture and good sound, but if you have to choose in your budget, sound is more important.

There are different types of microphones for different recording situations:

1. Lavalier microphone (tie microphone) - This small microphone is played on the clothing, close to the mouth. Ideal for interviews and presentations. In corporate videos, the use of a visible microphone often exudes professionalism and reliability.
2. Overhead microphone - A microphone placed on a tripod above the subject. Suitable for recording in fixed locations, such as in a studio.
3. Directional Microphone - This microphone attaches to the camera and captures sound in the direction the camera is pointing. Useful for dynamic recording where you are in motion, such as during company tours.

For the best audio quality, it is recommended that you work with at least two audio sources. This gives you a backup if there are problems with one of the sources, and combining different microphones can produce a fuller and more natural sound.

If you are working with multiple microphones or want higher sound quality, you may need an external audio recorder such as a Zoom recorder. For podcast-like settings, a Rodecaster is a good option. We use this one ourselves for the StoryBrand podcast.

Our tips for a good microphone:

• RODE VideoMicro (entry level)
• RODE VideoMic Pro+ (high-end)

Bad sound is a bigger dealbreaker than bad picture.

Furthermore, you need a suitable backdrop, or background. This can be a wall or a tightly stretched canvas or simply what can be seen behind you.

Here at Buzzlytics/StoryBrand Netherlands, we have a StoryBrand backdrop as a background for our StoryBrand videos.

A backdrop has a lot of influence on the atmosphere you create in your videos, so consider this carefully.

All the videos you make (except, of course, the 1-on-1 videos I mentioned above), you should also edit.

For beginners, iMovie (Mac) or VSDC (Windows) are quite suitable. These are both free programs. If you get serious about video, you'll soon end up with the paid-for Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro.

Finally, it is important to think about a video hosting platform. For example, you can choose to place your video directly on the website, but you can also place it on YouTube, for example (and embed it on your website) or on Vimeo. All hosting platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages, which I will discuss in more detail in a later blog.

In this article, you have received practical tips and tools to get started with video for your business in an approachable way.

By focusing on achievable steps such as using simple equipment and software, you can quickly and effectively create videos that enhance your marketing strategy.

The most important thing to remember is that video anno 2024 is essential and it is important to start now, without waiting for a big budget and the right people.

At Buzzlytics, we have extensive experience in helping companies implement effective video strategies.

Wondering how we can help you with a video strategy that grows your business? Then schedule a consultation with one of our consultants.