Photo by Jurvetson

I was talking with a client the other day who was interested in making a video for their website, but was concerned about cost/effort necessary. They knew that people watch video voraciously, and they wanted a video, but wasn’t sure they they could make something that they loved.

One simple technique is to take a series of photos of you (or your business) “in action” to show the key visual points to highlight. Then, write a voice over script so people can hear your voice and your visuals. You won’t need any fancy camera gear (just your digital camera), any fancy lighting, a video crew, or even fancy microphones (you can probably get by with the built-in mic in your computer – or invest in an inexpensive USB microphone/headset).

Next: sequence your slideshow using your computer’s software. You could use Microsoft PowerPoint

or Macintosh iWorks’ Keynote:

or, if you’re familiar with video editing software iMovie (Macintosh) or VideoSpin (Windows). Odds are, you have at least one of these programs on your computer already.

After recording the video, consider distribution. You could host the video (keep the file) on your website, upload it to a video sharing service (such as YouTube) and then embed the video onto your website, or even embed it into your emails (either directly or place a link to the video in the email). Because video is well-received, make sure it’s also easy to find by composing a well-written description of the video for search engine’s sake.

As with any new project, start small and gradually improve the quality and content of your work. Don’t try to create a masterpiece initially – you’ll need time to learn what works for you and your customers.