The bad news? Creating multimedia content for your site can be both expensive and time consuming. Loads of professional designers, videographers, film editors, audio engineers, and photographers make a perfectly comfortable living from doing just that. If your marketing budget doesn’t allow you to hire one of them, don’t throw in the towel. There are some powerful, easy-to-use tools out there. They cost less than you think (some of them are even free) and they can help you produce the multimedia content your audience craves.
A Note About Copyright Infringement
One of the easiest ways to save both time and money is to use existing media, rather that recreate your own. Be careful, however, because someone else’s creation is their own property and using it inappropriately could result in large fines for your business. Find works that are open-source, creative commons, or public domain. Many of the sources we suggest below for stock video, audio, and photography fall under these categories, but may require certain actions on your part to use them. Attribution and putting your own creative spin on the content are some of the possibilities. Always check with the source before using content in your marketing.
Graphics
Content with visuals gets 94% more total views than plain text content. Want to double the number of people who see your posts or stick around on your website? Of course you do. Check out these tools and apps to help you get there.
Photography
One of the hardest parts of creating quality images for your website or social media accounts is taking great photos. You can use stock photography (see below), but sometimes the image you want is either too specific or requires your own lovely mug to make it work. In that case, you’ll need to take your own photos.
A pro-level DSLR camera will be your best bet, but believe it or not the camera on your phone has come a long way in the last few years. To get the best images, however, you’ll need an app that gives you more control over camera settings. Check out these:
- Camera+
- Cortex Camera (for nighttime images)
- Open Camera (for Android)
- Camera Zoom FX (for Android)
Stock Photos
Don’t have time to take the photos you need? Then you need stock photography. There are plenty of websites out there that offer quality, professionally-created stock photos – for a price. If you want royalty-free images, however, check out:
Design
Have your images? Great! Now it’s time to get them ready to publish. Touch up photos, add filters, crop, and add textures with PicMonkey. It’s free, but some features aren’t available until you upgrade to the paid version. Canva offers more design features and fewer photo editing options. Here, you pay based on the which design elements you use. Stick to the free items or spend just a few bucks putting together the perfect graphic. You can create beautiful graphics with either tool for just a few dollars or less.
Infographics
Got data? Offering your audience a visual explanation of the facts is easy when you have a handy, dandy infographic and chart maker at your fingertips – and that’s exactly what Infogram is. Enjoy!
GIFs
Just looking to create a quick GIF? Gather your favorite few still images and upload them into Imgflip for a quick way to liven up still images.
Video
1/3 of all online activity is spent watching videos. It’s one of the quickest, easiest ways to share information, teach new skills, and inspire emotions in your audience. And with these tools, you don’t have to be Steven Spielberg to use it for your brand.
Editing
There are tons of video editing apps out there that allow you to use your own footage or stock videos to put together quality film. Some of them allow you to capture video and photo images right there in the app, then edit them together with themes and music. The ones on our list are either free or cost just a few bucks:
Screen Capture
Want to make a how-to guide using video taken right from your own computer screen? There’s definitely an app for that. We recommend Jing by Techsmith.
Stock Video
If you don’t have the time or the desire to head out into the field and film your own videos, then stock footage is what you need. Some of the video apps above can help you out, but for the most part you’ll need to start with existing video. Check out:
Audio
Podcast listening grew 23% from 2015 to 2016. More businesses than ever are offering podcasts to their audience, and you can too, no matter what your budget. Audio is a great way to engage users above and beyond visuals, so check out these tools to help you put together quality sounds.
Stock Audio
If you’re looking for audio to edit into a video you’re creating, check out the video editors above. Many of them come with a few stock audio options. But if you’re looking for Podcast audio or can’t find what you want on the video apps, get inspired with these royalty-free stock audio sites:
Recording/Editing
When it comes to sound, the best apps will allow you to both record and edit audio. The consensus on the best app (and rightfully so) is Audacity. If you have a Mac, however, you may already have GarageBand, which is also a good choice.
Adding multimedia elements to your marketing doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. All you need are the right tools and a little bit of practice. Not sure how to fit images, video, and audio into your overall marketing strategy? Contact cThru Media today and we’ll help you head in the right direction – while keeping you on budget.
