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The best video platforms for creating remote videos
18 Jun 2020by Joe Lepper
There are a number of remote video content platforms available to help charities enrich their marketing and communications. We look at some of the best platforms available
Remotely-produced videos are an increasingly popular and often budget-friendly way for charities to swiftly produce engaging content that appeals to supporters, donors and other stakeholders.
This is especially important amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with staff working from home and access to studios and video production crews difficult.
But it is not just out of necessity that remote video can be an effective marketing and communications option for charities. It is part of a wider set of tools charities should be using anyway to produce engaging, remote content to convey messages effectively, boost fundraising and create an emotional response.
Flexibility is also key. Remote video content can be recorded and edited, or live streamed by charity workers, with limited training necessary. The content can promote a particular campaign or fundraising event. It also offers charities’ frontline workers and leaders a chance to explain more about the social impact of their work.
There are a number of video platforms to help charities effectively ramp up their digital content and tell their stories. Here we look at some of the best platforms available and how they can help.
Animation
Animation can be an excellent way to use striking, memorable visuals to simply convey messages. Among the best remote video content platforms to use animation is Sparkol VideoScribe.
This can be which can be used to create high-quality MP4s and animation with easy to use features. This includes drag and drop tools around backgrounds and dialogue.
Editing
Across the professional media industry, it is Adobe’s products that are among the most widely used for editing. Its Creative Cloud platform includes Premiere Pro, which features a range of creative video editing tools, and has the added benefit of integration with other Adobe design tools, such as Photoshop and illustrator.
Charity marketers effectively using Adobe Premier Pro include Kent Community Foundation Communications Manager Hannah Lawrence. She has produced a useful blog offering tips on creating videos and an insight into the platforms she uses. Examples of Kent Community Foundation’s videos can be found here.
Social media sharing
Charities also need to keep in mind how video appears on different social media platforms and ensure it is tailored accordingly.
Among remote video content platforms that focus on social media sharing is Promo. This supports charities to tailor videos for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
Another benefit of using off the shelf, remote video content platforms such as Promo is that they have access to a wide range of templates and clips. Promo currently has a library of more than 12 million video clips and templates.
Ripl is another of the best platforms for remote video content creation that is focused on social media sharing and flexible templates. It offers users the chance to use customise brand logos and share content to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and LinkedIn. Charities can also create, post and monitor videos on any device.
Those wanting to post their remote video content onto Instagram can use its video app IGTV. Among charities to have used the IGTV platform effectively is Movember for its focus on the real-life challenges of men living with prostate and testicular cancer.
Video calls
A simple, engaging conversation via a video conferencing platform can also provide a useful way of producing remote video content. Zoom is particularly handy for this as users can record their call, which can be uploaded straight to social media.
Zoom can also be used in conjunction with the free recording and streaming platform OBS Studio, which can offer the chance to arrange the video call on-screen in engaging ways alongside images, text and animation.
Further simple video editing for Mac, iPad and iPhone users can be carried out with Apple’s free iMovie app.
Free and cost-effective platforms
Many other free and cost-effective platforms offer strong editing functions. This includes Moovly, which is easy to use and enables users to upload videos, pictures, text and voice as well as from a library of objects and other content. The free version offers video creation, access to one million free stock assets and publishing via Youtube and Vimeo. The subscription services offer further functions.
Meanwhile, online video platform Rocketium is offering a half-price discount on its yearly subscription to charities. The platform is used by major brands such as Canon and Gizmodo to create videos for social media, email and websites. It allows users to create video content on the move without production as it automatically pulls in pictures, text and other content.
There is clearly a wealth of platforms available for charities to suit all abilities and budgets.
And demand among the public for engaging online content is certainly strong. This is particularly amidst COVID-19 lockdown. According to a survey by Uswitch last month households are spending 41 hours a week online, up around a third since lockdown started.
Joe Lepper
Joe Lepper
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