9 Video Apps and Tools I Use And Recommend

If you’re starting to read the “what’s going to be hot in 2020 for digital marketing” articles, you’ll see videos have a prominent place. It makes me laugh because “video” has been touted as the next hot thing for over a decade.

Now, though it is mainstream, I’d say. Every social media platform accommodates video now. The stats prove that consumers watch and want more video content. This means if you’re not creating videos for social media, for your blog posts and for your marketing, then you’re missing out on a lot of business.

Last week on the Ask Me Anything Community Connect Call, the first question asked of me was “what software or apps should I use for creating videos?”

At that moment, I was using two video tools: Facebook Live and the BeLive video app that enhances your Facebook Livestream events.

The question got me thinking though about all the video creation software and apps that I’ve used since I made my first (terrible) video in 2005.

Then I dug in to review what video apps I’m using today, on the cusp of 2020. Some I use more than others. Some are new to me. Some are similar so it’s up to you to experiment and find the tools that are right for you.

Here’s the list of tools I use for creating videos:

I’m not a videographer so I use my smartphone or webcam for “shooting” videos. I’ve been using the Logitech webcam for years and still recommend it. There’s a newer model than the one I have, but it’s still working just fine since I bought it in 2012.

“…in addition to adding videos to your social networks and on your site, live videos on Facebook Live and Instagram Live get watched 3x longer than videos that aren’t live. It’s time to take streaming and live video ads seriously in 2020.” Source

As I mentioned above, I’ve started using BeLive for my FB Live videos. I had wanted to use if for a couple of years but balked at getting locked into another monthly payment. You can easily schedule your live streams and your audience can get reminders when you go live. You can add lower thirds and crawling text along the bottom of your video, and you can pin comments and questions from your viewers to the video. It’s a better experience for both you and your audience.

Zoom is my go-to online video conferencing tool. I use it almost every day for client appointments, webinars and training, and meetings. You can record interviews or your own talking head videos. Recordings are automatically saved to my laptop and include an mp3 file along with the mp4 and any text posted in the chatbox during the recording.

Loom and Dubb are two tools I use to record personal videos that I send via email. I also use them to shoot screen capture videos for quick, short tutorials. Loom has a free and a pro plan. Dubb is like Loom on steroids. You can embed URLs as part of a call to action and customize your video landing pages. I’m using it now more than Loom because of it’s enhanced features.

One of my favorite ways to create quick videos is to convert blog posts to videos – like a blog trailer that I use to promote my blog posts. A couple of years ago I jumped on Lumen5 an A.I. powered video creation platform that turns blog posts into engaging videos. It was a bit clunky and the videos need some editing, but it was so cool to be able to cut my time and energy and easily create promo videos. They still have a free version but it is very limited.

I have recently purchased InVideo which is a more robust alternative to Lumen5. You can import an article and quickly create a video. They have thousands of templates you can start with for creating videos for social media.

Another similar video tool is Wave.video which I’ve experimented with as well. It’s similar to InVideo though it doesn’t have the feature for creating a video for from a blog post, article or script. They do also have lots of cool templates.

Finally, the last tool I use for creating videos out of audio files is Headliner. This is a great tool for podcasters. Though I use it to create promo clips from my Community Connect calls to post on social media. Podcasters use it to create videos from clips of their podcasts to promote their podcasts.

Upload a short audio clip, upload an image and click a button to render the video. I use the short videos on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram IGTV. With a call to action to go to the full episode, you’ve created a compelling teaser for your content. I use the free version, and there’s a pro version as well.

There you have it. These are the video tools and apps I’m using right now in 2019 and will continue to use in 2020 until something new and shinier is launched! 🤣

As with any tool you invest in for your business, make sure you know what you want to do with it and make your decision based on the business goals you want to accomplish. Read the reviews, experiment with the tool and make sure it works for you and that you will use it! That’s the most important thing…taking action to use what you have to get the word out about how you serve your audience. Videos make a big impact so figure out what you WILL do, decide on the right tool(s) for you and then take action!

If you have questions and would like to discuss the right path to take for your business, book an Ask Me Anything call and we’ll get things figured out.

In the meantime, in the comments below, let me know what types of videos you’re doing for your business and tell me about your favorite video tool.

P.S. I wrote up a checklist for how I repurpose the Community Connect videos that I shared with members of the Marketing Trailblazers. If you’d like me to send you a copy too, post a comment with “Send Me the Checklist for Community Connect Teaser Video”. I’ll get it to you within 24 hours.

Article updated on January 8, 2020.