Make no mistake — video is the king of the online content. From viral videos to streaming sports, a million minutes of video are consumed every second of every day, according to Cisco’s Visual Network Index forecast. It’s time to place your brand in front of customers who are increasingly turning their attention toward YouTube, Facebook and Twitch — and away from traditional media outlets.

While it may seem like a daunting investment up front, creating high-quality video doesn’t always require a six-figure marketing budget. In fact, a genuine moment caught on an iPhone has just as much potential as an orchestrated campaign — but having a video strategy in place will ensure you make the most your footage.

Whenever the Roll.Focus. team embarks on a new project, the first question we ask is, “What are you hoping to get out of this video?” Sales on a particular item? Exposure for a new initiative? Increased reputation as an industry expert? Whatever task you have at hand, producing a video gives you complete control of the message and how your business is portrayed by the audience. So ask what purpose the video serves, answer it through your content, and strike a consistent narrative across all of your marketing platforms.

If you’re a tour operator, that could mean on-the-fly smartphone testimonials from customers who enjoyed their experience, or having a GoPro on hand to capture those impromptu moments of joy. A retail outlet can deploy those same tools to show off sale items on Instagram, while the solo entrepreneur can post weekly tips for an informed audience on Vimeo. Event organizers can go live from the mainstage and reach thousands of engaged viewers in an instant, using the ‘advanced equipment’ already sitting in your pocket. All it takes is an understanding of what videos your clients are already looking for when deciding on their purchase, and providing that content in an entertaining way.

If you’re keen on creating video but want a more polished look, it might be worth hiring a videographer — one who is equipped to properly utilize cameras, microphones and lighting to record the best quality content. You can also invest the time to build those skills within your own team (check out the Roll.Focus. workshops) and take your video to the next level in-house.

If the concept you’d like to create is more complex, then look at bringing in a video production company to assist with the tools and experience to tell your story. For budgets that start in the thousands, a full-service production house will not only shoot and edit your video, but will also help build the concept into a script that conveys your message effectively — crafting the project into a targeted tool for your needs. Working with an established production company will also give you access to camera stabilizers, drones and custom graphics that will help your brand stand out from the pack.

And if your video doesn’t reach enough people organically, there’s always the option to set aside some cash for a digital marketing campaign to give the clip a boost. Just like any other form of marketing, if your video isn’t playing to the right audience the investment will go to waste. The big benefit to taking that budget online is unrivaled analytics which provide a precise breakdown of who is watching and who is not.

So don’t wait for some big idea to get started — if your customers are showing interest in your brand, they can’t wait to see a video that reinforces their decision. Start with simple, quality, consistent content and watch your audience grow with each new video you share online.

If you need help getting to the next level, our team at Roll.Focus. has produced more than 500 videos for organizations of all shapes and sizes while broadcasting live events to nearly a million combined viewers in the past few years. We’d love to add your project to our portfolio.