9 Video Editing Software Platforms Great for Creating Promotional Videos

Being able to market an awesome video is one thing, but if you’re working at a startup, actually creating that video might fall under your responsibility. You’re the one who really understands creating a message that speaks to the specific audience, so although video production is a whole different animal, you’re still the best person for the job.

This is where video-editing software comes into play. Whatever you’re taping, you’re going to need to know how to slice and dice it to create your message. Having this skillset in your back pocket can come in handy when you’re shooting short narratives or covering quick events, so although you may not be creating the main promotional video for your company, you’re the one who can keep video marketing afloat.

A few things to do before you start creating your promotional video:

1. Goals for your Video. Asking yourself the following questions is important before you actually start filming:
   • Who is the target audience?
   • What tone are you aiming for with your video? Funny? Professional?
   • What action do you want viewers to take after watching your video?
   • What’s your budget?
2. Plan the video. It’s important to sketch out your ideas for the look and feel of your promotional video. Whichever type of video you decide to create, take the time to plan shots, locations, scripts, etc.
3. Editing. This is where the software below comes into play.
4. Distribution. Where will this video be used? Will the video live on your website and be shared through social media? Or will it be used in meetings to stockholders and investors? Is this a video promoting a new program for clients or a video showcasing your employees and your workspace?

Once you’ve answered a few questions about your promotional video and how you plan to shoot, edit and use your video; what software is out there? I’ll focus on free and low-cost options in this article, but you can learn about more advanced options here.

Free Video Editing Software

1. Windows Movie Maker

Easily one of the most well known video editing software around, Windows Movie Maker is offered for free and already installed as part of the Windows Essentials package with Windows 10. Designed with simplicity in mind, users drag and drop video clips or photos into the app. Soundtracks, captions or credits can be easily added. You can edit your videos into your company’s own unique style and add and edit audio before sharing it online.

2. iMovie HD

iMovie HD, like Windows Movie Maker, comes with Mac OS products. The product organizes imported videos by events, where users are then able to drag and drop clips into order. Titles, transitions and a soundtrack are easily added, for a simple user experience.

iMovie also offers trailer templates such as Romantic Comedy, Adventure, Drama, etc., which have titles, soundtracks and graphics specific to its genre. Your video seamlessly integrates into iTunes as well, allowing users to import their own soundtracks and enhance those soundtracks in the software.

Slow motion, fast-forward, instant replay, rewind, flash, hold and other enhancing effects come with iMovie HD. Once the video is finished, users export their video to iTunes, where it can be published to YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and MobileMe Gallery.

3. Blender

I wanted to throw an editing tool that is free and good for animation on this list, and that’s where Blender comes in. This tool is known for its 3D modeling and animation tools, but it is also great for video editing as well. The core tools used for animation are also great to import, cut, splice and blend video, images and audio. Blender offers more intensive tools for color balance, white balance, hue, tonemaps and more.

The tool is available for Windows, Linux and Mac, and is made for professional use. This one may take a little more training to understand and use tactfully, but offers a great deal of features.

4. DaVinci Resolve

This free video editing tool offers Hollywood-level editing processes with an easy-to-understand interface. It’s well designed to quickly insert, replace or swap edits. One of the best features is Resolve’s ability to automatically match or balance shots – even if they were taken on different cameras!

Now let’s look at software that comes with a dollar sign.

Low-Cost Video Editing Software

1. Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate, Price: $114.99

Pinnacle provides a variety of video effects, along with the ability to upload directly to Facebook, Vimeo, Box and YouTube. This is one of the favorite video editing software out there. Pinnacle is also great for stop motion or animated films and provides tons of sound options from the ScoreFitter.

2. Corel VideoStudio Pro X9, Price: $79.99

Corel VideoStudio offers great video editing from one camera or multiple. They offer more than 1,500 effects, titles and templates that can be edited freely. VideoStudio is also a great option for stop-motion and animated videos. The features are usable for all levels of video expertise. Quick and easy videos can be made with the FastFlick feature, where you replace the placeholder media with your own video or images. Slideshows can also be made quickly, easily and look professional with the Capture, Edit, Share Workspace.

3. Final Cut Pro, Price: $299.99

Pricier than the rest, Apple’s Final Cut Pro offers revamped editing software for faster performance, great organizational tools and powerful multi-cam support. There is also an option to customize your default settings to set shortcut presets for video and audio.

4. Adobe Premiere Elements 14, Price: $79.99

Premiere’s recognizable platform allows users to enhance and brighten videos with new effects, transitions, themes and more. Organization, editing and sharing has never been easier. Organization your clips with labels, folders and search so you can easily find and edit with the expert guidance of the platform. You can share your creations on a disc, HDTV, YouTube and Facebook quickly and easily.

5. AVS Video Editor, Price: $59

AVS supports multiple video formats, making it easy to combine videos from different cameras, computers and smartphones. It offers more than 670 video transitions and effects, 46 text options and 34 templates for disc menus, you can enhance your movie quickly and easily. AVS is a great product for new or intermediate videographers who want great effects and enhancements with a speedy interface and lower price tag. This was personally the first editing software we used as an email marketing agency because it allowed for all of the Founders to collaborate together despite working with different phones and technology.

Of course these are just a few of the options available, but if you’re a beginner (or rather, a marketer and not a video producer), these are great options to start with. If you have experience in made-easy video editing, let us know your story and what software you use in the comment section below.

About The Author

Jason Hawkins / http://www.themiamiseocompany.com

Jason Hawkins is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Miami SEO Company. He has over ten years of experience in search engine optimization, conversion rate optimization and lead generation. His core responsibilities include identifying ways to increase value of services rendered, training staff on advanced SEO topics, and A/B testing internal processes to consistently improve client return on investment.