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To some marketers, creating videos is like remodeling a kitchen. It’s a project you’d love to take on, but you don’t have the time or the budget to bring in experts to get the job done.

It’s assumed that video production requires a big time investment, a crew of experienced people and a lot of high tech equipment. But that’s not always the case

There are simple ways to add video to your marketing strategy, which is important given that 64 percent of consumers are more likely to buy a product after watching a video.

So, how do you create video on the cheap? We asked three marketers to share their “video cheats.” Here are three ways to add video to your marketing strategy without spending any more than $25 on an app:

Ask your followers for help

What do you do if you don’t have a clue how to shoot video? Ask your audience for help. Turn to your fans on social media and ask them to shoot and submit a video as part of a contest.

“As a brand, your loyal customers, fans and followers can be a virtual army of videographers for you,” say Lux Narayan, CEO of Unmetric.

“You can run a contest on social media asking fans to post a video of them somehow using or showcasing your product and then integrate the top or most popular videos into your content.”

Get your fans involved by asking them to vote for their favorite. Once the contest is over, you can use the video in future marketing materials. Just be sure to specify this plan in your contest rules.

Leverage your employees

Just as your audience can supply videos, so can your employees. Encourage your employees to shoot quick videos on their phone using apps like MoviePro. This app helps a creator shoot and edit video in an easy-to-use platform.

Kent Lewis, founder of Anvil Media, says employees can create videos that coincide with their job title.

“Encourage them to take short videos in-the-moment that capture authentic insights into the business,” he says.

“For example, product managers can talk about new releases or tips and tricks. Technical support/customer service can provide answers to common questions in FAQ format. The owner/CEO can talk about future vision.”

Conduct Skype interviews with influencers

You might not have the video chops to set up a mini studio in your office, but you do have access to Skype. Consider conducting a video interview with someone that your audience is interested in hearing from and record it.

Shocase, a professional social network for marketers, uses this idea to offer unique content to its audience.

“We have a lot of marketing thought leaders spread across the globe on our site and we’re looking to share their experience and best practices with our community,” says Dean Fisk, director of PR for Shocase.

“To avoid costly travel expenses, we’re leveraging Skype to remotely connect with these individuals and the HD cameras that most people have built into their computers to record short video interviews.”

To record a Skype call, you’ll need a third party app like Pamela. Download it and get unlimited use for $25.

Additional ideas and tools you can use:

  • Shoot a six-second video. Try Vine. It’s Twitter’s video app that runs on any smartphone and makes it easy to shoot and edit video. It’s free.
  • Create a slideshow. Turn your product pictures into a slideshow with music using an app like PicFlow. It’s free.
  • Create an animation. Check out tools like Moovly, which allow you to create a DIY animation. There is a free version.

There are certainly times when an expert film crew is needed, but there are ways to add video to your sites without breaking the bank.