I hate making video – considering it by means of, recording (and re-recording and re-recording after which simply whenever you suppose you’re executed, recording once more), discovering the most effective elements, enhancing, and no matter else is concerned.
I. Don’t. Like. It.
And but. I’m a TikTok addict. I’ve misplaced complete Sunday afternoons watching entrepreneurs break down enterprise ideas in 90 seconds. I’ve realized extra from quick tutorial movies than from advertising books I’ve paid precise cash for.
So what provides? Why do I really like watching sure sorts of movies however hate making video?
After months of wrestling with this contradiction—and testing extra low value video creation instruments than I care to confess—I lastly figured it out. The issue was by no means video itself. The issue was that the majority enhancing instruments are constructed for video folks, not advertising individuals who want video.
I’m not a videographer. I’m a content material advertising ceator who often wants to show a 45-minute professional interview into one thing folks will really watch. And I lastly discovered the workflow that doesn’t make me need to throw my laptop computer out the window.
The Software Graveyard on My Credit score Card Assertion
Earlier than I let you know what labored, let me let you know what labored earlier than till it didn’t.
Descript. I used to be an early adopter. Beloved it. The transcript-based enhancing felt like magic—delete a phrase from the textual content, and it disappears from the video. Revolutionary.
Then they stored including options. And including. And including. The interface obtained cluttered. Easy duties began requiring a number of clicks. Exporting one thing that appeared skilled grew to become a analysis undertaking. I discovered myself spending extra time preventing the software than utilizing it.
Don’t get me flawed. They’ve made a LOT of enhancements and I’ll nonetheless use it, however it’s not the software I’m going to in a pinch or after I need to create a fast snippet of video.
Minvo. Tried it for pulling clips from lengthy interviews. The promise was attractive: AI finds your finest moments mechanically. The fact? The interface felt like slogging by means of mud after I wished to customise something. And the “viral” clips it urged weren’t all the time the moments that truly mattered for my viewers.
Numerous “AI video” instruments. I’ve examined a minimum of a dozen that promised to revolutionize my workflow. Most delivered difficult dashboards, complicated pricing tiers, and output that appeared clearly AI-generated.
The widespread thread? They have been all constructed for individuals who like enhancing video. Individuals who take pleasure in tweaking keyframes and shade grading and side ratios.
That’s not me. I need to file one thing helpful, make it look first rate, add captions, and get it out into the world earlier than I lose curiosity.
Then I Discovered VEED (And Lastly Understood What “Carried out Beats Excellent” Means)
Right here’s what I wanted: a software that treats video enhancing like a method to an finish, not an artwork kind.
VEED will get this.
What I Use
VEED.IO AI Assisted Video Creator and Editor
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I’m not saying it’s essentially the most highly effective editor. I’m saying it’s the quickest path from “uncooked footage on my arduous drive” to “one thing I can submit on LinkedIn with out embarrassment.” And for small enterprise homeowners doing advertising on a shoestring, that issues greater than options you’ll by no means use.
Let me present you what I imply.
I lately interviewed Chris Inman, a video strategist who runs Idea Cleveland. We talked for nearly an hour about video technique, AI instruments, and why most small enterprise advertising fails. Nice dialog. Horrible as-is for social media.
“The largest advertising funds not ensures success; as an alternative, the most effective advertising technique wins.”
— Chris Inman, Video Strategist & Founder, Concept Cleveland
In VEED, I:
- Uploaded the uncooked Zoom recording
- Used the auto-transcript to search out the three moments value clipping
- Resized from horizontal (Zoom default) to vertical (Instagram/LinkedIn)
- Added captions with one click on
- Exported all three clips
Whole time: possibly 12 minutes. And I’m gradual.
Let me present you the way I did this.
- Add the WHOLE video to VEED.io
- Received the transcript from VEED
3. Edit the clip into the format you need
4. Play with AI options
And BOOM — this right here is the tip outcome.
The clips aren’t cinema. They don’t should be. They’re a advertising asset that strikes folks one step nearer to understanding who I’m and what I do. That’s the job.
VEED’s fundamental plan runs about $12-18/month relying in your subscription. That’s roughly 50 cents a day. Even the professional tier stays below $1/day. For context, you in all probability spend extra in your morning espresso than on video enhancing software program. Once I speak about low value advertising instruments that truly work, that is what I imply—skilled output with out the company bill.
What My Video Knowledgeable Buddy Instructed Me (That Modified How I Suppose About This)
Right here’s the factor about being a reluctant video creator: I wanted somebody who really is aware of video to gut-check my strategy.
Chris Inman has been doing video manufacturing because the days when it required costly gear and studio leases that solely firms might afford. He’s watched the complete business remodel. So when he validates a method, I hear.
Throughout our interview, he stated one thing that stopped me mid-note-taking:
“The largest advertising funds not ensures success; as an alternative, the most effective advertising technique wins.”
Learn that once more.
That is the shift that makes low value video creation instruments viable for small enterprise homeowners. You’re not competing on manufacturing worth anymore. You’re competing on whether or not your content material really helps folks.
Chris went additional: “The main target has shifted from outspending to creating genuine, value-adding content material.”
That’s permission to cease obsessing over whether or not your lighting is ideal. Your viewers doesn’t care for those who shot on an iPhone or a RED digital camera. They care for those who’re fixing their drawback.
The “Slot Machine Advertising” Lure (And How Video Instruments Feed It)
Chris and I obtained right into a dialog about why so many small enterprise homeowners really feel like advertising doesn’t work for them. His analysis was brutal and correct:
“Chasing shiny objects—the place companies undertake ways like beginning a publication or being on TikTok with no clear technique—results in ineffective outcomes and the assumption that ‘advertising doesn’t work’ of their business.”
I name this “slot machine advertising.” You throw time and cash at random ways, hoping one thing hits. When it doesn’t, you blame the tactic as an alternative of the lacking technique.
Video instruments can feed this entice. It’s straightforward to suppose, “If I simply had higher enhancing software program, my movies would carry out higher.” So you purchase one other subscription. Study one other interface. Create extra content material that also doesn’t join.
The software isn’t the issue. The lacking technique is.
Ask your self: Do I do know precisely how this video will transfer somebody towards turning into a buyer? If you happen to can’t reply that clearly, no enhancing software program will prevent. As Chris put it, “Each advertising piece should attempt to get someone into the gross sales funnel.” Begin there.
Why VEED Works for Non-Video Folks Like Me
Let me be particular about what makes VEED completely different from the instruments I deserted.
It’s browser-based. No downloading large software program. No ready for updates. I open a tab, drag in my footage, and begin enhancing. For somebody with restricted endurance (hello, that’s me), this removes a friction level that used to kill my momentum.
The AI options clear up actual issues. Auto-captions which are really correct. Background noise elimination that works. One-click resizing for various platforms. These aren’t gimmicks—they’re the tedious duties I used to spend half-hour on manually.
It doesn’t assume I do know video terminology. Descript expects you to grasp transcripts and overdubs. Premiere expects you to know timelines and keyframes. VEED expects you to need a completed video. The interface guides you towards output, not towards studying video manufacturing.
The export appears skilled with out fussing. Clear captions, correct formatting, affordable file sizes. I don’t must grow to be a compression professional to share one thing that doesn’t look novice.
Is it essentially the most highly effective editor? No. Are you able to do complicated movement graphics or shade grading? Not likely. However I don’t want that. I would like to show my Chris Inman interview into three LinkedIn clips earlier than I get distracted by one thing else.
VEED will get that job executed.
The AI Shift Chris Inman Predicted (That’s Already Right here)
One factor Chris stated throughout our interview felt nearly prophetic:
“AI can rapidly transfer components round to form a storyline, drastically decreasing the time spent on making a tough draft—a course of that used to take hours.”
He’s describing precisely what I skilled with VEED. The AI doesn’t make my video for me. It provides me a tough draft to work from. Captions I can tweak as an alternative of sort from scratch. Clip strategies I can settle for or reject. Noise discount that occurs within the background.
“
AI can rapidly transfer components round to form a storyline, drastically decreasing the time spent on making a tough draft—a course of that used to take hours.
CI
Chris Inman
Video Strategist, Concept Cleveland
The time financial savings compound. What was once a day undertaking is now a coffee-break activity.
Chris additionally made a degree that shocked me: “AI, like ChatGPT, can be utilized to eradicate sure paid subscriptions by creating customized prompts for equal performance.”
Translation: earlier than you pay for an additional specialised software, ask ChatGPT if it might do the identical factor. Typically the reply is sure.
My Precise Workflow (For Fellow Reluctant Video Creators)
Right here’s precisely what I do now. Steal this if it helps.
⚡ STEAL THIS WORKFLOW
The 12-Minute Interview-to-Instagram Methodology:
File with 2-3 goal moments in thoughts → Add to VEED → Use transcript to search out quotes → Lower to 60 seconds → Add captions → Resize for platform → Publish earlier than you overthink it.
That’s it. No shade grading. No fancy transitions. Carried out beats good.
Step 1: File with function. Earlier than I hit file, I do know the 2-3 moments I’m hoping to seize. With Chris, I knew I wished his tackle AI enhancing, his “slot machine advertising” idea, and his recommendation on technique vs. funds. Having targets makes the enhancing part quicker.
Step 2: Let the transcript do the discovering. I add to VEED and let it generate the transcript. Then I scan for my goal moments utilizing Command+F. No scrubbing by means of footage manually.
Step 3: Lower ruthlessly. My interviews run 30-60 minutes. My clips run 30-90 seconds. Which means slicing 95% of what I recorded. That is the place most individuals get caught—they need to use all the things. Don’t. Discover the gold, reduce the remaining.
Step 4: Resize as soon as, export a number of instances. I create a vertical model for Instagram/TikTok/LinkedIn Reels and a horizontal model for YouTube. VEED’s AI background growth handles the resizing with out awkward crops.
Step 5: Captions are necessary. Over half of social video is watched on mute. Captions aren’t non-obligatory. VEED’s auto-captions get me 90% there; I spend 2 minutes fixing any errors.
Step 6: Publish earlier than I overthink. That is an important step. The video is rarely going to really feel “prepared.” Publish it anyway. Carried out beats good, each single time.
What About Descript and Minvo? When They Make Sense
I’m not saying these instruments are dangerous. They’re simply constructed for various workflows.
Use Descript if: You’re primarily working with podcasts or audio content material. The transcript-based enhancing continues to be best-in-class for long-form audio. If you happen to’re enhancing a 2-hour podcast into a elegant episode, Descript earns its complexity.
“
Personally, I’m at present studying methods to do extra quick podcast/storytelling movies and I’ve to say that Descript is a significantly better software for that type of extra intense enhancing for those who aren’t a video editor or podcasting editor.
— Ivana Taylor, DIYMarketers
Use Minvo or Opus Clip if: It is advisable to extract dozens of clips from large content material libraries. If you happen to’re a podcast community processing a whole bunch of hours of footage, the algorithmic “viral clip” detection saves actual time at scale.
🔥 Necessary
Sure, these AI instruments will completely create clips, however don’t count on good clips. Nice clips come from interviews with nice speaking factors and the way properly you set up them. It takes nice construction and nice content material to create an awesome clip. Often, you received’t have that. So I’ve discovered that going by means of the script and pulling out clips I do know are good is the easiest way to go. (sorry AI overlords)
Use VEED if: You’re a small enterprise proprietor who wants 3-5 clips per week from interviews, webinars, or talking-head content material. You need quick, you need easy, and also you need one thing that doesn’t make video really feel like a second job.
The best software will depend on your precise workflow, not what some listicle ranks as “finest.”
The Rachel Ray Precept of Advertising Instruments
Right here’s how I take into consideration these items.
Rachel Ray isn’t a chef. She’s a cook dinner. She doesn’t make you are feeling silly for not understanding what “julienne” means. She reveals you methods to get dinner on the desk in half-hour utilizing components you have already got.
That’s the strategy I take with advertising instruments at DIYMarketers. I’m not a video professional. I’m a marketer who found out the low value video creation workflow that will get content material out the door with out costly companies or steep studying curves.
VEED is my video equal of a pointy knife and a superb pan. It’s not fancy. It does the job.
And if it does the job, who cares if a “actual” video editor would use one thing else?
The Numbers Behind Why This Issues
Let me floor this in knowledge so you realize I’m not simply ranting about my preferences.
In keeping with Wyzowl’s 2026 research, 91% of companies now use video as a advertising software. However right here’s the quantity that issues: 19% of entrepreneurs who don’t use video say it’s as a result of they don’t have sufficient time, and 37% say they don’t know the place to start out.
Time and confusion. These are the true limitations—not funds, not gear.
In the meantime, 85% of individuals have been satisfied to purchase a services or products after watching a video. The ROI is there. The viewers is there. The one lacking piece is a workflow that doesn’t require turning into a video skilled.
That’s the hole low value video creation instruments like VEED fill.
What Chris Mentioned That I Hold Coming Again To
Close to the tip of our interview, Chris made a degree about why small enterprise homeowners preserve losing cash on advertising:
“Small enterprise homeowners should cease losing cash on advertising by growing technique and turning into basic contractor for advertising distributors.”
Basic contractor. That framing caught with me.
You don’t must study video enhancing any greater than it is advisable to study plumbing. However you do must know sufficient to rent the appropriate plumber and acknowledge after they’re doing good work.
Identical with video instruments. You don’t must grasp shade grading. It is advisable to know whether or not your software helps you create content material that truly helps your online business—or simply supplying you with busywork that feels productive.
For me, VEED passes that take a look at. Descript used to, then stopped. Your mileage could fluctuate. The precept stays the identical: the software serves the technique, not the opposite manner round.
Often Requested Questions
What’s the most effective low value video creation software for small enterprise homeowners?
After testing dozens of video instruments for DIYMarketers readers—most of whom are working with tight budgets and nil time—VEED is the one I preserve coming again to. It’s browser-based, intuitive, and will get you from uncooked footage to completed clip in below quarter-hour with no studying curve. No costly software program. No tutorials required. Simply outcomes.
How a lot does video creation really value for small enterprise advertising?
Right here’s what I inform everybody who asks: you possibly can run a strong video workflow for lower than your weekly espresso behavior. VEED’s paid plans run $12-24/month relying on options. Add an honest USB microphone (a one-time $50-100 funding) and also you’re set. That is precisely the type of shoestring advertising setup I’ve been instructing at DIYMarketers for over a decade—skilled outcomes with out the skilled price ticket.
Do I would like costly gear to create professional-looking video?
No, and I’ll combat anybody who tells you in any other case. Your smartphone shoots higher video than the $20,000 cameras Chris Inman began his profession with. A $30 ring mild makes extra distinction than an costly digital camera ever will. And AI instruments like VEED clear up audio and improve footage mechanically. I’ve constructed my complete model—Ivana Taylor, DIYMarketers, all of it—on proving that good beats costly each single time.
How lengthy ought to my social media video clips be?
For LinkedIn, Instagram Reels, and TikTok, intention for 30-90 seconds. Your viewers has the eye span of a goldfish with a cellphone habit—ship one clear concept and get out. Save the deep dives for YouTube or your weblog. That is one thing I drill into each Repair-It Session consumer: shorter clips, extra usually, beats one “good” video you by no means publish.
Ought to I rent a video editor or do it myself?
Right here’s my rule of thumb: for those who’re creating fewer than 10 clips per 30 days, DIY with a software like VEED. Your time is efficacious, however so is your money movement. If you happen to’re producing increased volumes or want broadcast-quality manufacturing, then contemplate an infinite enhancing service like Chris Inman’s firm provides. However for many small enterprise homeowners I work with? The DIY route with the appropriate software saves 1000’s per 12 months—and that cash is best spent on advertising that truly drives income.
The Backside Line (For Fellow Video-Haters)
I nonetheless don’t love making video. I in all probability by no means will.
However I’ve stopped dreading it. And that shift got here from discovering the appropriate software for the way I really work—not how video specialists suppose I ought to work.
VEED provides me a low value video creation workflow that matches my endurance stage, my funds, and my objective of getting advertising content material out into the world with out shedding my thoughts.
If you happen to’re a small enterprise proprietor who is aware of you ought to be creating video however retains placing it off as a result of the instruments really feel overwhelming, begin right here. File one quick interview. Pull one clip. Publish it.
Carried out beats good. At all times.
Caught on Which Advertising Instruments Are Value Your Cash?
You don’t want extra subscriptions. You want the appropriate ones for YOUR enterprise.
In a Repair-It Session, I’ll evaluate your present software stack, establish what’s working and what’s losing cash, and provide you with a prioritized motion plan—all for $150. It’s the quickest technique to cease spinning and begin advertising on a shoestring that truly will get outcomes.
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