MY FAVORITE RESOURCES

My AbFab List of Tools

It can be hard to figure out which tool or platform is the best to help you create and market videos for your business. It takes time that you probably don’t have, so I get that if you could learn what works from what doesn’t then your life would be golden. Since I spend a lot of time and energy researching video tools, platforms and services, I’ve curated this list so that you wouldn’t have to.

DIY Video Creation

Descript

I love using the Descript audio and video editor because it is so easy to use for simple editing projects. It has all of these features that make my life easier, but it’s still really accessible even if you’re not a super-advanced user! Descript is one of my top recommended tools for beginners and experienced video creators and Podcasters.

BigVu

I absolutely love, love, love any tool that makes creating videos easy and stress-free. I have and will always be on the lookout for apps, tools, or software that can make my life easier when recording videos. That’s why I love BigVu. BigVu is a video teleprompter app and they’ve been around for quite a while but have improved dramatically. They’re compatible with both Android and iOS devices and it also enables you to use your desktop computer for management and filming.

Camtasia by Techsmith

Camtasia is my favorite go-to tool for creating all of my how-to videos. It’s the best platform to use for screen recordings as well as it doubles nicely as quite a robust video editing suite.

Loom.com

I’ve been using Loom for over a year, and frankly it’s a tool that I can’t live without.  I use Loom whenever I need to communicate and engage with my prospects and clients quickly.  I use it to conduct mini YouTube channel audits and most importantly to answer questions that require elaborate responses.  My motto is it’s better if I show you, rather than write out my answers which more often than not are tutorial in nature.

Kapwing

Kapwing has become my go-to tool when I need to create social videos quickly. With Kapwing I’m able to create shortened meme-like social videos of my longer-length YouTube videos specifically for Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For $24/month, or $16/month on subscription, you can create as many videos as you like and you can edit, add intros and outros and music too. If you need to have captions burned into your videos, Kapwing can do that as well whether you have your own SRT file or if you want Kapwing can create captions from your videos once uploaded.

 

Pivo

If you like to move around when filming your videos and you wish you have a cameraperson to capture your energy, then you need to tryout PIVO. Pivo is a device that helps you turn your smartphone into your own personal cameraperson. Once activated, Pivo can follow your every movement on camera through its auto-tracking technology.

 

invideo

If you ever need to create social videos from scratch or from your existing blogs quickly and easily, then you need to try invideo!

 

Video Creation Tools

Envato Placeit

Placeit by Envato is your one-stop shop to create everything for your business from custom channel art to mockups to logo intros to promotional videos.

 

Otter.ai

Otter.ai is a convenient and easy way to transcribe Zoom calls, meetings, narration, or as I use it to record my video scripts and blog posts. When you are finished, Otter.ai transcribes your recordings and outputs as docx, pdf, txt files, and srt for closed captions. They make it easy to adjust corrections and you can use it on your desktop or smartphone.

 

Envato Elements

Is my official go-to resource for stock footage, background music, and my #1 resource for motion graphics templates additionally if you are in need of graphics, stock photos, social media templates, or frankly any media elements you could need Envato Elements has you covered.

They have a pretty large library of assets and you can subscribe for unlimited access to this library for $33/month or $198 for the year.

If you’ll only need one asset every now and again look no further than sister companies VideoHive and AudioJungle, where individual clips start at $1 and go up depending on the asset you are purchasing.

Canva

Missing the creative gene that makes using Photoshop and Illustrator a breeze? No need to stress Canva is an amazing alternative. I love using Canva to create everything from social media posts to custom thumbnails for YouTube to Intro videos and End Screens. This is an amazingly versatile platform that is a must in my video toolkit.

Snappa

Snappa is another great graphic design tool for non-designers and they have an amazing array of templates that make creating channel art, thumbnails, and banners simple, quick, and easy. Start using for FREE or sign up for unlimited downloads from $15/month. It also integrates with Buffer.

DFY Video Creation

VidPros

VidPros is my backup and back-office video editing team. When I’m inundated with video editing projects I turn to VidPros because they will edit my videos the same way I do and in most instances better. They are adaptable and quick and if you just need video editing without the video strategy I’d recommend you head straight to them.

Check out my home studio equipment list here

Content Creation & SEO Tools

Jasper.ai

Jasper.ai [formerly known as Conversion.ai] is a one-stop resource for everything content creation-related. They take care of all the brainstorming, and scripting so you can focus on what’s really important: positioning yourself as an industry expert who makes conversions happen since you can now have a copywriter on your computer.

TubeBuddy

TubeBuddy is a wonderful chrome extension that enables users to easily manage their channels through the use of a number of tools ranging from productivity to SEO to Research and Promotion. Tubebuddy also provides some amazing bulk features that save you tons of time.

VidIQ

VidIQ like Tubebuddy is a wonderful chrome extension that enables users to easily manage their channels through the use of a number of tools ranging from productivity to SEO to Research and Promotion. It’s a life and time-saver.

MorningFame

MorningFame makes researching keywords for your YouTube channel stress-free. I like to call it keyword research for dummies because they make understanding why a keyword is a good search term or a bad one by incorporating an easy and effective grading system. It also evaluates the status of your current videos and makes collecting your title, description, and tags convenient.

Video Hosting & Marketing Platforms

Screencast.com

I’m obsessed with Camtasia and one of the perks of using it with Screencast.com is the capability of sharing interactive videos.  What do I mean by interactive you ask? Within Camtasia, you can insert hotspots which not unlike YouTube’s old feature of annotations, allow you to insert clickable text in your videos.  Additionally, you can insert what are called markers that allow the viewer to jump ahead to content featured in your videos. With screencast.com you can pay by the month ($10) or annually ($100).

Vimeo

I use Vimeo to host all of my training videos and videos that I sell directly to the public.  Vimeo has a three-tiered pricing structure so it works within your desired needs and budget.

Project Management

Amazon S3

All of my freebies and downloads for my trainings are hosted on Amazon S3 for a ridiculously affordable rate. Full stop.

Trello

I’m a visual person so I’ve been using Trello for some time to visually organize everything from personal projects like family vacations, my son’s upcoming college tours, to client projects and my video production process.  Now that I’m also using AirTable I can integrate them together using Zapier to get even more on top of things than ever before.

DISCLAIMER: Some of my recommendations include affiliate links, I use each and every product listed on this page in my business. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you click on some of the links listed and you make a purchase, I’ll receive a commission.  Thanks for your consideration.

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