Audacy

At risk of dating myself, I’ve got to say that witnessing the evolution of videocameras, from behemoths I used to have to heave up onto my shoulders to the small, sleek cell phones that we only need one hand to hold, has been extraordinary. Quick random fact: The phone in your hand has more capabilities, memory, and applications than the computers that the first men to go to space had onboard. Maybe you knew that and I still think that’s amazing!

So, with all this in your pocket, what is the next step after you’ve shot some customer testimonials or your employees making your product and telling your story? It’s not enough to just throw that footage up in the air and hope someone, somewhere likes it and gives it a thumbs up. You need to edit and make that 6-minute video into a compelling story and do it in about 90 seconds. Maybe even less depending on the format and where it will play. (That’s a whole other article unto itself.)

Post-production is where the foundation of storytelling, your footage, gets transformed, almost like magic into a cohesive, compelling, and dynamic piece of advertising. With editing, you can evaluate, select, and place your clips with maximum effect, add a hook, and, as PT Barnum once said, "leave 'em wanting more!"

Thankfully, it’s a whole lot easier than you think when you choose the best smartphone editing app to serve your needs. You can move beyond the basics of shortening clips and shuffling them around when you delve into intuitive and powerful apps like Canva, CapCut, and InShot. Those three apps are currently my favorite; each for different reasons.

"Post-production is where the foundation of storytelling, your footage, gets transformed, almost like magic into a cohesive, compelling, and dynamic piece of advertising."

CapCut, for instance, has tabs along the top with categories of templates like seasonal, holiday, TikTok and more. The templates are easy to use and follow. InShot has three opening creator modes: Video, Photo and Collage that provide you with endless content creation potential. And Canva has a whole universe of templates where you can drag and drop in your footage and photos and size to specific applications and usage.

Sit down when you have time and just start playing with them. Find the one that best suits you and your needs. And, if you have kids in your house, ask them to show you what they’re up to as they edit on their social media apps. You’ll be amazed at the mastery they have over the keyboard as they swipe, rotate, and pinch to make their TikTok videos.

These apps are tailored for speed and ease, allowing you to unleash transitions, visual effects, music, and storytelling enhancements effortlessly, so you can transform your ads into captivating narratives.

Keep in mind as you embark on this creative journey that you do NOT need to master these editing capabilities, you truly only need a decent familiarity so you can be self-sufficient in creating effective and budget-conscious ads.

With practice, you'll not only showcase your product or service but do so with advertising flair, captivating your audience in new and engaging ways.

Your smartphone isn't just a phone, map, photo album, clock, library, personal assistant, game console, (and more) and recording device; it's an advertising canvas waiting for you to use to propel your business into reaching its full potential. You have the power in your hand, and the playing field is as close to level as I have seen it in my 30 plus years. Your brand stories are waiting to be told, and your smartphone is the key to unlocking advertising brilliance on a budget... and gaining an audience. After all, stories will always, always sell.

Lights, camera, smartphone editing action.