Us marketers are all too aware that video needs to become an integral part of our marketing strategy. If you don't know that then, um, where've you been? Fortunately, one of the speakers at the next Digital Gaggle conference is the rather wonderful Phil Nottingham - he's a Video Consultant for Wistia - and I caught up with him ahead of the event to chat video marketing, tools and measuring.

Hi Phil! As more and more small businesses are keen to inject video into their marketing strategies, can you recommend any free online video editing tools for businesses with a small budget?

If you asked me this a year ago, I would have said no, but this frustration has lead myself and the team at Wistia to build a tool for exactly this purpose - Soapbox. It records two streams at once, then uses JavaScript and HTML to create edits, rather than traditional compositing, meaning you can create and ship a video in just a few minutes, rather than a few hours. Free version is free, paid version is $12.50 a month, and you need nothing but a laptop and webcam to make it work. 

Video content isn't often associated with B2B organisations or professional services firms like solicitors or accountants. For these kinds of businesses, what's the best way for them to utilise video in their marketing?

I think the perception that video isn't for B2B/services is changing, as companies discover that in a competitive marketplace, appearing personal and genuine is a big advantage. Filmic video provides a unique level of transparency as a media type, and is the next best thing to sitting in a room with someone and having a conversation. For industries where sales is a big part of closing the deal, video naturally has an important and evolving place. So, my advice if you haven't done video yet, is to start with making a sales video just for one person. Make it personal, scrappy and unplanned - and get over the fear that professional comms need to be carefully planned.

Finally, is it actually possible for marketers to demonstrate through data that adding video content to their website is improving their conversions? 

Yes. Install this dashboard.

If you want to learn more wise lessons from Phil, then you can catch him in real life at Digital Gaggle on Thursday 12th April at Bristol's M Shed. He'll be helping you figure out how you can use video for growth, acquisition and retention. You can grab your ticket here. But if you're not convinced, check out the video below!