HOW TO CREATE A VIDEO FOR YOUTUBE | HOW TO CREATE OWN PHYSICAL VIDEO PRODUCT.
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Why are video products
important? Because they have a higher perceived value by your prospects and
customers. You can charge more for videos than you typically can for ebooks,
and they can be easier to sell because more people want to watch videos than
read ebooks. If you want to capture both video lovers and readers, simply add
PDF transcripts of your videos to your package.
Then if you choose, you
can also re-purpose the video by stripping out the audio and selling that as a
product, as well as packaging the transcriptions into an ebook or breaking them
up into articles and blog posts. And if you're making a series of videos, you
can even turn them into an entire course or membership site.
What
kind of camera do you need?
You can go with an
expensive model, but in the beginning I advocate saving your money and using a
fairly decent camera that doesn't set you back several hundred dollars.
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After all, what's truly
important is the content of your videos, not that you have Hollywood quality
film making (you're not going to achieve that level anyway!)
You can
haunt your favorite office store and simply pick up an economical camera there.
Or you can use the one built into your computer.
And by all means get
the tripod – it'll pay for itself the first time you record yourself.
How do you choose your topic for your video product?
It's much the same as
for any product – find out what your customers need and want and give them that
and more. And to be sure you're on the right track, test it out. Maybe do a
blog post or take a survey and see what kind of reaction you get. Even though
video products are faster to make than written products, you still don't want
to waste a day or two making a product no one buys.
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How
do you script your video?
There is a myth among
those who have never made a video that all you need to do is pick a topic, turn
on the camera and start talking. And if you're a polished speaker well versed
on your topic, that might even be true. But for most of us, you need to have a
game plan before you start recording.
Start with who you are
and why they should listen to you on this topic. Are you an expert? Have you
interviewed experts? Have you studied your topic? Whatever it is that makes you
an authority, place it right up front at the beginning to build your listener's
confidence in you.
Next, discuss the
problem. Is your video on how to get traffic? Then the problem fairly obvious –
no traffic = no sales. Is your product on skincare? Talk about the trials and
tribulations (which are very real) of having bad skin.
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Let them know that you are a lot like them. You had the same problem
and you went through some tough times before you solved the problem.
Then after much expense
/ trial and error / embarrassment / time / etc. you discovered the solution.
You're telling your story of problem, hardship and finally solution.
Next you cover what the
solution has done for you and how your life/business has improved since
discovering the solution. And you paint a picture of what their life and or
business will be like once they implement your solution. This is where you pile
on the greatest benefits your solution will give your viewer. Make them FEEL
the benefits, get them pumped up and excited, and most of all get them happy
they're watching your video and eager to know what you're about to teach.
If this is sounding
something like a mini-sales letter, it is. In the beginning of your video you
are reassuring your
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viewer that they made
an excellent decision buying your product by shining a light on their pain and
being the expert with the solution.
You might also briefly
cover the old ways of dealing with the problem, versus the new way they're
about to learn. For example, the old way of dealing with acne was x, y and z.
But now we know better. In fact the latest scientific research shows us that
those solutions were about as effective as chanting naked under a full moon
compared with your new solution.
No one likes to be
associated with the "old way," and so this simply reinforces the fact
that they scored a home run when they got your product.
Finally, you're going
to get into the meat of the product. All you've done up to this point is set
them up to get your solution, now you're going to provide it, step by step.
Don't be afraid to give them detail, and to tell them not just 'how' to do
something, but also 'why' they should do
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it that way. Remember,
you are the expert, so by all means be forthcoming with your expertise.
Before you wrap up the
video, you've got one more thing to do – tell them what to do next. Tell them
to take the information they've just gained and put it to work. And most of
all, give them the first step. If you've just given them a boatload of info,
they may be overwhelmed into doing nothing. That's why you want to put them on
the road to success by reminding them of that first step, and telling them to
do it right now while it's still fresh on their minds.
What
software do you need?
You'll need some kind
of software for creating your finished video product, and the good news is that
it's free. If you've got a PC you probably already have a copy of Movie Maker,
and if you don't you can download it off of the Internet. If you have a Mac,
then you'll be using
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iMovie. Of course you can also purchase professional software such as
Adobe. But in the beginning, there's really no need since the software you
already have on your laptop is probably more than you'll need.
How
about editing tips?
First, keep it simple.
Sure there are all kinds of fancy tricks you can use in your videos, but to
look truly professional you want to keep it simple.
The easiest way of all
to edit your video is to hire someone to do it for you. You might use a Fiverr
person for this, or someone at Freelancer.com or one of those freelancer
websites. Tell them you want a title slide at the beginning, a smooth
transition into the video of you speaking, and most of all edit out any and all
gaps. You know what I mean – the time you dropped your notes, you lost your
train of thought, or when the UPS man knocked on your door.
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If you're doing your own editing, then you already know what to do.
Remove pauses, gaps and mistakes. Edit out that rough start or end where you
were fumbling with the camera.
Did you do the video in
segments? Rather than cutting straight from one segment to another, do a cross
fade for a smoother transition.
Add front and back
title slides to your video. The title slide has the title of the video with
your name on it. You might also include what's in the video on that slide or a
second slide. The back slide is either the same as the title slide, or it has
the addition of your website URL. This little step goes a long way towards
making your video look truly professional.
NOTE: If at any time
any of this sounds out of your league, you can either read the software
instructions, Google it, or simply get someone else to do it. The main thing
here is that you NOT get hung up on the technical
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stuff. This is minor at
best, and definitely not something that should prevent you from making your own
video product. Too many people are afraid to try something new because they don't
know how to do the technical aspect of it. So what. Get someone else to handle
that stuff for you and just DO it. :-)
One more thing – if
you're hoping to get your video just perfect, or even close to perfect, I've
got news – it will never happen. Ever. You're going to stumble on your words.
You're going to get a silly look on your face as you try to remember what you
were about to say. You're going to look slightly nervous, or giddy, or
whatever. There is no such thing as perfection, so don't even try to attain it
- you'll go nuts if you do.
I know a guy who
recorded the same 20 minute video 11 times trying to get it just perfect. Know
what his best take was? The second one. The next nine were a complete waste of
time and a source of tremendous frustration. And just so you know – the second
video was only barely
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better than the first.
Had he simply recorded the video once and stopped like a sane person, he, the
video and his viewers would have all been just fine. As it was he didn't record
another video product for months because he dreaded going through the same
ordeal again.
And by the way – people
like people who are human. If you did achieve perfection, you and your video
would feel too sterile, like you were some kind of machine. Think about it –
what happens when you hear someone stumble on a word in an instructional video?
Personally, I think they're more likable and I begin rooting for them.
One thing you should
avoid, however, is those little filler noises that add nothing to content and
serve only to distract. You know the noises I mean - “Um, errr, ahh” and so
forth. If you're thinking it's better to make one of those sounds than to offer
a second or two of silence, I beg to differ. And I mean beg. I BEG you to not
make those sounds. I once sat through a twenty minute speech in which I heard
281 umms, errrs and ahhhs. Yes, I
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counted them. It was
the longest 20 minutes of my entire life. The culprit? A local elected official
who was (thankfully) kicked out of office by a landslide majority vote prior to
the expiration of her first term.
Was she thrown out of
office because of her umm's, err's and ahh's? I know it didn't help her, that's
for certain.
How
do you get the video(s) onto a DVD?
Easy. Go to http://Kunaki.com
I could end here and
you would have all the info you need to create your DVD's and send them out;
Kunaki is that simple. Kunaki takes your file that you upload and turns it into
a professional DVD inside a case, complete with label on the disk, a full color
cover on the case with barcode, all shrink wrapped and ready to be shipped. Oh
yes, and they'll also ship it to your customers for you.
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The total cost? It
depends on how many you order – figure about $5. So if you're charging $47 for
your DVD, you're clearing over $40. Charge $97 and... well, you get the idea.
NOTE: Do you know one
of the greatest benefits of having a physical product? Lower refunds. If you
take identical products and make one physical and one an electronic download,
the physical product will - 9 times out of 10 – have a lower refund rate
because people are lazy. They don't want to hassle with sending the DVD back to
get the refund. Also, serial refunders are less likely to order in the first
place because they know they'll have to return the DVD to qualify for the
refund.
You choose the cover
art for your product. And you can order in bulk if you prefer to do your own
shipping or sell them at seminars.
One caveat about Kunaki – You need a PC to
initially use
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Kunaki.
This is taken from the Kunaki website:
You can design your artwork on a Mac and you can create your original
CD or DVD on the Mac.
Then, borrow a PC for a few hours and use our
software to configure your product, select your art work and contents. The
software will upload your product to our facility.
Thereafter, you can use your Mac browser to order and manage your
products at your account on the Kunaki web site.
So
what should you do next?
Create your
first video product. If you've already got a video camera, or a phone with a
decent video camera inside of it, then use that. Decide what your product is
about and Then. Just. Do. It.
Submit it to Kunaki and get your free demo
copy. It's
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kinda cool (okay, it's
a blast!) getting your hands on your first real, tangible product.
And don't get
tremendously hung up about the quality of this first product. That's not as
important as GETTING YOUR FIRST VIDEO PRODUCT CREATED.
Ask yourself right now –
what's your topic going to be? I'll bet there is a product that's been brewing
in the back of your head for some time now, a product that you intend to create
“once you have the time.” By creating your product in video instead of writing
it, you now have the time.
And once you see for
yourself how easy this entire process is, I think you're going to want to do it
again. And again. And again.
Have fun and enjoy!
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