In today’s day and age, there are 2 things you can no longer afford to avoid and they are mobile devices and WEB VIDEO. We’re going to cover video production here because there are few things that could influence the success of your business more than VIDEO.
Too many marketers get left behind because they either refuse to believe the importance of video or chose to ignore it altogether. Maybe it’s fear of the camera or fear of the editing software or fear of learning a new skill. Heck, maybe it’s just plain laziness, but whatever the case may be for you, we aim to show you how to leverage video to increase your online profits over the course of this article.
It goes without saying that creating SALES VIDEOS are arguably the most effective way to sell digital products online and we’ll get to that a little further down but we first want to point out a few other VERY powerful ways to leverage the power of video in your business.
Drive Traffic – Post videos on social media then link back to relevant content and offers. Sites like Facebook and YouTube are literally crawling with potential leads and customers for you. Uploading videos on these sites to promote your product and then linking back in the description and comments will bring people to your sites.
Build Your List – Creating 2-part videos is an excellent way to entice a prospect to subscribe to your list. Deliver valuable content that the viewer finds useful in part one and then ask them to opt in to receive part 2 of your video. There are various video apps that allow you to embed the opt-in form right inside the video frame!
Increase Exposure – Short informative videos are a great way to educate users and get your name and LOGO in front of lots of eyeballs. Unconditional free videos are a great way to build buzz around product launches and web brands because people love to share them. These are videos that solve a problem for people with your branding all over it. No catch, no call to action just pure VALUABLE content and your logo all over it.
ADDING A VIDEO TO YOUR WEBSITE CAN EXTRAORDINARILY INCREASE YOUR SALES
It’s hard to beat VIDEO as a method of choice for selling your digital product online. The reason that video works so well is because it stimulates more psychological trigger points in your customer’s brain than just audio or text or images alone. Video’s don’t have to be fancy to be effective. Your video can combine animated text and images with just some powerpoint slides and a voice over BUT “On Camera” videos, in particular, have a way of “connecting” with the viewer that no other method can really accomplish.
Some types of video are more effective than others and sometimes marketers combine various methods in their videos. Slides, animated text, motion graphics, camera footage, and even clips that you capture with your “selfie stick” can be combined into a powerful sales video. It works because videos make it easier to raise the viewer’s EMOTION and that’s what drives engagement as well as sales.
Selling is about EMOTION. Your customer is more likely to make a purchase because of emotion than anything else. Now, there are almost always other factors that play a role in the purchase decision but make no mistake about the fact that it’s mostly driven by emotion. They buy on emotion and then later JUSTIFY the purchase with logic. Video taps into more senses and therefore influences emotion more than just static text and images. When you combine audio with dynamic visual stimulation it CAPTIVATES the viewer’s attention and causes their brain to produce endorphins.
If you create a sales copy for your website which effectively raises impulse in the reader then you will most certainly increase the visitor’s propensity to buy by turning that sales copy into a video script and producing a video that streams automatically right when they land on the top of your page.
VIDEO CREATION CAN BE QUICK AND POWERFUL WITHOUT BEING COMPLICATED
Ideally, you want to create a video that serves the viewers needs while accomplishing YOUR goals as well. Whether that be driving traffic, making a sale or just building buzz around your brand the key to making a powerful video is creating something that the viewer will find VALUABLE. If they don’t see value almost immediately they will just surf away.
Studies show that you’ve got about 6 seconds to grab their attention and keep them on your video. And the best way to do this is with a method called EDUTAINMENT – this is when you educate while you entertain at the same time. The only reason a video would ever feel “too long” to a viewer is if they are bored. I watched the movie “AVATAR” for nearly 3 hours and I was at the edge of my seat the whole time because it was entertaining. However, I’ve watched short films that felt like they were dragging on forever because they were just B O R I N G.
Now let me be clear, you don’t have to recreate the planet Pandora to make people watch your video. As a matter of fact, there are three ways that you can quickly create engaging videos without a bunch of fancy equipment or production tools.
Slide Show Videos are a great way to turn your sales copy into an engaging presentation using your preference of either PowerPoint or Keynote. You can buy a nice slide deck template for a few bucks and then paste the highlights of your sales copy into it. You can even add images from your website to make it more vivid. Play the slideshow and record it as you narrate the text, export the file and upload it to YouTube… BOOM you’ve got a sales video.
Talking Head Videos are another excellent way to connect with your buyer because they actually get to see your face in the video and this has proven to build TRUST. Remember, it’s about emotion and when they can see your facial expressions as you tell them about the product it REALLY improves your engagement. Just turn on your webcam and hit record, just remember to SMILE, maintain eye contact with the camera and BE YOURSELF!
Smartphone Videos are used in a lot of the sales pages that you see nowadays. You can mount your iPhone or Android on a $13 Amazon tripod and just hit record. The quality is usually great and the setting can be anywhere (just be mindful of background noise) You can even shoot different parts on various “sets” then just edit them together later.
COMBINING VIDEO PRODUCTION METHODS INCREASES VIEWER RETENTION SIGNIFICANTLY
When you COMBINE all of the video production methods I’ve been talking to you about, you are more likely to keep your viewers attention than if you just use one method by itself. Cutting from one modality to the other keeps the audience engaged. And keep in mind, I’ve only scratched the surface as to the types of video you can create.
With today’s technology, there are an array of video types that can be easily created on your computer or with an app. For example, whiteboard animation videos are super engaging. These are videos that literally “illustrate” the words you are narrating. A hand appears on the screen holding a pencil and it illustrates the words you’re saying or it even draws a picture that you have pre selected for that section of your video.
There are also motion graphics templates that you can buy for specific programs and then just insert your own text and images. The final result can be a cinematic movie production style composition that contains YOUR text and your logo or images. Products like Video Sketch Pro and Viddyoze are just two examples of the wide variety of tools you can find on JVZoo to help you create super engaging videos without having to get on camera.
Creating a magnetic video isn’t necessarily about having the perfect script, or the most hi-tech gear or software. It’s not even about you looking and sounding beautiful on screen, it’s more about STRATEGY. Combining production methods like slides, with image animation, with iPhone footage and other modalities is a strategic way to keep the viewer engaged.
There are literally hundreds of products in the JVZoo library from training courses to editing and production software that can help you produce your video.
Chances are that you can find a quick and easy way to get that professional look and feel for your video even if you’re on a modest budget. Plus these are EXCELLENT products to promote as an affiliate!
CREATE COMPELLING VIDEO CONTENT THAT HYPNOTIZES YOUR VIEWERS
Here’s a great way to organize your video creation into “phases” that will simplify the process for just about any type of web video that you want to create.
1. Pre production phase
2. Production phase (aka recording)
3. Post production phase
The pre-production phase is the phase BEFORE you do the actual recording of the footage. Think of this as the “PREP” phase. This is when you actually prepare your content, your slides, your talking points etc. It’s important to know exactly what you want to end up with in order to best set things up in the beginning.
You have to visualize the final production, maybe even draw it out like a storyboard on your whiteboard before you begin. Some people like to start by creating the script and then they draw inspiration for images production modalities and even music from the material they write.
Don’t give yourself a time limit, that’s a trap. Instead, give yourself a content goal. Write a list of exactly what points you absolutely must cover in your video. Then flesh out that list with bullet points under each item you wrote down, kind of like an outline. That outline can later become your script.
You may even consider following a “template” for your video. For example, if you’re creating a sales video you may want to start by writing down these 5 things on a piece of paper:
#1 Introduction
#2 Short Story
#3 Presentation
Then under each of those headings write down the specific talking points to cover for your product. This is just an example to show you that PRE-production is about creating the framework for your video. Having a vision and generating the script.
In the production phase, you actually capture the footage that you’re going to be splicing together and editing to create your final video.
You should definitely be prepared when it comes to the production phase and if you mapped things out for yourself properly during the pre-production phase then right now all you have to do is go down your list and execute.
The pre production phase was more about visualizing and being creative, like thinking of image ideas and script writing. The main thing to focus on in PRODUCTION is to address the technical methods for making that visualization come true. Production is where the rubber meets the road, this is where you make it come to life.
If part of your script involves a silverback gorilla scaling the walls of a midtown skyscraper then NOW you’ve got to think of how you’ll be portraying that. Will you use props? Are you buying a monkey suit and climbing a wall? Will you buy some stock footage of King Kong? Will you just use text on the screen as you narrate the section? All of these are things to consider in production.
That’s what the production phase is about. It’s about putting together, compiling, and recording all of those clips that you’re going to be using in the final production or in the final editing phase. You also have to consider the technical aspect like software. You can record and export right from Keynote or you can play the Keynote and capture your screen with something like Camtasia or ScreenFlow.
You can go super high tech and use a software like Adobe Aftereffects or maybe you can do the text part in keynote and outsource the silverback gorilla clips. It is up to you as the producer to decide how you are going to make the script come together visually.
The post production is the final workflow phase. The post production phase actually takes place after you’ve compiled all of your footage or your clips that are going to be edited and spliced together. Usually, post production all takes place on your computer using your editing software like ScreenFlow or Camtasia.
Since you are creating WEB video it’s important to know the target resolution size and the player you’re going to be using to serve the media. For example, will this be a full-screen HD video played through YouTube on your website? Or.. Will this be a small 426 x 240 size video on the side bar for an opt-in form? Knowing the target resolution and playback method will help you to set your canvas size and render compression. This will create a manageable file size that will stream properly without buffering for your viewers.
A big part of post production is adding in AUDIO. This is where you can make your video sound amazing by adding a killer soundtrack. You can use stock music clips in the background of your narration to create emotion that suits your script. Many web video creators also add some sound effects to accentuate key areas.
YOUR VIDEOS DON’T HAVE TO BE SUPER DUPER FANCY
Know that one of the most influential things you can do in your online business to improve sales and generate leads is to use WEB VIDEO to engage your prospects. Your videos can be made using a wide variety of methods and tools. It doesn’t have to be perfect at first and you’ll get better and better at it with time and practice. Just get started creating videos for your business as soon as possible.
Many people start out by just narrating simple slideshows in powerpoint or keynote and recording with easy software like Camtasia. As you get better at doing this you’ll begin to add images and transitions. Eventually, you can record some talking footage with your webcam or smartphone and edit that in as well.
You don’t need a full blown video studio to create good quality and engaging videos for your website. The JVZoo product library has a huge assortment of video creation training and software to help get you started. Feel free to go to the product library and search for the word “video” in the software category! As a matter of fact, video products are some of the TOP SELLERS on JVZoo too, so you can just type keyword “video” into the “find products” page under the affiliates tab to promote some VERY profitable products.
As an internet marketer doing business in today’s online marketplaces you simply can’t afford to avoid video production any longer. Your consumers demand it and there has never been a better to leverage video technology than RIGHT NOW!
