Posts Categorised: Digital Products
How Do You Clone Money In Your Business?
I was recently talking to a client about her business. She is in the service industry and needed to make more money. I told her that her time is limited and if she could duplicate herself she could help more of her clients.
Since cloning has not been developed yet, I suggested she create videos and worksheets to guide her clients through her main process. Then, offer to help them on an individual basis if they needed further instruction.
Creating a product like this does two things:
- It prepares her clients to work with her.
- It gets her clients familiar with her.
Imagine if all your customers and clients came to you prepared to do business with you. You would not need to sell them on what you do because they would already have the ground work. They have taken your ‘course’ and prepared themselves to do business with you.
This may sound like ‘pie in the sky’ thinking, but let’s get into real life for a moment. One of my clients is a door company. They spend lots of time on the phone educating their clients how door styles, sizes, and terminology. I suggested they create a worksheet or video that talks about the common questions they answer for their customers. This would free them up to answer questions after the customer had pre-qualified themselves.
When you create valuable information for your customers, you become their trusted authority. That is why we talked so much about blogging and creating products. Doing these things gives modern day consumers the information they are searching for and helps them get to know you.
Honestly, business is built on relationships. If you can find a way to really build a relationship with a customer, you will have a customer for life. They will trust you and refer you to all of their friends.
You can do that with checklists, worksheets, videos, audios, images . . . the sky is the limit. Simply figure out what your customer relates to and relate to them. That is how you duplicate yourself and put your business on autopilot.
Here are some other helpful articles:
- Creating Profitable Digital Products
- How to use an Autoresponder
- Tips on Writing a Great Business Blog
If you need help brainstorming an idea for your product or coming up with a plan of action, use my contact page to get in touch with me about coaching.
http://youtu.be/L3QGLO0lOOI
You can develop a product.
I can say that statement with full confidence, you know how I know? Because you are reading this page!
You have a desire and you know there is something you can do to help others. Developing a product is simply taking a skill you have and teaching it to others.
How do you make it successful? You provide a result that people will pay for.
Let’s break down a basic product:
- Solve a Problem
- Prove Results
- Show them how to do it
It’s pretty simple.
Start with who needs this product. Think of a specific group of people and target them. Make sure to develop a list of who your product is not for.
I know we all think everyone needs and wants our product. We think that we will make more money if we sell it to everyone. This is a bad way of thinking about business.
The way you make money is to get it to the people who are willing to pay for it. To best do that make sure you have a clear idea of who it is for.
Step One: Who is it for and who is it not for? If you are teaching dog training, it is not for people who don’t have a dog.
Step Two: What results can I expect? Make sure you tell the customer exactly what results they can expect.
Step Three: Tell them how they get those results. People want to see that the steps are easy to follow and they want to believe they can do it.
What product could you develop if you had the skills and knowledge? Leave a comment on Youtube or GooglePlus.
SPECIAL NOTE: I have even started developing a course that helps entrepreneurs develop their product. If you are interested in being part of a beta group, let me know through out contact form.
http://youtu.be/j-qRegA4DEE
8 Video Tips to Make Your Videos Look Professional
In the video we covered the value of the content: what you actually say is important. We covered audio, visual, location and even touched on editing. Well, hold on while I give you three more exciting tips to get you one step closer to being a video pro.
Framing
You have probably heard the term ‘dead center.’ Dead center is a term that means our eyes get bored when something is in the middle. It is dead because our eyes will jump around the frame to find something interesting.
If you take a photo or a video the rectangle where the images are is the frame. When you are shooting, think about the way you put something in that frame. The easiest way to talk about it is to consider your frame like a tic-tac-toe board. You will imagine two lines going across and two lines going down. Where the lines cross are ‘points of interest.’ (Some cameras have these line built in and you can visually see them!)
Look at this pic of a raptor…don’t worry it is not real. Look at how the top of his eye (which is bright yellow) lands on the top right point of interest. Then, his lower teeth line up on the bottom left point of interest. The framing of this shot lines up to make the photo interesting…not that a photo of a raptor needs to be more interesting, but you get the point.
Also when you are framing, make sure you are aware of everything around you. Have you ever seen a a video of someone talking and it looked like a tree was growing out of the top of someone’s head. Don’t do that. Make sure your background is also framed and there are no distracting lines.
It just takes a moment to be aware of your shot and to notice any distracting lines.
Lighting
Lighting is so important. When you shoot a video, you want the brightest light to be on the person you are videoing. If there is more light behind them, your camera will pick that up and your person will look dark.
Keep it simple. Put a lamp in front of the person. Make sure to ‘soften’ the light with a light cloth or scarf so you don’t have harsh shadows behind them. Unless you are doing a scary movie, then you may want to have a big lurking shadow behind the main person.
If you are outside be aware of the sun. If the sun is overhead, you will have strong shadows on the face. You don’t need a long enough extension cord, use a white poster board. Anything white will work. Just stand right outside of the camera frame, tilt the poster board to reflect the sun and fill in the face of your main character. You would be surprised to know that pros do this and some of them pay hundreds of dollars to get the same affect.
Angles
Make your videos interesting by changing the angle of your video. Now, if you are just doing a vlog, you may not want to change the angle very often. However, changing angles for effect can create powerful video images.
Let’s start with the basic. Make sure the camera is eye level and you are situated on a point of interest. You can tilt up a little and pull the camera a little lower to make yourself seem important or big. You can put the camera above you and tilt it down to make yourself seem smaller.
Why? Well, let’s say you are doing a vlog. You are announcing an exciting big addition to your channel. You would start by talking about the announcement. Then, change the angle to a lower angle to make yourself look big. Do your announcement from that angle to make it interesting. You can even add an echo to your voice to really make it stand out.
Angles help tell the story. Only use them to tell the story. Remember, what you say is important. Your content ought to be the primary purpose of your video. Then, you use techniques to really make your message stand out.
I have covered the basic angles, but there are a lot more. I created a video a while back that goes through a lot of different angles and show the ‘feel’ of each video. It was done with some teens, so it is fun and a bit quirky. Click here to watch the video: The Story of Interesting Angles.
That is a lot we covered, but I am sure you can handle it. Now, go out and make some interesting videos. Then share them with us on Youtube or GooglePlus. I would love to see what you came up with.
Feel free to ask questions, I love helping blooming videographers. If there is anything I can do the help, don’t hesitate to ask.
http://youtu.be/9sxc1aHqKnM
5 Reasons Business Owners Don’t Create Videos for their Business
They think the equipment is expensive.
There was a time when camera equipment, and broadcasting in general, was out of the hands of most people. That all changed when we started carrying around computers in our pockets.
When I got started making videos I literally had a fourteen dollar camera and a nine dollar video program. If you have a computer, you probably already have a simple video program. If not, Youtube provides simple editing including putting text on your video, chopping off parts of the video and a few more neat things…all for free!
This excuse is the easiest to overcome. Smart phones today are more powerful than expensive camera used to be. If you don’t have one, I bet you know a friend who has one that will help you get started. Or you can buy a cheap camera on a site like ebay or even use a webcam to do your recordings. Equipment should never stand in the way no matter what your budget.
They think they don’t have time.
#1 – Let’s assume you have a smart phone. You can pull out your phone, record yourself and have a video directly uploaded to Youtube in less than a minute. Time is not the issue. The issue is purpose. If you have a purpose for your video, then creating it will be simple.
#2 – If you are a business owner, I bet you have at least one employee who would be willing to shoot a quick video and upload it for you. You simply send an email with basic instructions then ‘empower’ that person to create the video for you. There is power in delegation and it did not take you much more time than creating an email.
They think they can’t edit.
The purpose of editing is to remove unwanted content. If you don’t like editing, shoot the video a couple of times till it looks like you want it. Then, you just upload it like it is. Taking time to plan out your video and putting some effort into making your message clear is important.
If you have to edit, Youtube has everything you need. Just shoot the video, upload it to Youtube, chop off the front and the end of the video, and boom, you are done. Editing does not have to be fancy. The key is to effectively communicate to your audience.
If you really want your videos to look good consider hiring a professional video company or just find a video student at the local college. They will gain valuable experience and you will gain valuable videos. Just keep in mind, they are learning and you really want to consider what you need them to do for your business.
They think they are not technical enough.
In today’s world, if you can get online, you can create a video. If you can operate a smart phone or even a modern TV, you are ‘techie’ enough to create a video. Creating a video is not about being techie, it is about effectively communicating. (I have heard that somewhere before!)
Your message will be more powerful than any lack of technical ‘know how.’ If you have a message, then it ought to be important enough for you to get outside of your comfort zone. Take a moment to learn something new about creating videos and challenge yourself to be better. Your message is important enough for people to hear it. (We can even provide you will specialized training if you need it. Just contact us on our contact page.)
They think they can’t be on camera.
I want you to think about your day today. How many times did you look at yourself in the mirror? If you can look in the mirror, you can be on camera. It is just getting comfortable talking. You already know your subject, probably your business, right? Now all you have to do is pretend you are telling an employee what you need to tell him. Or pretend the camera is one of your favorite customers, what would you tell her?
The point about being on camera is about having something to say. People see you every day, so whether you are online or now, you are seen. It is not about how pretty or ugly you think you are, it is about being confident about your message. Get it in your mind that the camera is just ONE PERSON that needs to hear from you. Talk directly to that person and you will do just fine.
Option: I mentioned creating a slide presentation and just using your voice. These can be effective videos and you don’t have to show your face. You can uses a free online program called Jing to record a video directly from your screen. Now all you need is a microphone. Create your presentation, start the online software, speak as you go through your presentation and save your recording. (Note: the free version lets you create a video for five minutes. If you have a longer presentation, break it into five minute segments!)
Why do you think you CAN do video. Share with us on Youtube or GooglePlus.
This is my take on a list from James Wedmore. He has some great videos if you want to visit his Youtube channel.
http://youtu.be/WOj0X8V4wyQ
The ONE Video Your Business ABSOLUTELY NEEDS
Many people think that the one video they need to have for their business is a video on their main page. I don’t think so. The most valuable video you need to have is your story video. Your story video should be on your ABOUT page
Why an About page video is so powerful:
- When someone goes to your ABOUT page, they have a mental ‘buy in’ to who you are. New visitors want to know more about you than your business. They have taken the action to learn more about your, so reward them with an powerfully engaging video.
- The ABOUT page is the second most visited page on your site. (Check your stats and you will be amazed.)
- People connect to your story. People buy from people and they want to know the story behind what you do.
Your story video tells why you are in business and what drove you to create the value that you give to others. It is your passion and your past melded together into a wonderful story that connects potential customers to you.
When potential customers take the time to visit your About page and you blow them away with a powerful story, you will have a customer for life.
What do people want to see on your story video:
- Tell them about your struggles and why that drove you into your business.
- Tell them about the passion you have for your business.
- Tell them a funny story about how you got started.
- Tell them the person who inspired you to go into business.
- Tell them about your values and why it is important to you and your business.
This video should be between 2-5 minutes, but it can be longer if it is really engaging. Have some employees watch it to see what they think about the length. This will help them buy into your story and hopefully, they will be one of your biggest cheerleaders.
Creating a ‘Documentary Style’ Story Video
A documentary style video adds interest and keeps the ‘feel’ of the story moving forward. It is a powerful way of telling a story that goes beyond the story and into emotions of people who are watching. It is not hard to do, if you know some basic editing.
First, you want a good quality video. Keep in mind, this will take some editing, but most computers have the needed tools to do this. If you are not comfortable doing this for yourself, contact my business page and let’s set something up for you.
Quick Tips to get started:
- You want the words to be powerful: script it.
- You want the images to be engaging: photos and video should use good angles and lighting.
- You want the background to be accentuating: tell your story with your surroundings.
- You want the sound track to be relevant: audio should be clear with light music to accent the tone and feel of the video.
When creating a documentary style video, your first, ‘main’ shot, should be you talking directly into the camera. This should be the ‘complete story.’ You may shoot it in one, two or three sections: just keep the story moving forward.
I suggest writing a script, but do the video recording from memory. You don’t want it word for word from your script. You know your story. The script is just a guideline to make sure you include all that you want to include about your story. You want to talk to the camera like you are talking to a friend.
Then, you want to create a ‘B-roll.’ These are the videos and images that will go ‘on top of’ your main video. You may want a second camera to video you from the side while the main video is being recorded. You may want shots of you walking in a park, talking to people in your business, doing work at your desk…whatever is relevant to your story. (If you want to be fancy, you can create a storyboard based on your script and note video shots you want to include in your video.)
For example: Let’s say you are talking about how family is important to you. You are talking from your business office, and as you continue to talk, an image of you pushing one of your children on a swing fades onto the screen. The audio of you talking continues. Maybe, you want to be simpler and just show a picture from your desk is focused on showing you and your family.
I think that is a good quick understanding of how you can create your story video in a documentary style. If you want to know more, there are plenty of videos that can give you tips. I found some tips from another video professional here. Caution: if you do this video for yourself, make sure to get some feedback from people who will be honest with you. A poorly done video could hurt your business.
There are some training courses online you can pay for, but honestly it would be a better use of your money to pay for someone to help you create your documentary story. It will be more professional and save you a bunch of headaches. You can hire a college video student or you can hire a professional video company. Also, I have some basic video marketing training on a playlist.
I hope this helps.
If you create a story video, share it with me. If you have basic questions about creating your own video, ask me on on Youtube or GooglePlus. If enough people respond, we may create a training just for you!