There are 3 basic ways to put together a good video. Which one you choose is up to you, and you may find that one method works better for your niche than the others.
The 3 main methods are
Let’s start with screen capture videos.
Screen Capture Videos
This type of video is probably the most common among internet marketers. You basically just record what is being shown on your computer monitors and narrate what you are looking at.
For example, most marketers will create a PowerPoint presentation and go through it on camera. Each slide will have some text and photos, and the narrator explains in depth what is being discussed.
Here is an old- but still applicable- video showing you how this works:
One great way to make these videos is to basically just copy-paste an article into a slideshow presentation.
Try to keep it to less than 50 words per slide. Then you basically read the slide to the viewer.
If you really know the content, you can also just make short bullet statements in the slides. You then explain each bullet statement in detail so the viewer understands what the slide is talking about.
To record these videos, you’ll need 2 things: a microphone and a screen recording program.
For the program, I HIGHLY recommend Camtasia. It’s by far the best product I’ve used- which is why it’s a bit expensive.
If you don’t have the funds to invest right now, consider CamStudio. It’s absolutely free, but I don’t think the quality is as good as Camtasia.
For your microphone, you basically just need any mic that can plug into your computer. One marketer I know uses a Turtle Beach headset used for gaming. Personally I have a $30 headset and microphone combo that works just fine.
Slideshow Videos
With this method, you aren’t going to be narrating anything. This is basically just a few related images or PowerPoint slides related to your niche.
There’s a great sample for what this can look like on Animoto.com
There are a few ways to do these, but I’ve always used Animoto.com. They have a free service, so that’s a good way to start.
Here’s how this process works:
Create the PowerPoint slides or download photos you’re using
Turn the PowerPoint slides into images
Upload them to Animoto.com
Move them around into the order you want
Add music from Animoto’s selection
That’s it! Realize that it will take a few minutes for Animoto to create the video, but your part doesn’t take much time at all.
Another good website to use is Video Hive. Here you can purchase video templates, and all you have to do is edit the template to say what you want.
Either way- when you make slideshow videos, make sure your last slide has your domain name on there. Have that last slide play for a few seconds before the video cuts off, to make sure that they see and remember it.
Also- try not to just throw up a bunch of poor, unrelated images.
Change it up- don’t let your viewer get bored!
Now let’s look at the last type of video- webcam vids.
Webcam Videos
The idea here is pretty simple. You turn on your webcam, talk to it for a few minutes about your topic, then turn it off.
Here’s one example made by a girl that does a lot of webcam videos:
This is a good way to go for some reasons, but generally I think the other 2 methods are better. The main reason you want to use a webcam is to help people get to know who you are. If you are trying to brand yourself as an expert, webcams are the perfect way to do that…
As long as you do it right.
Most people, however, have no idea what they’re doing. Getting good at talking to a webcam takes practice. You have to know exactly what you’re saying, keep looking straight at the camera, have good lighting, etc.
If you’re going to do this, consider making a few practice videos first. Record, watch, see what you did wrong, fix it, and repeat.
Keep recording new videos until you get it right! It won’t be perfect, but you want something that’s pretty good.
This is actually good advice for every kind of video, but it’s especially important for this “talking head” method.
