By Derek Gehl
Want to see me sweat?
Stick me in the IMC video studio under hot lights, with no air conditioning. It's like being under a broiler!
But it's worth it.
Video is just a fantastic way to communicate because it makes it so easy for people to visualize and understand information. So it can add a LOT of value to your business.
Take my recent BeBiz Challenge, for example.
If you caught this four-part video series, you'll remember how I started my own Internet business from scratch -- in just four days! Those videos were a huge hit!
OK, so they won't win any Emmy Awards... but they contained as much information about starting business as HUNDREDS of pages of text.
And they also got people really excited about BeBiz -- because they saw how easy this tool is to use. They could picture themselves using it!
There's no way we could have created the same amount of interest in BeBiz if I'd just written a few blog posts about my challenge.
Online video gives you the power to connect with your customers in ways words and pictures never can.
And although IMC has a studio, editing suite, and production guy to create our videos... YOU don't need any flashy equipment to start making video work for YOUR business.
So why should you bother?
1. It's cheap!
Like I said, I'm not aiming for an Emmy with my videos -- and neither should you!
People will watch your videos on YouTube, not the big screen... so you don't need a Hollywood-sized production budget. A simple digital camera is good enough and you can edit your videos using the free software on your computer (Windows Movie Maker for PCs or iMovie for Macs).
(If you do want some more professional edit software, Pinnacle Studio 12 Plus is a great option for $99.99.)
2. It's easy!
The good news about using a standard digital camera and YouTube is that you don't have to be a technical whiz!
Simply create your video, upload it to YouTube, and paste the HTML code for your video on the page of your website where you want it to appear.
You should consider publishing it to other video sites, too. For a detailed list of these, visit: www.lightreading.com/videoshare.
But before you worry about how much time this will take, here's a great tool that will do all the hard work for you: www.tubemogul.com
TubeMogul is a free service that will automatically distribute your videos to multiple video-sharing sites from just one upload -- so you don't have spend hours doing it manually!
3. You can get GREAT search engine rankings with video!Don't just create a video for its own sake, though -- make sure you have a specific purpose in mind. Here are some ideas:
Google loves video content! (It does own YouTube, after all.)
So if you create an interesting, informative video based on one of your main long-tail keywords, you can easily get a top ranking in Google for your efforts.
Just make sure you:
- Target only one keyword phrase per video
- Create a Google video sitemap that tells the search engine how to index your videos
- Make your video useful, unique, and short (less than five minutes)
- Include a call to action that motivates people to buy from you... opt in to your email list... or at least visit your website!
- You can demonstrate how to do something - especially if you put the spotlight on your product or service at the same time.
- You can show your work, or the benefits of your product.
- You can build your credibility by offering high-quality advice on your industry... or create excitement about a new product launch.
- You can even make video information products to sell as DVDs or downloads.
- And you should definitely consider using video testimonials.
Think about it... is there an easier way to make money online?
The Internet Marketing Center is a team of experts who help people make money online by starting an online business. -- and growing it. Since 1996 thousands of successful small and home based businesses have found success using IMC's comprehensive courses, software tools, and personal training packages. Visit the Internet Marketing Center for more free resources.
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