Internet Marketing

Even though videos are one of the hottest Internet marketing strategies today, I have been very slow to jump on the video marketing bandwagon. Why? Because making a talking head video of myself is about as enticing as dipping my body in honey and watching the flies swarm over me. I’ve never liked being on camera nor having my picture taken (case in point the hundreds of family reunion pictures I’ve taken over the years as the family photographer, with nary a picture of me in sight!), and so I’ve avoided creating marketing videos until recently. However, despite my dislike of video (I’m not a big fan of viewing video either — I’d rather read the info), I realize that most people would rather watch video to learn than read about something to learn as I do.

I knew that there had to be a way to maximize video marketing that wouldn’t send me into apoplexy, and I realized that I had the solution right at my fingertips — turn my articles into screencast videos! Screencasts typically refer to using a screen capture video software, like Camtasia, to follow your movements as you go from screen-to-screen on your computer. Screencasts are most commonly used for online video tutorials. However, I’ve discovered a way to create a simple screencast from my articles.

Here are 8 steps to create a screencast video that is perfect for introverted marketers:

1. Pick an article. The best type of article for a screencast is one that has numbered points in it. If you have an introduction, 3-5 numbered points with a few details accompanying each point, and a conclusion, you have enough material for a screencast video.

2. Find a PowerPoint template. Simply search for “free PowerPoint templates,” “free PowerPoint themes,” or “free PowerPoint backgrounds” to locate no-cost presentation backgrounds you can use. Or, you can use one of the preset templates in PowerPoint. Remember, the simpler, the better is the key here. You don’t want the viewer to be distracted by bright colors or a complex background. Sure, it’s boring, but you want the viewer to pay attention to your presentation, not your PowerPoint background.

3. Determine your call to action. Your video should ALWAYS have a call to action. I make my call to action abundantly clear by placing the domain URL of the site I want to the viewer to visit at the bottom of each of the slides of my presentation. Then, the last slide of my presentation contains a graphic representing my call to action, along with an invitation to visit the noted website for my free giveaway. I use screencast videos as a list-building strategy.

4. Create your presentation. Shorter is better here. Your video should run 3 – 5 minutes, which means that on average, your presentation will have 12-18 slides.

5. Animate the presentation. Once you have created the presentation, you’ll want to animate it to keep the viewer’s attention. Have your bullet points fly in from the sides, or your text twirl around before landing upright. Don’t go nuts here — just add enough animation so that the viewer’s eyes don’t glaze over from boredom.

6. Record the audio. Now, you’ll need to record yourself reading your article. Before starting the recording, create a quick intro that contains some basic info about you and your business, and at the end, be sure and give your viewer your call to action.

7. Combine the audio and presentation into a video. If you use Camtasia, you can combine your audio and presentation into a video when you record the audio portion. However, if you don’t own screencast software, you can have the audio and presentation combined into a video by a freelance video editor for $25-$50.

8. Submit the video. There are hundreds of video submission sites out there, and you’ll want to get your new video on as many of them as possible.

Now, even introverted marketers can take advantage of the opportunities offered by online video marketing. Screencast instructional videos will help introverted business owners leverage their expertise and get found online.