Tools for creating video

Video Creation Tools

There are some things you will need if you’re going to make your own videos. These tools (software and hardware) will make life a lot easier for you if you intend to make your own videos.

Good Acoustics

The first thing you’ll need is a room with good acoustics. Otherwise, you’re likely to get a terrible echo, or it will sound like you’re speaking in a tunnel. Ideally, you’ll want to film in a small room filled with plush furniture (like sofas and beds) that can absorb a lot of the sound reverberations.

A Video Camera

You don’t need to invest in an expensive video camera. Even a good camera phone will do. (Most high-end cellphones have a decent video camera built in.) Just be sure the video and sound quality are acceptable.

Of course, you won’t need this if you’re going to do a screen grab type video. But if you’re going to appear on camera yourself, or have an actor do it, you’ll need a decent camera.

Decent Lighting

If you’re going to be on camera, you need to be sure the lighting in the room is good enough to ensure your features are well lit and there are no harsh shadows.

A Good Microphone

If you’re using a video camera with a decent built-in microphone, you probably don’t need to worry about this. However, if you’re doing a screen grab style video or one that focuses on images and slides, you’ll need a good microphone to record your voice.

At the very least, you should hire someone to do the voiceover if you don’t want to use your own voice. Videos with voice outperform those that don’t by a very large margin.

Software

There are many good software packages that are useful for creating videos. You may want to try out a few to see which format you like best, as they each work in different ways.

Learning tp make video

Learning to Make Video Sales Letters

If you don’t know how to make sales letters, you’ll either need to learn to do it or hire someone to do it for you. The best option, of course, would be to learn to do it yourself. Not only is that the least expensive option, but your videos will almost always perform better with that personal touch.

Think about it. Who knows your product better than you? You are obviously the best one to present your product. You will gain a lot more credibility if you can look at the camera and say, “Hi, my name is Jane Smith, and this is my product!”

Sure, you can have someone else create the video for you, but it is so much better if you can put your own personal touch in the video and inject your personality into it in the same way you inject your personality into your product.

If you want to learn to create videos, here is a great course that will take you through the entire process using a variety of different setups. It’s extremely affordable, and will have you making professional videos in no time! (And it will save you a fortune on outsourcing!)

Important Features for video letters

Important Video Sales Letter Features

There are a few features that can really make a difference to the effectiveness of your video sales letters. These elements should be included in every video sales presentation you create.

Headline

First of all, you should be sure your video has a headline. This should be in the video itself, in the script, and possibly on the web page itself beside or above the video.

As with regular sales letters, the headline is perhaps the most important element of all, so be sure it’s a good one.

Solving the Problem

In the last section, we touched on the importance of presenting how your product solves a particular problem (or problems.) It’s a good idea to focus on one main problem, but you could present a few other smaller problems, too.

Be sure you really stick that problem in front of the viewer’s nose in a way they can’t escape from. You can do this by mentioning the problem repeatedly in different ways, and even presenting various scenarios that might happen if they don’t solve the problem.

Make sure your product is presented as the solution to that problem.

Use Scarcity

Love it or hate it, scarcity works. Be sure to let people know they won’t be able to get your offer for long. Either the product will be taken off the market, or the price will go up, but let them know that they must act right away.

Don’t Forget a Call-to-Action

Tell the viewer what you want them to do. Don’t expect them to read your mind! Do you want them to buy? Then tell them to hit the BUY NOW button. Do you want them to opt-in to your newsletter? Then tell them to enter their name and email address and hit SUBMIT. Whatever you want them to do, TELL THEM!

Include Social Proof

Social proof is a major key to getting sales on any kind of sales letter. This could be your credentials in your market or your testimonials. (Video testimonials included in the video could work well!)

Don’t Forget a Guarantee

As with any type of sales letter, a solid guarantee can help close the sale. Let people know that if they aren’t happy with their purchase, they can get their money back with no hassle.

Use Graphics Wisely

Graphics can be an important element on a traditional text sales letter, but they can be extremely distracting on a video sales page. Generally speaking, graphics should be used very sparingly on video sales pages.

 

Tips for video sales letters

Tips for Engaging Video Sales Letters

The few people who claim their video sales letters aren’t converting well are often those who put their videos together without as much thought and attention as they should use.

We are going to look at a few things you can do to make sure your video sales letters are the best they can be.

1.    Grab Attention – Just like your headline, you need to make sure the first few moments of your sales video grab attention. Use appealing text, great music, and interesting imagery.

2.    Be Brief – A video sales letter is generally most effective at between 10 and 25 minutes. Sometimes longer videos are necessary and effective, but most people will lose interest if you go beyond this range. So keep your video to a reasonable length, but also long enough to say everything you need to say.

3.    Solve a Problem – As in a normal sales letter, your video should focus on at least one problem your product can solve and present that clearly.

4.    Stay Positive – You may have some negative things you need to focus on, but the overall tone of your video needs to be uplifting.

5.    Use Auto-Play – I’m sure you’ve heard people talk about how much they hate auto-play. Yes, there are people who truly detest it. But the fact is, it works. Whatever your personal feeling is about it, you should consider using it because you’ll see results.

6.    Don’t Show Video Controls – Another proven fact of video sales letters is that you shouldn’t show the video controls. Don’t make it so people can click ahead or go back. Don’t make it so they can pause it. Just keep the controls off.

7.    Use Music Carefully – Music can be a great tool in video sales letters, but it should be used carefully and judiciously. Be sure music isn’t playing in the background when you’re speaking, because it could distract from your message.

 

 

Video Sales Letters

Why use video Sales Letters?

You’ve surely noticed by now that video sales letters are all the rage. It’s no wonder that these sales letters are so popular because they can convert many, many times better than traditional sales letters.

And there’s a lot of reasons for that:

·        They are more interesting, thus holding attention longer than text.

·        They are easier to trust because you can hear and possibly see the product creator.

·        Those who watch an entire video presentation are much more likely to spend money than those who can’t or won’t.

There are a couple of minor drawbacks to consider:

·        Some people prefer to “skim” a sales letter and don’t have the patience to sit through a video.

·        Some people on slow internet connections won’t be able to view the video even if they want to.

·        Video uses more bandwidth, so you need to make sure your server can handle the load if you get a lot of traffic.

Video truly converts, and if you’re not using video sales letters, you are missing out on potential sales. You can always have an alternate sales letter for people who leave your page without watching the video. Just set it up to open if they click the back button or close the window.

Video can also work well on squeeze pages, so if you have been having trouble getting people to opt into your email list, you might try a short video on your squeeze page.

How to create sales letter

Introduction

Creating a sales letter that will convert is tricky. There are so many things that can go wrong, from your headline to your graphics to your bullet points and so much more. It’s no wonder a lot of products seem to convert so terribly! This is especially true when people who have no experience with writing sales copy try to write their own.

Most people are content to just be a sales letter zombie. They look at their dismal sales and shrug and say, “I guess people don’t like my product.”

This kind of complacency is a real killer in business. If you’re content to wonder why your product isn’t selling, then you’re already doomed to fail. Don’t let this be you!

It’s time to wake up to the world of video sales letters, the latest (and greatest) trend in sales pages!

Video sales letters often convert several times better than standard sales letters, even if you use the same basic sales copy and techniques! Why? Because it’s a lot more personal when people can hear your voice and maybe even see your face. And there are other reasons. Even if you don’t want to appear on camera, just hearing a voice actor can make a huge difference.

Find out in next post how you can get started with your own video sales letters!

7 Ways To Make Money Using Nothing More Than Your List

An opt-in list can be quite crucial to any site or internet based company.  

Even for a small venture such as a niche profit site, an opt-in list can make a world of difference and also add some extra income for your pocket. Rarely would you see an e-commerce site, big or small, that is without an opt-in list. 

An opt-in list allows for a company to market their wares and site via an e-mail. With an opt-in list, a site and a subscriber consents to sending and receiving a newsletter from your company. Through this, you can keep your subscribers abreast of what is currently available in your site as well as whatever is coming out.  

And because there is mutual consent between the two parties, any mail sent to the list is not considered as spam mail. There is a great number of successfully read promotional materials such as catalogs, newsletters and such that are sent because the subscribers themselves have signed up for them, meaning, they do want to be sent those items.  

Building a list is crucial, only a small percentage actually subscribes for an opt-in list. Many people find promotional emails annoying but if you provide a good newsletter or promotional material,  you will see your list build up and grow. You can also achieve this by having good content on your site. If people like what they see and read on your site, then they surely would want more. Newsletters would be a way to attract them back to your site. A little teaser or appetizer if you will.  

But other than marketing your wares and your services, an opt-in list can also be used to earn extra profit. Not all lists can be used though. It would be good to first build a successful list with a huge number of subscribers. The more subscribers you have, the more money you can get. Here are seven ways to make money using nothing more than your list. 


 (1) Place advertisements. There are many corporations who will be willing to pay to put their banners and ads on a list with many subscribers. Selling or renting out lists is not a good idea so rather than doing that, many companies would just rather place ads with lists that have a huge subscriber base. Your newsletter could be placed with many ads and each one spells money. 


(2) Have affiliations with other companies that have at least a semblance or relation to what your site is about. Here other companies will provide links and brief descriptions of what they offer, products and services. With every click made on the link that directs or leads a subscriber from your list to their site, the company will pay you. This P4P or pay for performance. 


(3) Make deals with other companies by asking for a small percentage of sales done through your list. With every sale done by customers that have come from your list and have gone there because of your newsletter, the other company will pay you a small percentage of your sales. The more people who buy from them, the more earnings you get. 


(4) You may also get products from other sites on a consignment basis and sell them to your list via your newsletter. Place descriptions, articles, and photos of the product in your newsletter. There will be those who will buy from you and when that happens, you can order the product from the other site and sell it to your buyer. 


(5) Sell e-books or a compilation of your articles on your list. Manuals and how-to articles are in great demand. Many people will be willing to shell out money to gain knowledge about a certain topic and subject. With your existing list trusting your expertise in that area, an e-book could be offered and sold or used as an incentive. 

 (6) Create a network out of your list. Get people to invite more people to view your site and subscribe to your list. The larger your list is, the more people will be able to click on your links and affiliate links as well as make your advertisement rates higher. 


(7) Subscribers are willing to pay for information if they know that it can be trusted and relied upon. Use your list to get more and more people to subscribe to you as well as browse your site. Lastly, you can use your list to earn money by making them your partners. Your list will be the bloodline of your growth and increase. 

The 3 Things To Avoid When Emailing Your List

 When you decide to have an opt-in list, it is not just a matter of sending your subscribers your promotional newsletters or catalogs. There are many things to consider in avoiding many complications. While there are so many ways you can make people subscribe to your list, there are also some things you must do to avoid subscribers from wanting to get off from your list.   

Aside from that, you also want to avoid any problems with the law and your internet service provider or ISP. There are now many laws and rules that are applied to help protect the privacy of internet users from spamming and unwanted emails. With the popularity of the electronic mail as a medium for marketing because of the low cost, many companies’s have seized the opportunity and have flooded many people’s e-mail accounts with promotional mail. 

But, with an opt-in list, you avoid this annoyance because people subscribe to the list; they want to receive the newsletters and promotional materials. They have consented to be on the list by subscribing themselves, just don’t forget to put an unsubscribe feature every time in your opt-in list so that you avoid any confusion. There may be times when an email account was provided when the real owner didn’t want to subscribe.  

It is essential that you keep your list clean and manageable. Arrange it by using the many tools and technologies available for your opt-in list. Do not worry; your investment in this marketing strategy is well worth it with all the coverage you will get which will likely be converted into sales then to profit.  

Keep yourself and your business out of trouble and potential run-ins with the law and the internet service providers. Keep your operation legit and clean. Your reputation as a legitimate businessman and a legitimate site depends on your being a straight and true marketing strategist. As a tip, here are three things to avoid when emailing your list.  

(1)Take notice of your unsuccessful sends. These are the e-mails that bounce. Bounced emails, also known as undeliverable 
messages are those messages that, for whatever reason, were not successfully received by the intended recipient. 

 There are bounces that happen or occur because the server was busy at that time but can still be delivered in another time. There are also bounces because the inbox of the recipient is full at that time. There are those bounce messages that are simply undeliverable ever. The reason for this is that it may be an invalid email address, a misspelled email address, or an email address that was abandoned and erased already.  

Manage your list by putting markings on those that bounce. Erase an email account from your list so that you have accurate statistics and records as to how many are actually receiving your mail. You may also want to check the spellings of your email addresses in your list. One common mistake is when an N instead of an M is placed in the .com area. 

(2) Always provide an unsubscribe feature in your site and an unsubscribe link in your emails. When someone in your list files a request to be unsubscribed, always take that request seriously. If you don’t take them off your list and keep sending them your emails, you are now sending them spam mail. 


When you are reported as a spammer, you and your business can get into a lot of trouble. You can be reported to the authorities and maybe blacklisted by many internet service providers. You will lose a lot of subscribers this way and many more in potential subscribers. 

(3) Do not provide pornographic or shocking and disturbing content in your newsletters. It is hard to decipher the age of the recipient and many complaints may stem from these. Controversial issues also are to be avoided to not be branded by your subscribers. Stick to the nature of your site and business. 


Always remember these tips in this article so that you can have a healthy relationship with your subscribers as well as be kept within the boundaries of what is allowed in sending emails to an opt-in list.   

5 Things To Consider When Publishing A Newsletter

Providing a newsletter for your opt-in list subscribers provides many benefits in terms of driving traffic into your site as well as boosting the sales and profits of your site and company.  

 This is a marketing ploy that will not hugely dent your marketing budget and will not also require many man-hours in developing this project. 

With a newsletter, you can inform the public about your company and products as well as services. You can keep them posted and updated about what’s going on with your company as well as many of your promotions and offerings. With these, you keep on reminding your subscribers that you are still here and is willing to offer them good deals and services.  

Newsletters also allow you to impress your subscribers. It can show your expertise and knowledge about the topic at hand and the many benefits you can offer them. When you impress people, they will become potential customers and another great thing is that they can recommend you to their friends, colleagues, and family. All of them could very well be customers in the future. 

If you do not have a newsletter or publishing one for your site, then you may have to consider researching and be well informed on how to publish one. It is not as easy as it seems but if and when you get the right idea and process, it will be smooth sailing from there on. Try to take the time to learn what you need to learn and get that newsletter ready and good to attract subscribers to your newsletter as well as traffic to your site. 

In the next few paragraphs, I will provide you with some things to reflect on when you decide to start your own newsletter for your site. Here are five things to consider when publishing a newsletter. 


(1) Make sure that the content of your newsletter pertains to and closely associated with your business or the theme of your site. Do not dwell too far on what could be regarded as your field of expertise. You have started a site and your theme for your site will 
always be something you are knowledgeable about. For example; if you have a site that sells auto car parts, your newsletter must contain articles or content like photos that pertain to cars, auto parts and such. You may also include content about your company and your staff. Remember that visitors of a certain site are there because they are interested in what the site has to offer. If they sign up for an opt-in list or for a newsletter this means that they want to be updated for that certain theme or subject. Be sure that when you publish your newsletter you are providing for the need of the subscriber as well as their interests.   

(2)Ensure that you have well written, information riddled and content rich articles. Your articles will be the body of your newsletter and that they should be able to excite your readers as well as provide information. Articles should be well written and checked for errors such as spelling and grammatical errors for it to look professional and believable. The trust of your client to you and newsletter is at stake here. 


(3)Fact-check your articles. Make sure that you provide true facts and figures so that your reputation as an expert and knowledgeable in that field is not questioned. If you lose the trust of your subscribers these may persuade them to unsubscribe to your newsletter. You will lose many potential sales this way. 


(4)Provide fresh and new articles that can provide new information to your subscribers. If you publish stale and old news in your newsletter, there is a tendency that people or your subscribers already have read and known about them. This will lose their interest in your newsletter and they won't get to read what is most important your ads. They may not open or read any of your succeeding newsletters losing your intention in writing and publishing newsletters, to get them to visit your site and make a purchase. 

 (5)Never use copyrighted materials such as photos and articles. This is outright plagiarism, you may get into a lot of trouble for this. You can lose your business and get sued over copyright infringement. If you do not have the time to write your own articles, there are many willing and able professional article writers that can do it for you for a reasonable fee. All your investment in writing and publishing articles will be well worth it when you see your list build up and your traffic increasing.