Are you finally ready to learn how to make a YouTube video for your business?
Not sure exactly where to begin? Well in this 2-part blog post I’ll break down the steps you need to take to get you started creating YouTube videos for your business.
1. First up, why are you creating this video?
Never, ever create a YouTube video because you think, feel, believe or received some psychic reading that it will be what your audience wants to learn from you. HUGE MISTAKE! You need to always know WHY you are creating your videos. What is your ultimate goal for this video? What do you want your viewer to learn from watching your video?
2. Second, get into the brain of your viewer by researching their struggles.
You need to first understand what issues your ideal audience is struggling with and then use your solutions as topics for your videos. Search to learn their most common complaints and learn what specific keyword terms they are using to describe it.
Handy tools like Google Keyword Planner, StoryBase and Answer the Public can help you expand your research.
3. Third, it’s time to plan out what you will say and how you’ll say it.
This is where you can choose to either write out a word for word script or a bulleted outline. An outline will be easy for you to follow and stay on point with your message.
REMEMBER, you wouldn’t want to stray off topic since you’ll most likely lose the interest of your viewers.
YouTube videos that are short and to the point work best, However, as long as there is a benefit to the viewer length is not as important is what you are saying is worth listening to.
4. Fourth, what kind of YouTube video are you most comfortable creating.
Here are your choices:
- Live-action (featuring you and/or your office)
- PowerPoint slides
- Screencasting (recording your computer screen)
- Animation: Whiteboard or Cartoon
- Image Slideshow
5. Fifth, now you are ready for your close-up in your YouTube video.
Depending on the chosen format, you’ll need to do one or any combination of the following:
LIVE-ACTION: It’s always best to film yourself in your YouTube videos. It shortens the know, like and trust factor and makes you more relatable to your audience. Even if you hate the way you look or sound (I’ve been there and feel your pain) it’s worth it in the end to star in your own videos.
- When ready, don’t think that you’ll need to purchase expensive camera equipment, your smartphone will work perfectly. Besides a camera, you’ll need to get a good mic and use natural lighting if possible.
POWERPOINT: If you decide you would like to use PowerPoint slides for your video, you can begin by choosing your template or creating one and then craft your slides.
- Will you just use text or will it be a combination of both text and images? For this process, you can record your narration and import it into PowerPoint and then export your entire presentation as a video.
SCREENCASTING: If you’ve chosen screencasting, then you’re an entrepreneur after my own heart and you love to show and tell.
- This is the best method for me to teach with and learn from as I am a visual person which by the way approximately 65% of us are. In order to record your screen, you will need to use a platform or software program.
- My abfab favorite is and always will be Camtasia. At just under $200 I think it’s a great price considering how robust it is (if you didn’t know, it’s also an editing platform). But if $199 is too rich for your blood then my guide advises you on a few less expensive alternatives. Download my guide on how to create how-to videos
ANIMATION: If you’re a fan of animation videos and you prefer this route then your choices with be either whiteboard or cartoon. Either will require that you purchase a membership and then give yourself some time to learn how to use the platform.
- Here are some websites for you to review:
www.goanimate.com.
www.biteable.com/animation
www.animaker.com,
www.videoscribe.co
www.powtoon.com
I also recommend if you choose this route to have your script and storyboard prepared in advance as it will save you a tremendous amount of time in the end.
IMAGE SLIDESHOW: Creating a slideshow of your images or stock images is how Animoto became the monster company that it is today. It’s an obvious resource for you to use to create your image only based videos.
- However, if you prefer to create them on your own, you can use apps like Pixagram for Android and Slideshow Maker for iOS, office software like PowerPoint or just import them into your editing software and go.
- If you don’t have a great library of images to use then try out stock houses like Pixabay, CreateHER Stock, Unsplash among a slew of others.
- Need places where you can create these videos easily? Check out Animoto.
NOTE: For my background music in my videos, I use YouTube’s Audio Library, Audioblocks, and AudioJungle.
At this point you might be telling yourself, there is no way in the world I can do ALL of this. If this is what it takes to create YouTube videos for my business, I think I’ll pass!
If you’re thinking this is more than you’d like to take on I have an easy solution for you. You can research your topic, create your script and film yourself and then send everything to your outsourced editor Check out my handy outsourcing guide to help you in your search located in my Welcome Kit below.
Now once your YouTube video has been created you’re not done just yet. There are still a few more things that you will need to do before your YouTube video is ready for the world.
We’ll cover those things in the next blog post coming up …..
