How To Create A Promo Video For Your Online Course

The marketing campaign that works the best for your program will largely be determined by the course's topic as well as your intended audience but no matter who you're looking to enroll in your course, there's one marketing truth that can boost your campaign: video marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage people on the internet.

If you are new to videography, it may seem out of reach--but don't fret! With the right tools and an ounce of guidance You can make videos that are accurate to your course and capture the attention of your intended audience. Before we begin, let's take a look at what exactly video marketing is and how it has become an effective instrument.

  What exactly is video marketing?

Video marketing involves using videos to promote your business. That's it! It's extremely simple and effective. It's extremely simple and highly effective. promotional video is a type of video that has been created for promoting a product, event or offer, or in your case the case of an online course. The majority of promo videos are short (ours average about 15 seconds) and are designed with the same primary focus on registering fresh students, as an example.

To be honest the concept of video marketing is not new. The use of video has been around for years. The thing that makes the current landscape of marketing different isn't necessarily new video technology, it's social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat--these are all social media sites that give a (relatively) modern method for users to exchange ideas and stay connected. Because all of these social sites are available via apps for mobile devices and tablets, they have access to them at any time at any time and anywhere. That means your courses have the ability to be connected continuously with members of your target students.

  How has social media impacted the landscape of video marketing?

As well as revolutionizing the ways people communicate with each other, social media has changed how you interact with the members of your course's target audience. In contrast to radio or television it is not completely off. Furthermore, the amount of people that video marketing on social media have potential to be able to reach is astounding. Think about it:

• Based on Statista, 78% of the population of the United States has a social networking profile.
• In December 2015, the world's population of 59.9 billion are active on Facebook. From those 1.59 billion, 1.4 billion are actively engaging with the platform through their smartphones.
• Instagram has 400 million users as of September, 2015.
• Although they are smaller than Facebook as well as Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat all boast more than 100 million users.

  Are the benefits that video marketing can bring more than the time and effort to produce it?

The quick answer is an unquestionable yes. To get the full answer, let's first look at why your course's target audience may be well-received by your marketing videos:

• When you make videos with high-quality content, you can actually make an emotional connection with your course's target participants. Videos can bring out aspects of your brand that resonate with your audience those who view your videos may feel like they have a better understanding of your brand than if they were to go through the same content in written form. This is particularly important if your course can be a part of your business.
• Videos are easier to digest than text. Through providing visuals for people to focus upon, videos marketing can communicate your message in an easily accessible way, combining audio and sight, making it more memorable.
• Utilizing video marketing could boost the likelihood of audience members to buy whatever is being promoted, meaning that they are more likely to enrol for your online training.

While engagement with target audience members is certainly the ultimate goal of video marketing but it's also crucial to consider the more technical side of video marketing to see the best way to achieve engagement. After all, you can't establish a connection with people if they don't see your video content. Here are some of the ways video marketing can add even more value to your marketing campaign for your courses through putting your material in front of a larger number of people:

• People love sharing things they like on social media, and video content is a simple means for them to spread your message. If you are able to create video marketing content that is beneficial to your target audience members They will be enticed to share the videos with their family, friends, and professional networks--and they are more likely to enroll in your online training course.
• As video marketing doesn't need the purchase of expensive equipment, or a lengthy editing process and editing, it is able to be utilized as a real-time marketing tool (it's more efficient to produce videos than blog content!). Believe it or not, you can make a promotional video to post it on the internet in minutes (not hours), and this means that you can continually produce video content for marketing that's relevant, informative, and engaging. The result is content that viewers will be happy to take to social media and share.

  Can video marketing keep your course relevant?

Aside from all of the benefits of video marketing we've talked about, there's a fundamental reason why adding videos to your school's marketing strategy is an excellent concept: relevance.

As technology has advanced in the past, businesses have had to keep up in order to be relevant in the eyes of their target audience members. Video marketing is the next stage in the long line of technological advances and tactics for marketing. Actually, Cisco predicts that video content will comprise 69% of the total consumer internet traffic by 2017 and Nielsen estimates that 64% marketing experts expect video to be a fundamental aspect of marketing strategies.

  Below are the steps that I use to put together promotional video:  

  STEP ONE: PLAN  

It's important to have a clear plan before spending the time to create your video.

• Determine the purpose that your content will achieve. What action do you want your viewers to take following watching the video? Make a note of it! Make sure you are clear before proceeding more
• What kind of content will you require to include in your video? List specific images or video videos you'd like to incorporate.
• What kind of text do you wish to add? Provide specific promotion events, details about the event, coupon codes, or calls to action.

  STEP 2 PRODUCE  

The majority of people end up stuck because of the lack of technical skills. However, you do not really require technology skills anymore! All of our videos for promotion on our phones.

• Choose where you will put together your video. Make use of one of our top apps to make a stunning video in 5 minutes or less. Some of our favorite iPhone video games are Quik, Legend, Stop Motion, Flipagram, Ripl and Boomerang. There are some paid for, and others are completely free. Some even provide templates which means you do not have to "design" everything. If you're not a tech expert, try Flipagram at first, as it's easy slideshow.
• Add your pictures as well as text into your application that you prefer. Make sure to use only your own pictures or images that you own the right to utilize. Make sure you don't copy images from Google!
• Want music? Certain apps come with built-in music beds that create amazing sound effects for your videos. But just remember that most of the music in your iTunes library are protected by copyright. That means you can face sanctions if you include them in your videos without having a license to use the clip. (i.e. the possibility of being sued) (i.e. your music could be muted, your video might be blocked from social media sites - gaaaahhh!) My top place to purchase audio or sound effects is Audio Jungle.
• When you're done you can save the video on your camera roll, or upload it to directly through the app.

Keep in mind that if you are planning to share your video on Instagram, it must be between three and sixty seconds in length. Remember though that attention spans are short... so ensure that your video is shorter.

Additionally, if you'd like your video to appear professional on all platforms, stick with a square crop. This way, nobody is required to flip their phone to view the video.

Here's an example of a promo video for my course which I posted on Instagram (about 15 seconds long):

  STEP THREE STEP THREE: PROMOTE  

• Upload your video to your social media channels by adding a brief text message and the link. Tell your audience what to do. (i.e. reinforce your video's call-to-action)
• Include the video on your YouTube channel. You can incorporate it into blog articles, guest posts for other websites, etc.
• Make use of the video when you are email marketing.

  Ready to make a promo video to advertise your course online?  

Promo videos have been proven to be a successful way to grow course enrolment. If you use the tools that are listed above, they can be done much quicker than you imagine. Try it out and watch your engagement in social media skyrocket!

If you have any concerns about creating a promo video to promote your online course send them to the section of comments below. It is also possible to download my Video Planner Worksheet that will assist you in planning and creating your future video!

Julie Ball is the Founder of Grow Web Marketing, a marketing company that assists female entrepreneurs grow their business along with their branding and themselves. If you want to learn how to produce video content of high-quality to promote your company without spending a fortune, check out her online course Easy Video Marketing for Small Businesses.