How To Create A Promo Video For Your Online Course

The campaign for marketing that is the best for your program is largely defined by the topic of the course as well as your intended audience but no matter who you're seeking to get into the course, there's a fact that will help your campaign and that's video marketing. Video marketing is one of the most efficient methods to connect and interact with online users.

If you are new to video, this might appear impossible, but don't worry! With the right tools and a bit of direction it is possible to create videos that are accurate to your strategy and catch the attention of your target viewers. Before we begin, let's examine the essence of video marketing and why it's become such a valuable tool.

  What is the purpose of video marketing?

Videos are used for video marketing. They can be utilized as part of your marketing. That's it! It's incredibly easy and successful. Promo videos are extremely effective. promo video is a type of video that has been created for advertising a particular event, product, offer and, in the case of your online courses. The majority of promo videos are short (ours average about 15 seconds) and focus on one main focus on registering prospective students for instance.

To be honest the concept of video marketing is not new. The use of video has been around for a long time. What makes today's marketing landscape distinct isn't necessarily revolutionary video technology, it's social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat--these are all social media platforms that offer the (relatively) innovative means for people to exchange ideas and remain connected. Because all of these social media sites are accessible in apps that can be downloaded on phones and tablets, users can access them anytime at any time and anywhere. This means that your course has the potential to achieve continuous connectivity with members of your target audience.

  How has social media impacted the landscape of video marketing?

In addition to revolutionizing how individuals interact, social media has changed the ways you connect with your course's target audience. In contrast to radio or television the social media channel is never completely off. Furthermore, the amount of users that video advertising through social media has potential to get to is immense. Consider this:

• Based on Statista, 78 percent of people living in America has a profile on social networks. United States has a social network profile.
• As of December, 2015, more than 59 billion users are on Facebook. Out of these 1.59 billion people, 1.4 billion are actively engaging with the platform through their smartphones.
• Instagram has 400 million Instagram users at the time of writing in September 2015.
• Though smaller than Facebook and Instagram, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest along with Snapchat all have over 100 million users.

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

The short answer to this question is a resounding yes. If you want to know the answer in a longer way we'll first consider why your course's target audience might respond well to your marketing videos:

• When you make videos with high-quality content, you can actually build a connection that is emotional with the course's participants. Videos may bring out the features of the brand that are in tune with the target market, and people who watch your video may think that they are familiar with your brand more than if they go through the same content in written form. This is crucial when your course extends the business you run.
• Videos are easier to read than text. By providing a visual that people can focus at, video advertising can convey your message in an easily accessible way, combining audio and sight, making it more memorable.
• Using video marketing can actually boost the likelihood of audience members to buy whatever is being promoted, meaning those who watch videos are more likely enroll in your online class.

Although engagement with your target audience members is certainly the end goal for video marketing, it's important to look at the more technical side of video marketing in order to figure out the best way to achieve engagement. It's true that you won't create a relationship with your audience if they don't see the content you've created. Here are some of the methods that video marketing can bring even more value to your marketing campaign for your courses to get your message in front of a larger amount of viewers:

• People enjoy sharing posts that they find interesting through social media. video content is a simple way for them to share your message. If you are able to create video marketing content that is beneficial for your audience They will be enticed to share the videos to their families, friends as well as professional networks. In addition, they will be more likely to sign up for your online course.
• Because video marketing doesn't require costly equipment or a lot of editing, it can be used to promote your business in real time (it's even faster to create videos than certain blog content!). Believe it or not, you can make a promotional video and post it within minutes (not hours) which implies that you are able to continuously create video marketing content that's relevant, informative, and engaging. The result is content that people will take to social media and share.

  Can video marketing keep your course relevant?

Aside from all of the advantages of using video marketing, which we've discussed, there's one quite important reason to add videos to your school's promotion strategy is a good idea: relevance.

Since technology has evolved in the past, businesses must keep pace in order to be current in the eyes of their target audience members. Video marketing is just the next stage in the long line of technological advances as well as marketing strategies. Actually, Cisco predicts that video content will comprise 69% of all Internet traffic from consumers in 2017 and Nielsen predicts that 64% marketing professionals expect that video will become an integral part of their marketing strategies.

  Here are the steps I follow when putting together promotional videos:  

  Step One: PLAN  

It is essential to establish an idea of what you want to accomplish before investing any time producing the video.

• Decide the goal for your film. What actions do you wish your viewers to take after watching your video? Make a note of it! Get clear before you go any more
• What is the content you'll need for your video? List specific images or video videos you'd like to incorporate.
• What are you looking to include? Provide specific promotion, event details, coupon codes, or calls to action.

  STEP TWO STEP TWO: PRODUCE  

It's where the majority of people get stuck because of insufficient tech knowledge. However, you do not really require tech skills anymore! We make all of our videos for promotion on our smartphones.

• Select the best place to create the video. Make use of one of our top applications and you'll be able to create an amazing video in just five minutes flat. The top five iPhone video games are Quik, Legend, Stop Motion, Flipagram, Ripl and Boomerang. Some are paid, some are free. Some even provide templates which means you do not have to "design" everything. If you are tech-challenged, try Flipagram first since it's a basic slideshow.
• Upload your photos as well as text into your application that you prefer. Only use your own images or those that you have permission to utilize. Don't steal images off of Google!
• Want music? Certain apps come with built-in music beds that can create amazing sound effects for your videos. However, keep in mind that the majority of the songs you have in the iTunes library have copyrights. That means you can face fines if you embed the songs in your video without having a license to make use of the video. (i.e. the possibility of being sued) (i.e. your music could be censored, and your music could be removed from social media sites - gaaaahhh!) My preferred place to buy audio or sound effects is Audio Jungle.
• After you've finished when you're done, save the footage to your camera roll or send it out directly via the application.

Remember that if you intend to share your video to Instagram, it must be between 3 and 60 seconds long. Be aware that attention spans are short... therefore, ensure that your video is shorter.

Also, if you want your videos to look great on every platform, make sure you go to a square-cut 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: PROMOTE  

• Share your video on your social media pages along with a few lines of text as well as a link. Explain to your viewers what they should do. (i.e. increase the impact of your video's call-to action)
• Upload the video to your YouTube channel, and then include it on blog posts, guest post in other blog sites, etc.
• Include the video in your email marketing.

  Do you have the skills to create an advertisement video to promote your online course?  

Promo videos are a proven way to grow course enrolment. If you use the tools mentioned above, they are easier than you think. Give it a try and watch your engagement in social media skyrocket!

If you have any questions regarding creating a promotional video for your online course, you can leave them in the comments section below. Download my Video Planning Worksheet to help you plan and create your future video!

Julie Ball is the Founder of Grow Web Marketing, a marketing firm that aids female entrepreneurs grow their business as well as their image and brand themselves. To learn how to create video content of high-quality to promote your company without spending a fortune, check out her online course Easy Video Marketing for Small Businesses.