How to Get Started Creating Videos

Creating a video is one of the most effective tools in marketing your book. But are you using this tool to your advantage?

Today, I want to share with you a step-by-step plan on how to get yourself started creating videos that will be a powerful way to market your products.

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How to Start Creating Videos

A video is one of the best ways to market and sell more books. Yet a lot of authors are resistant to do it. I am going to share with you a simple strategy to get comfortable on video.

Recently, I was speaking at a conference. I was talking to someone. She said she wanted to start creating videos and grow her YouTube channel. I shared with her some tips and simple ideas. It’s an easy process of going from no experience to feel comfortable on video, and even going live. She came to life, she was like, “oh wow! I think I can do this.”

I wanted to share this process with you today of getting on creating videos.

The first thing I want to say about creating a video is, it does not have to be in a professional video studio. I’m recording on my MacBook Pro with a Yeti Microphone and a Diva Ring Light. You don’t even need to have all those things.

You can stand in front of a window, with light. Use your iPhone or smartphone. You can use what you have. You don’t have to be in a fancy studio. Behind me are some of my artwork and Author Audience Academy logo.

Start with what you have. Don’t let those things stop you.

To be honest, people connect with authenticity and not with perfection. Don’t worry about being perfect. It is not having a studio or a piece of equipment. If you wait for perfection, guess what? You’ll never record that video. You will never press publish it at all.

How to get comfortable in front of a camera

To get comfortable in recording a video is to practice speaking in front of a camera. It’s like you’re talking to yourself. I want you to imagine that your best friend is on the other side of the camera and you’re talking to him.

Right now, I’m being intentional of looking into the webcam of my MacBook Pro. When I’m on my iPhone I’m always to look right into the camera there. If you don’t know where the camera is, stick your finger up. When it starts covering, you’ll know exactly where it is. Make sure to get comfortable looking into the camera or device that you’re using and talking.

When you’re creating a video it’s not a conversation. It’s a one-way dialogue. You have to get comfortable talking for a period of time.

Even one- to two-minute video is effective. Because people don’t have a ton of time. You don’t feel like you have to talk forever.

The first step in creating your video is to get out your camera or your phone. Whatever it is, get it out and practice looking into that camera. Go ahead and record yourself. Start talking.

I don’t want you to rewatch the videos. Delete them immediately. Get in the habit of what it takes. Stumble on your words. You’re not going to be publishing it. So let yourself stumble or even look weird. Just get in the habit.

Do it daily for at least 7 days. Familiarize yourself looking into the right place of the camera. Get used to talking for at least one to two or maybe five minutes. Be familiar to what it’s like. Then, once you’ve done that for at least seven days. I want you to start recording yourself. Share stories and things from your life.

I like to pick out stories that will relate to something that I want to teach. You can think about different stories from your childhood.

If you’re like me, you dropped your baton in a parade. It was the one-time people took you a picture. You were mortified and vowed to never make a mistake. It led you to try to achieve and accomplish things. You didn’t want to fail again. That is a story I often tell. You can take any story from your life.

Maybe you failed your driver’s test as I did. Perhaps you had experience overseas. Or there was something happened that was funny. 

Like, I showed up to school one day with two different shoes on. It doesn’t have to be anything that you’re planning to publish. Just a story that you can tell without thinking about it. That is the key.

You don’t need to have a note. Nor to be thinking about it. I want you to get used to it. Have a phone and a tripod if you can. Look into the lens. Tell that story for one to two minutes. Record yourself. Get used to talking and recording yourself as you tell a story. Do that for 30 days.

Some of those videos you might actually end up using. But don’t plan on using any of them. Just use it for more practice.

Starting with Pre-Recorded Videos

The next step is you are ready to make pre-recorded videos. You can edit and publish it online. There is a difference between having a pre-recorded video versus going live. I’m not talking yet about going live. This is about a video that you pre-record.

Then, you get out some editing software.

I use Camtasia. You can use any kind of video editing application. You will edit out all the blips, mums, and mistakes. You will have a polished, finished, product.

A pro-tip:

I had someone, an artist, who was having trouble recording her videos for a SkillShare class. I gave her this tip. She has been recording classes like crazy. I think she has three classes out. What I told her was, when you make a mistake in your video:

• Don’t start all over again.
• Stop where you were.
• Have a pause so that you can see in the video where the mistake was.
• Begin that last sentence and start over.
• Keep going.

Instead of starting at the beginning proceed at the last sentence.

What this does do? It helps you to keep going. Maybe you have to do that five times in creating your video. I’ve had to do that before. I’m stumbling over my words in a recorded video. I go back in and edit it out. It’s no big deal. It takes some pressure off of you.

You don’t have to get it perfect the first time. Do the best that you can. If there’s something that doesn’t come out right, just stop. Start that sentence again and edit it out later. That will save you so much time.

This is what I do for any of my recorded videos, training, courses, SkillShare and art classes. I do this on any types of recorded videos that I’m creating. It helps me to get it done faster without much pressure. Sometimes, the editing does take a little longer. Although, not that much.

You have to listen thoroughly. Make sure everything that needs to get edited, out. But it helps to get over the hump of recording your videos. I still do it, to this day.

The next step to create those pre-recorded videos:

• You’re looking into your camera.
• Say whatever content you want to share with the world. It could be something that relates to your book. Or anything that may be helpful and interesting. You’re going to be sharing that content.
• Be engage like you’re talking to your friend across the table at the coffee shop.
• Record those videos for one to two minutes, up to five.

These are videos that I encourage you to pick topics that you could actually publish. You can start in these areas. Make it a goal for publishing one of these videos a week for a month.

The first seven days, you’re getting all the kinks out. You’ll get the feel of looking at the camera and talking to it. The next 30 days, you’re going to start telling stories and things. These are stories that you don’t have to have a note. Or things to think about. You start talking and recording this one video for 30 days.

You can go back and watch and watch these videos. See where you might do things a little bit differently. Where you got stuck in a certain area. Then, start creating these pre-recorded videos on topics you can edit and share with your audience.

Doing Live Videos

The next step is to do live videos. In fact, live videos are very powerful right now in social media.

• I recommend you to create a private Facebook Group. It could have one or two other people as a member. It may be your accountability partner or somebody that is close to you. I usually put my husband in these groups. You could have your sister or best friend. It can be someone you know and say, “hey, I’m going to create this group and I’m putting you in there so I can practice my videos.”
• Go in there and practice going live in the group.
• Practice doing live for one to two minutes daily for 30 days. Until you start to feel comfortable with the technology, how it works, and the process for going live.
• I suggest you create a short outline. It is something that you can go from. Like I have one right now on my post-it notes. This is my short outline for this video. With that short outline on hand, go live and do it! You can always delete the video afterward if it doesn’t work out.

Live Video Five-day challenge

I have free training. It is a five-day challenge to help you do your first live video. I want to invite you to join this challenge.

You can join at https://www.trainingauthors.com/livevideo/.

This is an example of what you can do. You can alter this or change the dates and times. But you need to start!

• Get started talking and recording videos.
• Familiarize yourself in making recorded videos by sharing one story a day for one month.
• Create pre-recorded videos that you can edit.
• If you make a mistake, stop and start over the last sentence.

Now, if you want to go live.

• Create a private Facebook Group.
• Add one of your best friends, husband, or someone in it that can be a safe place to practice.
• Go live.
• Do it!

Practice makes perfect

I am so excited for you!

Whatever you do, you could stop at the pre-recorded videos. That could be all you do. Maybe you’ll never feel comfortable going live. That is fine. I remember, I challenged myself to do a video a day. It was in 2015 when I did a 40-day video challenge. I did 40 pre-recorded videos every day. They were a few minutes each. It was the year that I turned 40. 

After that, I started getting into doing live videos. I started to get comfortable even more. I mean, I’m a speaker. Doing that 40-day challenge of pre-recorded videos got me into being more comfortable on camera.

What more, I did 100 days in a row of live videos. At that time it was Periscope. Now, I do Facebook and Instagram.

I did 100 days in a row of live videos! Do you think I got better at doing video in 2015?

Absolutely YES!

Doing those challenges and creating a new video every day helped me. I still use those skills today. So, it just takes practice. I encourage you. Get out there. Do it!

Free resources for making a video

If you want additional resources and tips to help you with videos especially going live, take my free five-day live video challenge at https://www.trainingauthors.com/livevideo/.

Again,

• Go for it.
• Do it!
• Afraid or fear is what we feel. But brave is what we do.
• Go ahead and be brave. Get out your video camera and start the process.

Till next time.

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