Do you want to know how to sell videos online? We’ll give you all the information you need.
This post will guide you through each step of the process. We’ll start by discussing how to create engaging video content.
We’ll then show you how to sell your videos on your website and other online marketplaces.
We’ll also show you how to boost sales with powerful online marketing techniques.
Why sell videos online
Let’s take a look at why you may want to sell videos online instead of other products.
Video is a hot topic. The consumer’s love for video has never been higher. The total video-watching time has increased by an incredible 85% just in 2020. Demand has generally been on the rise for quite some time. To see this, you only need to look at how fast VOD platforms such as Netflix and Disney Plus have grown and social video networks like TikTok. This demand makes it easier than ever to sell videos.
Never worry about stock running out when you sell digital video content. The product only needs to be created once, and it can be sold an unlimited number of times without the need for restocking or manufacturing costs.
High intrinsic value. Video is seen to have a higher inherent value than other digital content, such as images and texts, making it easier to sell to customers.
Easy to market. Videos are easier to market than other content types because you can drive traffic via social video platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and IGTV. Video content is up to 12 times more shareable compared to images and text. This means that your audience will be more likely to share it with their family and friends and do your marketing.
Create your videos.
Create your video content first before you start selling online. Skip this section if you have already recorded and published videos that you wish to trade. We’ll guide you through the process if not.
Choose the type of video you wish to sell
You’ll need first to decide the type of video content that you wish to create and sell.
Some of the most popular videos (and those that tend to sell best) are:
Educational videos (e.g., Online courses, how-to guides, tutorials, and self-help videos are all examples of educational videos.
Exercise videos (e.g., Exercise routines and fitness programs
Short films (e.g., animated shorts, live-action shorts, documentaries, etc.)
Exclusive live streams, e.g., webinars, streaming videos, etc.)
It makes sense to produce videos that will appeal to your existing audience.
If you are a fitness influencer on Instagram with a large audience, you can probably sell a video series of fitness programs to your followers.
If you have a channel on YouTube where you post short animation sketches, then you can create feature-length cartoons or animated movies and use your channel to drive sales.
Start by deciding what type of content you would like to create.
Are there any topics that you are particularly passionate about or interested in? Could you use your knowledge in a certain area to create educational content? You get the picture.
Market research
The next step after deciding what type of video you’d like to sell is to confirm that there’s a demand for it.
You can do this by searching through VOD platforms such as YouTube, Udemy, etc. Check to see if similar content exists and if it’s popular.
You can use keyword research tools in order to find out how many people search for that particular type of video content each month. This can help you determine if your product is in demand.
You’ll want to check the competition as well. Is the market saturated or not? How can you make your product different from the competition?
Don’t forget your target audience. You should know your audience, their expectations, and the best way to reach them.
Select a payment structure.
Next, you need to decide on the price of your video content. Here, you have several options.
A subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD), or model, is one of the most popular ways to sell online videos.
This pricing structure allows your viewers to pay monthly for your entire video catalog (similar to Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime). This is a great way for video courses to be sold.
SVOD models are only viable if you own multiple videos.
It might be more cost-effective to sell one video at a time, as opposed to monthly subscriptions.
Pay-what-you-want (PWYW) is another cool option. This model allows viewers to decide the price they’d like to pay for a video based on how much they value it. This model can be successful, but it relies on the generosity of your audience.
There are ways to monetize video content even without selling it.
You could, for example, make your videos free to view but then use them to promote products from which you can earn commissions. You could also run ads that monetize views and sell digital downloads.
Plan your content
You now have a rough idea of what you want to create and how you plan to market it. It’s time to start planning the video.
It’s not a right or wrong process to plan. The planning process depends on the type of video that you want to create.
Outlining. Outline your basic ideas, such as the theme, setting, etc. Divide the idea into scenes, and plan the order in which you will shoot them.
Storyboarding. Draw a series of sketches for each shot that you plan to record. This will help you create a visual representation. This can be done digitally using Storyboarder.
Scripting. Write the video script, including all the dialogue between characters/presenters, additional notes on camera angles, descriptions of special effects, scene notes, etc.
Revision: Review and rewrite your storyboard, script, and other materials as necessary to make it the best it can be.
Schedule. Determine when and where to shoot and create a schedule.
Recording equipment is an investment that you should make
You’ll need certain equipment if you want to record and produce the video yourself.
What equipment you need depends on what type of video you want to produce and how complicated it is to film.
You can probably do with just the basics if you are creating something simple, like a video where you sit/stand in one spot and speak to the camera. This includes a tripod, good lighting, a shotgun microphone, and a screen.
If you plan to shoot complex action shots outside, you might need more advanced equipment, such as gimbals and camera rigs.
