Are you currently selling info-products, such as books or access to membership sites? If so, that’s fantastic.
However, if you’re not offering video courses as well, you could be missing out on additional revenue.
The reason is straightforward, and as we’ve mentioned before in this guide: providing content in video format tends to have a higher perceived value.
And here’s another important point…
People love videos. That’s why platforms like YouTube are so popular, and why you see an abundance of videos on sites like Facebook.
Many people prefer watching a video over reading a book, which is another reason why video content is so well-liked.
Videos, and especially courses, are also highly popular.
People often want more than just a report or simple reading material; they want a full course on a subject that interests them.
A course is generally seen as providing more in-depth information, attracting those who are serious about the topic.
Consider two individuals, both eager to learn about growing roses. One buys a book, while the other enrolls in a continuing education course at the local college.
Which person do you think appears more committed?
While both may have equal passion for the subject, the person taking the course is often perceived as more serious.
Similarly, the course-taker likely believes they’re gaining more valuable information, which is why you can typically charge more for a course than for a book.
These perceptions make a big difference, enabling you to market video courses to a more engaged audience and charge higher prices.
As a result, you attract high-quality customers who are willing to spend more, both upfront and later on. (Now you can see why video courses can be so lucrative!)
Let me add a quick note…
Selling video courses is a smart strategy, even if you’re not currently offering info-products.
For instance, if you sell physical products via drop-shipping, you might consider creating and selling video courses alongside them.
A short course can help attract people into your sales funnel, where you can promote your physical products on the backend.
A more comprehensive, higher-priced course could serve as a flagship product within that funnel.
For example, let’s say you’re selling home theater equipment. You could also offer video courses that teach customers how to set up their home theaters.
A short course could cover how to choose the right equipment, such as the correct TV size for their room, while a longer course might provide detailed installation instructions.
You could then sell the home theater products as part of the backend of both courses.
The key takeaway is that you can sell video courses regardless of whether you primarily deal in physical or digital products.
And you can apply this strategy to almost any niche to boost your revenue.
Now, let’s talk about how to get started. Here are the three steps:
• Step 1: Choose Your Topic
• Step 2: Develop Your Course
• Step 3: Market Your Course
Let’s dive deeper into each step…
Step 1: Select Your Topic
Your first step is to select a topic that’s in high demand. You can determine this by conducting thorough market research.
If your audience is already purchasing info-products related to a specific topic, that’s a strong indicator that the topic is both popular and profitable.
Beyond choosing a popular topic, you’ll also need to consider how it aligns with your overall sales funnel.
In other words, what type of course would complement the other products in your funnel?
Take a close look at how the proposed video course will fit into your sales funnel. Specifically, what products do you plan to sell as follow-ups to your course?
It’s crucial to have a clear idea of what you’ll promote within the course, as this will help you refine your choice of topic.
For example, if you’re already offering a search engine optimization plugin for WordPress users, it makes sense to sell a course on SEO.
To ensure you reach a highly targeted audience, you’d want to offer a course specifically teaching how to optimize WordPress blogs.
So, go ahead and choose an in-demand topic that fits well with your sales funnel and objectives, then move on to the next step…
Step 2: Create Your Course
Now that you’ve decided on your course topic, the next step is creating the course itself.
When producing a video, you’ll need to determine the format in which you’ll present the material.
We’ve covered the various formats earlier in this guide, but here’s a quick refresher of your options:
- Slide-presentation video, where the content is presented on slides with voice-over narration.
- Talking-head video, where the presenter speaks directly to the camera and delivers the information.
- Demo video, where you demonstrate a process while providing instructions.
You can also mix these formats, such as using a slide presentation with embedded demo clips to visually show how to perform certain tasks.
Once you’ve chosen your video format, it’s time to outline your course.
Instead of creating one long video, break the content into modules, with each module lasting anywhere from a few minutes to around 15 minutes.
Each module should focus on one specific topic.
For example, take this guide, which presents 10 strategies to boost revenue in any niche. If it were turned into a video course, it could consist of 12 modules:
- An introductory module.
- 10 training modules, one for each method described.
- A concluding module.
In this case, the introductory and concluding modules would be brief (just a few minutes), while each training module could run 10-12 minutes—long enough to cover the material, but short enough to keep viewers engaged.
As you outline your modules, remember that the average speaking rate is around 150 words per minute.
So, if you want a 10-minute module, aim for about 1500 words in your video script.
TIP: Speaking rates can vary, so time yourself or your presenter with five minutes of content to get an accurate sense of pacing, and adjust your script length accordingly.
Next, consider your course and module titles. These play a crucial role in attracting buyers.
People will often decide whether to purchase based on how compelling the titles are, so it’s important to spend time crafting titles that are intriguing and benefit-driven.
For instance, “Job Hunting and Interview Tips” is a descriptive title, but not very engaging.
A stronger title would be: “The Secrets to Landing the $100k Job of Your Dreams – Even Without a College Degree!”
This version presents a clear benefit and stirs curiosity by including the word “secrets.”
Take the time to brainstorm and refine your titles, and consider testing your top options to see which generates the best conversion rates.
Finally, you’ll want to create accompanying handouts for your course.
These might include the course script, cheat sheets for those who prefer reading, and practical tools to help participants take action on what they’ve learned.
These tools might include swipe files, templates, checklists, or worksheets.
For example, if your course is about decluttering, you could provide worksheets and checklists to guide students in deciding what to keep, sell, donate, or discard.
Now, let’s move on to the final step…
Step 3: Sell Your Course
The final step is to start selling your video course.
If you’ve already explored this option, you may have come across various platforms that cater to course creators.
Udemy is a popular choice, but there are plenty of similar platforms available.
However, selling on these platforms comes with some drawbacks, including:
- Restrictions imposed by the platform: Many platforms have strict guidelines regarding the topics you can cover, the length of your course, and how you can promote it. These rules are generally designed to benefit the platform rather than you, which could limit your earning potential.
- Pressure to lower your prices: Platforms like Udemy have become hubs for bargain hunters, meaning that a premium course may not perform as well because the audience expects lower prices.
- The platform takes a share of your sales: You’ve put in the work to create a high-quality course, so why let a third party take a portion of your profits?
There are additional concerns as well, which were mentioned earlier in this guide regarding third-party platforms in general.
For these reasons, it’s often better to sell your course directly from your own website.
In Summary…
Whether you’re selling physical or digital products, adding video courses to your sales funnel can significantly increase your revenue.
Video content, particularly courses, is perceived as highly valuable and can be a powerful addition to your business.
