Daily Video Challenge
I added a small daily task to my schedule, starting yesterday, that I CHALLENGE you to try:
Record One Video Every Day
This is going to be a daily video diary for your business. (I recommend a Camtasia video, not a webcam video... but in some niches, Camtasia doesn't apply very well.)
Here are the rules:
Rule 1: I don't want you to show it to anyone other than yourself, just stick it in a folder somewhere. You can turn this into a paid product, or show it to ONE business associate but do not just give it to the general public for free.
Rule 2: I don't care what it's about as long as it relates to your business. Yesterday I spent 18 minutes explaining why February 2008 was my best month, passing up June 2007, and what things I did different than last year. You can record for 5 minutes or 30 minutes, but it has to be in one take.
Rule 3: If you end up showing it to someone else, it has to be a paid product. Membership video, DVD, one time product, whatever... just DON'T give it away as a blog post.
I was just thinking last night that recording videos is something I can't do consistently. I can write consistently because I have lots of practice, especially from posting in this blog. But videos... out of the 20+ infoproducts I have out there, 14 are video-based. Videos are my weakest skill at the moment.
Do you remember my three tips to fast infoproduct creation? Let's see how they stack up against the daily video challenge...
- It doesn't have to look good, just be good. That's the whole idea here. You spend 5 minutes creating the sloppiest video ever, because the video DOESN'T have to be that great and no one is going to see it.
- Get excited about your topic. You're choosing what to talk about so why not? I think that if you make enough videos on enough subjects, you will find something to talk about that you are excited about.
- Practice. You're recording a video EVERY DAY. This technique is practice... by definition. You'll establish good habits for yourself and in no time, videos will be a cinch for you to make.
Can you get to recording your video already? If you're worried about taking time out of your day, limit yourself to five minutes.
The video you record might end up being your next product.
The video could just be you going over your to-do list for the day... describing what you did and didn't accomplish. Maybe you'll watch it again 6 months from now and notice how your business has changed over time.
You might record yourself putting a product of yours to use... now you have an excellent how-to video to bundle with your product. You've just cut down on customer support requests.
Heck, I plan on doing a couple videos of nothing but me working on my project. What a great way to keep yourself on task!
If you know the cameras are rolling, do you think you'll get distracted and check e-mails, instant messages, and forums? Or do you think you'll actually focus on one single thing till it's done?
I thought so.
Please, leave a comment here and let me know if you accept this challenge. If you want to give me a little hint about what your first 5 minute video will be about... go for it... but you don't have to.
If you read through this whole post and DIDN'T comment, that tells me you're chickening out.
You're not a quitter... are you?
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Hi Robert,
Interesting challenge! I am so bad at video, but like you say – practice can only help.
Might be a great way to brainstorm.
God bless,
Andy
I accept!
My first 5 minute video will be about my upcoming software product.
2 Andy’s in a row… how cool is that?! 🙂
People want video, no doubt about that!
I had an old book (about PHP and MySQL for absolute beginners) which had been published but sold out, so I made it into an ebook. If I remember correctly, I had one customer after a couple of months.
Then I made it into a video, giving out one lesson at a time, increasing the price every time, just as you said earlier in a blogpost.
Wow! People went crazy! I sold over 40 copies in less than two days. And they are still buying.
I will accept your challenge. Sounds like an interesting idea 🙂 – Just not with Camtasia, which is not yet for Mac. I use iShowU in stead.
BTW I love your blog and your work. Continue like that, please 🙂
I made 4 videos today… I plan on making several more on Thursday and Friday… but even I’m afraid to take the challenge!
I’m creating products right now, but some of them are business systems. How long is this challenge for anyway?
Stephen, the challenge is from now until forever. The point is to make it a regular part of your routine. Okay… if you’re commitment-phobic… one video every day for the next 30 days. 🙂
If you recorded 10 minutes of videos for 30 days, you’d have 5 hours of video. Figure that you can’t use all of the videos, you still have a couple of video products in there.
That is another use for the videos I hadn’t thought of… business systems… like the crappy DVDs Brausch has been releasing lately.
If you’re an AdSense site builder and need to setup lots of sites, record yourself installing WordPress or some affiliate store feed, adding AdSense and autoresponder forms, etc. and now you can hire others to do the exact same thing over and over and get it exactly how you want because you showed them in a video.
Awesome, Britt! Use video to make an older product more valuable, or even record video as a bonus to something you own resale rights to… to differentiate yourself from all the other resellers out there.
Hi Robert
Just wondering that IF video IS what you consider your weakest asset at this time, then I fear your potential in whatever you’re strongest in…
As you mentioned in your three point list it ain’t the quality of video but the MESSAGE that comes across. In that perspective you are among the VERY BEST.
Keep up the good work, and carpe diem. 🙂
Overcoming inertia in video production! Where do I start?
Yes, I commit. I will start making videos and improve on each one.
By the way, Robert, your JVPlus product is dynamic! Keep making the upgrades! Its proof you are listening and reading your emails…. and Dave W’s blog!
I have an idea…I will soon send you a video link to another upgrade idea for JVPlus!
Awesome post Robert!
I accept the challenge. I’ll make at least 5 minutes of video each day.
I like your idea of taking a video of normal every day tasks. At the end of the week I can take these videos and practice editing them as well to take out the boring parts and insert notes and such…
Excellent exercise Robert.
Thanks
Jason Anderson
Okay, Robert, I have to ask. Why can we NOT use them for blog posts? My readers love it when I post a video! I enjoy them, too. Just curious why I can’t use them that way.
I’m still really commitment phobic. I love doing videos, but somehow feel like it’s a “treat” that I save for days when I’ve finished doing my to-do list (or most of it). So okay, here goes…
I’ll commit do making at least one 5-minute video per day for the next week (best I can do at the moment).
Jeanette
Britt – meant to mention – I LOVE the idea of releasing a product, one piece at a time, moving the price up accordingly. Great idea!
Jeanette
(does this count as a second Jeanette? No, guess not. LOL)
All my info products are videos with a few ebooks tossed in. So I won’t be taking you up on your challenge. I do enough of them.
But I just did a video for our 10 person Platinum Free Giveaway pre-launch set for April 1st. Now that one was fun to do with music, snappy transitions, etc. instead of my voice (LOL).
You can see it if you click on my name above.
Don’t use Camstasia — use Viewlet Builder for Flash and Serif Movie Plus 5 for Videos.
Should open up Viewlet Cam which is like Camtasia and see if I can talk and point at the same time. Hmmmmm – now that would be interesting.
Judith
O.K. Robert,
I am in starting tomorrow I will take your challenge and make a short video everyday.
I did just purchase a JVC camcorder for that exact purpose and now you have given me one more reason to use it .. I did already make one video ( and have shown it to no one – maybe someday. )
I didn’t need to comment but thought I would let you know I am not a “quitter” or a “quilter” for that matter.
BTW I am going to be in the LA area next month .. maybe I could make a video of you? Perhaps an informative Internet Marketing interview? What do you say?
I always find your products helpful and the blog is interesting too!
Keep ’em comin’ and …. ACTION!!
Best regards,
Harry
Great challenge… I’m not sure I can commit to it. I just recorded a 10 minute video tonight documenting a procedure… but I plan to give it to an outsource worker so it wouldn’t qualify by your rules of not showing it to anyone unless they pay for it.
Simply creating a video each day regardless of what you do with it would be a good challenge.
I tend to get hung up on the technical side of it though. I use a mac now, and I haven’t found any good software to easily create and convert videos into flash to embed. I’ve used a few pieces of software and all of them spit out .mov or .mp4. Jing works pretty good, but has a 5 minute maximum and plasters it’s logo on the opening screen.
OK, I will ‘fess up, I have Camtasia as a download…but never actually installed it! Gonna do it today and record something. Anything!
Thanks Robert
When I first installed Camtasia3 I had difficulties to record from it so I use the IM version to record and then I import the video clips in Camtasia. I’ve just reinstalled windows, so i’m gonna test the record function from Camtasia, maybe it was a windows bug…I mean probably was…well certainly was.
What an absolutely fantastic idea! We see our lives through our own eyes. Having even 5 minutes of daily interaction on various tasks with the PC will allow us an over-the-shoulder look at what we do. I can imagine looking back at what I did last week and thinking “‘you know, I think I could do that better..”
My entry today has been recorded as a Camtasia video. My question to myself; how important is it to spend time reading blog posts and emails?
Hi Robert,
Videos and graphics are my weakest skills. I have all the software for both. When I first got Camtasia I played with it and made a half way decent video and then gave it to my members.
You’ve got a good point, that we should set aside 30 minutes a day for making videos. Practice makes perfect!
I have a project in mind. I just need to get to it.
Hey Robert
Love that idea … I don’t do nearly enough video stuff.
I accept your challenge!
Cheers
Nick 🙂
P.S. Did you manually hack the “Subscribe to newsletter” checkbox in this comments section or is there a WP plug-in available?
This is PERFECT! Considering a new niche yet still wondering about an actual product. Was going to look through my hard drives and in my notebooks (I have SO much content floating around)… but this is so much easier than writing.
Since the niche is related to personal development, it’s all conceptual, I believe Audio would work best. 5 minutes of audio a day with video as needed would build an awesome product. Thanks Robert, this is a great challenge!
Hi Robert,
Thanks for an interesting idea for me, I must get round to doing some videos soon. I know they are popular now.
Hi Robert,
Great project idea & challenge! – 😉
Now, where on my HD did I put that copy of Camtasia??…
Why not make a site for your subscribers to post their videos? well, I guess that would be youtube or PlankTube. Thanks for the great idea.
Update,
Robert,
Thanks again for your suggestion! Just finished my first installment and I was amazed!
I’ve played around with video here and there but I’ve always felt “stiff” about my recordings. Once I decided just to record and not worry about scripting I was able to relax and enjoy it.
It takes me back when I did radio. Okay so it was it was a tiny station with only 5 listeners at a time, counting my family, but it WAS radion 🙂
Now the ideas are flowing out. I haven’t been this excited since they brought the dalmations back on Wheel of Fortune!
God bless,
Andy
Chris, I would say that’s acceptable. You still aren’t offering it to the general public for free.
I have never had luck giving videos away for free. On video sharing sites like YouTube, the most popular videos are entertainment videos… i.e. The Evolution of Dance. People like to watch the equivalent of TV for free, but they only want to learn if they’ve paid for something… at least from my experience.
As far as putting video on your blog, I use my blog to bring in search engine traffic so I add text along with the video, and most people don’t even notice the video… just the text.
I HAVE had luck including them in paid products to increase the perceived value.
The point of the video challenge is so you can make more money. So why not use this to make a new product, or an improve an existing product… instead of giving away a video for free that everyone will forget about in a couple of weeks?
Chris, I thought there was some sort of “Camtasia killer” for Mac, or at least you could emulate Windows and then run Camtasia?
Nick, that subscribe to newsletter checkbox is straight from Action PopUp.
I know, me too! I just recorded my second daily video late last night. I’ve been putting off completing the final chapter of an e-book for a couple of weeks now… but because I was being recorded, I finished it in half an hour!
I sent the video to my business partner (I still consider that “not telling anybody” since he is the only person in my inner circle).
His response? “Dude, i enjoyed watching this video!” So it might become part of a paid product after all, just me at work.
Ok I’ll commit for 30 days, thanks for the idea
Video stuff for the Mac:
Ishowu for screen recording
Apple Imove for serious editing
Quicktime Pro for quick edits
VisualHub Converts any video format to any video format
Found the video challange article very refreshing. This is one way to get experience for your web sites. Great Idea.
Thanks Robert,
Day One: I made instructions for a business associate to follow.
Another MAC super video product is screenflow (requires Leopard)
Thanks again for the video challange
Robert-
great post! In fact I’ve made it a habit to do this for several reasons, including as you mention, the possibility of including them in a product. Relating to procedures, it may have been James who said that it’s ok if he does something once, but he won’t do it more than twice without documenting it.
Stephe- You’re a machine 🙂
Thanks for keeping me updated Dale… continue leaving a comment every day about your progress if you want to.
Don’t forget to resize your screen down to 640×480 before recording just in case you end up using your video as a paid product.
Last night, for video #3 I recorded a video for the first chapter of my latest PHP book. I have all 7 chapters written at this point, just going back and adding a video for each one of those chapters.
Hi Robert,
Thanks for the encouragement.
Today I made a Keynote (Mac powerpoint) affiliate promo infomercial to test my skills and (I might put it up on youtube so I am not sure it counts) and sent it to 2 people for review.
I think I am getting more comfortable with making videos.
oh and I am learning screenflow, it is way cooler than camtasia (I have used on PC many times)
Thanks again for the tip on fixing the camtasia sounds I have fixed many of my old videos.
Dale
I am with you on the chipmunk thing STILL being put out by “professionals”. Drives me nuts!
A very cool challenge.
My only issue with this is that I don’t have Camtasia. At least not a version that works with my Windows Vista.
Oh, and I don’t have a microphone anymore, after my cat chewed through the wire 🙂
Did I forget to mention that I have a speech impediment? I have so many excuses don’t I? 🙂
I would love to be able to make videos, but those issues (mainly the 3rd one) are getting in my way.
Joel
What version do you have, Joel? Is it current? I use Camtasia 4 with Windows XP at home and Camtasia 5 with Vista at work, they both work perfectly.
Everyone does…
Okay, then go to the electronics store and spend $30 on a USB headset… problem solved.
Our brains love to procrastinate and make everything difficult. That’s exactly why I’m making myself go through the 30 day video challenge, because of this kind of stupid thinking on my part.
I know 2 of those issues are just excuses 🙂
I have Camptasia 3 I think, and there’s sound issues with Vista. I plan to get 5 soon though.
About my speech impediment, it really is that though. Some people have troubles understanding what I’m saying. It’s not just a “fast talking, or talking to quietly” issue.
Something I will have to get my head around.
Thanks for the great info all the time.
This is a great idea – I really like it! I intend to start today or tomorrow, if family happenings are too chaotic.
The video killer for mac is Screenflow. Techsmith is rolling out a Mac version of Camtasia which is going to be half the cost of the pc version. Pc owners are you feeling ripped off yet.
Another great thing about using a Mac is Keynote(presentations), Garage band for sound and Imovie.
Jeff, you Mac people already pay double for the hardware so the least TechSmith can do is cut you a break on the software so it evens out 😛
You can be rolling with a Mac mini for 600 dollers or a mac book for 1000. Also think about the time saved when rendering a video. My Mac purchase will pay for it’s self back with increased production time. More products faster equals a better return on investment.
Great idea Robert. I accept the challenge. Happy New Year!
This sounds like a great way to get unstuck from video camera shyness. I accept this challenge.
Thanks for post!