Many people focus on the wrong thing when producing content. We’ve all done it. When you’re trying to understand the complexities of codecs, file formats, recording formats, audio levels, lighting levels and all the other technical details, it’s easy to get bogged down in the “How”, rather than the “What”.
(Even worse, you might get bogged down only trying to make money rather than sharing quality information!)
The “What” is your content. What you’re actually talking about and covering in the video. The “How” is how you made the video – what equipment and software you’ve used.
In the video below (it’s only 10 minutes long) I cover a couple of examples to show why the “What” of your content is way more important than the “How”. When you’ve finished watching the video please leave a comment – better still let us know about your own videos. We’d love to check them out!
Whatever system you use to create videos, focus on your content first. When you have that part right you’ll be surprised how much user engagement you can get, even with relatively poor video quality. People watch video for the information they’re searching out – at least for the kind of videos we’re talking about in Internet Marketing.
Videos can help to sell products. They can help you to generate more revenue. It’s unlikely that video is going away any time soon – isn’t it time you put the power of video to use in your business?
For those who would prefer to read what I was saying, here’s an approximate transcript. The comments I read out are not transcribed here, but you should get the gist of the entire video:
This first example is a video review of a techy gadget. That’s a popular type of video on Youtube – it doesn’t have to be just physical tech gadgets of course.
You can review software products, digital items, courses, places, events – you name it, there’s probably someone on Youtube wanting to find out more about it. As an affiliate it’s a great way to promote an item with a detailed and ethical review of that item.
This channel – I’m hiding the details because I want to use it as an example rather than homing in on the particular video maker – has a very large number of subscribers. You can see the channel has nearly 200,000 subscribers – clearly they’re doing something right. I’ve watched the video. It’s only 8 and a half minutes long. Near the end is a small amount of sample video footage created with this device.
That’s where the problem comes in. The sample video – which is really what most people would come here to see – does not show that the item is any good.
There is a disconnect between what is being said (“it’s a great gadget for smooth video”) compared to what is being shown. All that does is frustrate people. They come looking for an example of how good this device is because they are thinking of buying it.
They are shown poor quality video samples, but told it produces much better video. If that’s the case, why not show the better quality? Why not take the extra few minutes to add some extra sample footage to this video? Don’t tell me that the steak in the kitchen is better than the one you just served me – give me the good steak! This channel creator definitely puts a lot of work into the videos.
That just means it’s a little odd to cut short what could be a great review for the sake of a small amount of extra work. Ultimately this video fails because it tells us, rather than shows us. Here’s a couple of reactions.
Notice that the channel creator argues back – that’s also interesting because the commenters are telling him how they could improve his content to keep them happy. That’s great feedback, but he seems to take it personally.
Let’s read them …..
When you’re looking for reviews, don’t you want the good and the bad so you can make up your own mind? Don’t you want to see some kind of proof of what is being said? So in this case the lesson is “show, don’t tell”. Some of you might have heard that as one of the basic story telling maxims – and never forget that you’re telling a story in your video, even if it’s a true life story.
Let’s find out why that’s important before we move onto the next video.
Wikipedia…
Now here’s an interesting one. The actual video isn’t important so much, since it’s just talking about what kind of equipment would be “perfect” for making videos. Since everyone has a different opinion, that argument is going to last forever.
Let’s take a look at the comments though and how this content creator reacts to negative feedback.
Reading comments…. Asking for ideas from the audience. What a concept! But it shows a willingness to engage with the audience and look at the follow up response! Great, right? What’s the lesson here. Well I guess it’s a simple one. So many people feel that they can’t produce quality content without an “if only”.
“If only I had a better camera”
“If only I had a better computer”
“If only I had a better face/speaking voice/accent/age/house/background….fill in your own blank”!!!
The medium – how you deliver the content – is the least important part. A great story is still a great story if it’s printed on a page, turned into a Hollywood movie, or told to someone over a campfire – let’s say!
Don’t focus exclusively on the how of delivering your content.
Focus first, second and third on what that content is – what does it offer the viewer or reader. If you haven’t yet made videos you really should start. And the best place to start is by examining what you want to share with the world. Once you have that right, you’re good to go. Have you made any videos? Why don’t you share them with us? We’d love to see them!
