January 30, 2007

Here is my first YouTube video. Watch it. Then copy my idea.

Underneath the screen, I show you how to do what I do here. I also explain my promotion strategy. But you must see the video first to appreciate my promotion strategy. To view it, click the > button. (Please do this, even if you have seen the video. I want you to see how this system works on a web page. You don't have to watch all of it.)

My YouTube Strategy

YouTube is a great way to get your message out. Create a sales pitch for a product or service promoted on one of your business cards. (Use www.snipurl.com to shorten the YouTube link.) Or persuade skeptics about something. Or tell a joke. Or show how to repair something.

You can do it with a $70 camcorder -- cheap!

You can then post the YouTube video on your web site or blog site, as I have done here. YouTube provides code, called embed code, that you cut and paste onto your web page. The code links your page to the YouTube video. Then it creates a screen on your page. YouTube pays for the bandwidth.

Here is my promotion strategy.

1. The introductory screen/audio offers a huge benefit: college for $11/day.
2. I have my address on-screen as I talk.
3. I provide seven real-world ways to cut college costs.
4. Some of these examples most people have not heard of.
5. Twice, I mention my free manual (at my site).
6. I verbally ask them to forward the video at the end.
7. The closing screen also asks them to forward it.

YouTube's procedure is easy to use. Here is an instructional video on how to upload a video file from your hard disk to YouTube's site.

The fellow created the instructional video with Camtasia Studio, I think. Camtasia a great program for explaining anything on your screen. You can download a free trial copy here:

You can compare it with a freeware product called CamStudio. Maybe you don't need to pay $300 for Camtasia. Download CamStudio here:

You can produce a very nice video with Visual Communicator. You can download a 30-day trial copy here:

Or just use a camcorder. But be sure it has an input jack for a lapel microphone. Never use a built-in microphone.

There are free video editing programs out there. If you use Windows XP, you already have one.

Note: I used the HTML "center" commands to center the screen on the page. I pasted the embed code in between the center . . . end-center commands. For the center command codes, click here.