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Can I start a successful online video production business?

by jorgemv
14 replies
Hi,

My apologies in advance to everyone for asking a number of obviously 'noob' questions regarding the online video marketing niche; quite frankly, I wouldn't pose these questions if I knew the answers.

Very well, so as not to beat around the bush any more, I would like to get started marketing videos mainly to offline businesses using a few of the popular software suites, like VideoMakerFX, Explaindio, and the like, which I have purchased for this purpose in the past six months.

But, what I don't understand, and I wish those of you who have experience in this field would clarify for me is, will I just be offering the video by itself to, say, a carpet cleaner company, to a roofer, or a lawyer? I mean, once I get a buyer, do I just send them the mp4 and be done with it?

Or, does my responsibility to the customer go beyond that? Am I expected to also embed it for them on their website? If that's the case, won't there be unexpected problems when it comes to asking them to trust me with their FTP details?

If they, either, will not provide me with the login details, or just do not have access to them, does part of my service include uploading it for them to YouTube, and maybe even creating a YT account for them?

One last question, when you, yourselves, make these sales, do you include a local domain with the video, and if so, do you take the trouble to rank the domain first - or, do you only offer the domain and video by themselves, with no SEO or ranking?

As you can see I know almost nothing about this kind of marketing, if you could shed some light on these questions for me, it would be sincerely appreciated. I have become pretty proficient at making my own videos using the aforementioned software suites, and I know that there's a good deal of demand and money making potential in this niche at this moment, but before taking the plunge, I would like to have some sort of structure regarding what it is that I'm supposed to be offering. Thanks for any advice.
#business #online #production #start #successful #video
  • Profile picture of the author helisell
    My advice is, go to a local business owner and
    pose your questions to them.

    Of course you'll be offering them something in return
    (like maybe a promo video for their business).

    I promise you'll get far more meaningful answers directly
    from a business owner than you will from people who sell
    this service right now.

    Just walk in to a small local business and ask the owner
    if you could 'pick their brain' for 10 minutes. You'll be really
    surprised at the response you get.
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    • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
      Thanks kindly for your advice. I hadn't thought of this direct approach; will keep it in mind as I go forth.
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      • Profile picture of the author EricBernard
        I have provided this same service to about 15 US businesses through a small team of outsourcers have in Sri Lanka. You have multiple options and it will really depend on the client and what you guys agree to. For some of them, just sending the mp4 will be totally fine as they probably are proficient if they don't ask for help. But most of the business owners you will be working with will need you to put the video on their website/youtube channel and I can't see them being worried about giving you their login details if they have paid you for a service which indicates trust. If you have to make a YouTube channel for them, that will take like 2 mins so no big deal there.

        You definitely would not need to make a domain for them or do any type of SEO.

        Hope that helps!
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        • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
          Thanks, Eric. You have simplified things for me to the point where I'm just about ready to start building my video portfolio site. I appreciate it!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizzleh2o
      Originally Posted by helisell View Post

      My advice is, go to a local business owner and
      pose your questions to them.

      Of course you'll be offering them something in return
      (like maybe a promo video for their business).

      I promise you'll get far more meaningful answers directly
      from a business owner than you will from people who sell
      this service right now.

      Just walk in to a small local business and ask the owner
      if you could 'pick their brain' for 10 minutes. You'll be really
      surprised at the response you get.
      HI YOU NEED TO POSE THESE QUESTIONS TO YOUR CUSTOMERS AND YOU NEED TO AIM TO OVER DELIVER BY ADDING SOME OF THE EXTRA SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER...THAT WILL MAKE THEM RECOMMEND YOU READILY
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  • Profile picture of the author superowid
    Please visit fiverr.com and pretend you are the buyer who needs a video... What would you search in fiverr.com? And once you find those providers... simply read their offers one by one and learn them all how they offer their service to you. Then you can copy the one suit with your want and start selling your service! That's it. Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
      Originally Posted by EricBernard View Post

      I have provided this same service to about 15 US businesses through a small team of outsourcers have in Sri Lanka. You have multiple options and it will really depend on the client and what you guys agree to. For some of them, just sending the mp4 will be totally fine as they probably are proficient if they don't ask for help. But most of the business owners you will be working with will need you to put the video on their website/youtube channel and I can't see them being worried about giving you their login details if they have paid you for a service which indicates trust. If you have to make a YouTube channel for them, that will take like 2 mins so no big deal there.

      You definitely would not need to make a domain for them or do any type of SEO.

      Hope that helps!
      EricBernard, as I stated below, but botched up the multiquote feature, thanks for simplifying things for me.

      Originally Posted by superowid View Post

      Please visit fiverr.com and pretend you are the buyer who needs a video... What would you search in fiverr.com? And once you find those providers... simply read their offers one by one and learn them all how they offer their service to you. Then you can copy the one suit with your want and start selling your service! That's it. Good luck!
      Superowid, this is a great suggestion. Why try to figure out things on my own!? Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author eKing
    Hi,

    I create sales videos for people online so can answer a couple of questions. I own a solo video production business but mainly do freelancing work most of the time.

    Personally, I just offer the video itself without uploading it to their website. I assume the majority of my clients are capable of doing this or have a web designer they are working with too. You could always have this as an add-on service if you wish.

    I have never been asked to do any YouTube work for clients, they are capable of doing this themselves. I also don't provide any SEO/website work with the video.

    I just create the video, and it works well as a business for me.

    You can offer additional services and see how it goes, but I feel you might be complicating a simplistic service.
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    • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
      Originally Posted by eKing View Post

      Hi,

      I create sales videos for people online so can answer a couple of questions. I own a solo video production business but mainly do freelancing work most of the time.

      Personally, I just offer the video itself without uploading it to their website. I assume the majority of my clients are capable of doing this or have a web designer they are working with too. You could always have this as an add-on service if you wish.

      I have never been asked to do any YouTube work for clients, they are capable of doing this themselves. I also don't provide any SEO/website work with the video.

      I just create the video, and it works well as a business for me.

      You can offer additional services and see how it goes, but I feel you might be complicating a simplistic service.
      Many thanks eKing, this behind-the-scenes approach by someone who makes money at this in very valuable to me. I appreciate it.
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      Proven, highly respected but underutilized, method shows you how to create a public relations tsunami around your product or service, and generate responsive leads for any kind of business, whether online or offline, without having to "give away the farm" paying mind-numbing prices - http://www.CompellingPromotions.com

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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Duncan
    jorgemv,
    I would suggest you think about licensing the content instead of selling it directly. If you're dealing with local business owners who don't have a website why not go the pay-per-call route.

    For instance, there is a construction company in Pipe Creek TX that is paying $31 per phone call to a national phone company.

    I'll let you chew on that a minute.

    Instead of selling the videos, why not sell the phone calls that the videos generate.

    All the best!
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    • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
      Originally Posted by Jack Duncan View Post

      jorgemv,
      I would suggest you think about licensing the content instead of selling it directly. If you're dealing with local business owners who don't have a website why not go the pay-per-call route.

      For instance, there is a construction company in Pipe Creek TX that is paying $31 per phone call to a national phone company.

      I'll let you chew on that a minute.

      Instead of selling the videos, why not sell the phone calls that the videos generate.

      All the best!
      Many thanks, Jack, for the suggestion. I had thought of that, and, in fact, as a test I tried to rank a few locally targeted videos in the hopes of charging for leads generated by them, but it was not to be; ranking, even local videos on Youtube, is a pretty hard nut to crack. I appreciate the idea, nonetheless.
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      Proven, highly respected but underutilized, method shows you how to create a public relations tsunami around your product or service, and generate responsive leads for any kind of business, whether online or offline, without having to "give away the farm" paying mind-numbing prices - http://www.CompellingPromotions.com

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  • Profile picture of the author professorrosado
    Originally Posted by jorgemv View Post

    .....will I just be offering the video by itself to, say, a carpet cleaner company, to a roofer, or a lawyer? I mean, once I get a buyer, do I just send them the mp4 and be done with it?

    Or, does my responsibility to the customer go beyond that? Am I expected to also embed it for them on their website? .........One last question, when you, yourselves, make these sales, do you include a local domain with the video, and if so, do you take the trouble to rank the domain first - or, do you only offer the domain and video by themselves, with no SEO or ranking?

    As you can see I know almost nothing about this kind of marketing,......
    You need to know what your product is - period! Why are you worried about offering something you don't have?

    You need to know what type of video service company you are developing. Most video service firms offer a specific product which they detail and sell to their customers - period. They don't go out of their product to offer irrelevant services. They let the client worry about that and most have someone they can reach out to to do the website and seo stuff (if they have a website already). And if they don't have anyone, it really isn't your concern UNLESS the client asks if you can add a service to do that. Then if you don't know you can always outsource it - never say no. Actually, you can include it as an upgrade and add a nice sum to your contract.

    Adding a domain with the video sounds like a totally different product that includes a video project - again, you need to define what your product is.

    Since you admit to not knowing anything about that - don't do it! Focus only on what can make you sell more of your "perfected" product. If a client will give you more money to add a service or two, then get a good sum to cover the expense of finding someone else who knows how to do it and pay them to do it for you.

    Did you sell another "perfect" product? Yes. Did you have to invent a whole department of services that consume your time, effort and money in promoting and will neither sell them or your main "perfect" product? No! Don't do it!

    Straight forward: know your product, know your market and get to work.
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    • Profile picture of the author jorgemv
      Originally Posted by professorrosado View Post

      You need to know what your product is - period! Why are you worried about offering something you don't have?

      You need to know what type of video service company you are developing. Most video service firms offer a specific product which they detail and sell to their customers - period. They don't go out of their product to offer irrelevant services. They let the client worry about that and most have someone they can reach out to to do the website and seo stuff (if they have a website already). And if they don't have anyone, it really isn't your concern UNLESS the client asks if you can add a service to do that. Then if you don't know you can always outsource it - never say no. Actually, you can include it as an upgrade and add a nice sum to your contract.

      Adding a domain with the video sounds like a totally different product that includes a video project - again, you need to define what your product is.

      Since you admit to not knowing anything about that - don't do it! Focus only on what can make you sell more of your "perfected" product. If a client will give you more money to add a service or two, then get a good sum to cover the expense of finding someone else who knows how to do it and pay them to do it for you.

      Did you sell another "perfect" product? Yes. Did you have to invent a whole department of services that consume your time, effort and money in promoting and will neither sell them or your main "perfect" product? No! Don't do it!

      Straight forward: know your product, know your market and get to work.
      Many thanks for your time, professorrosado. Your fine points are well taken: offer what than which I know I can offer, and stop procrastinating by imagining scenarios which may not ever take place, and if they do, figure out how to deal with them at the time! This is very sound advice.
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      Proven, highly respected but underutilized, method shows you how to create a public relations tsunami around your product or service, and generate responsive leads for any kind of business, whether online or offline, without having to "give away the farm" paying mind-numbing prices - http://www.CompellingPromotions.com

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  • Profile picture of the author DonaldHealthOnline
    Of course you can!! Anyone on this planet is capable of doing anything they put their mind to.
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