There’s a big dividing line between Video hobbyists and Entrepreneurs who make Videos.

I have been watching some Gimbal Videos recently on YouTube and they seem high on eye candy but low on purpose.

Meaning .. knowing how to film pretty videos with a low cost gimbal is fun ... but you stay poor :)

What’s missing for me is how to apply these cool video tools at our disposal to magnify our message and reach as a Business Owner.

Let’s turn geekery into actual goals!

You see better videos can have a transformative effect on your Business.

With that in mind .. I just added a new course inside the Video Hero Membership called 'Gimbal Magic'!

If you don't know what a gimbal is .. here is a picture. This gadget keeps your iPhone super steady and helps you shoot Hollywood style Videos for a low cost.

My course is not specific to any one Gimbal - I mention several.

The beauty is .. I tailored the course to folks who make Business Oriented Videos and want to...

 This Video idea is flying .. it caught my imagination and I dived straight in!

It's called TXT Video. link to product

I signed up to test it myself! (Video above. Note: contest closed)

My thinking here .. Act quick .. get some Videos out there! (That's what I am doing!)

So what is TXT Video?

It's a simple way to create fun Text style conversations then export as a Video and publish (or include in other Videos you edit.) It's Cloud based, nothing to download (accept your final Videos!)

I think TXT Video will work great for:

• Events
• Webinars
  
• Local Business (inc. Local Video Ads)
• E-commerce
• Storytelling
  
• FB and Instagram Ads
• Reproducing real text chats you have had with customers
  
• Creating & Selling this Video style to clients
• Pure fun for engagement
• and more!

On Wednesday I went to a Facebook event in London called 'Community Boost' and they shared amazing stats about how conversion rates on your site shoot up if folks have first interacted with you on Facebook...

Before we get onto Drones ..

Did you watch the fight last night?

Did you pay for it? :)

KSI v Logan Paul I am talking about of course.

I am making no judgement here on the two individuals and whether YouTube should have banned Logan Paul after his terrible Japan Video.

BUT .. all I can say it that the Event was quite a phenomenon .. two YouTubers who built 18 million (!) or so subscribers each on the platform .. created a HUGE 'Pre-launch' buzz around a Live event using their Vlog channels and fans .. that crossed over to mainstream News Media and they monetized via Pay Per View on YouTube.

$10 a ticket with an estimated 800,000 people paying to watch the Live stream, 15,000 tickets sold to watch inside the stadium! ... That's a lot of $$$$$$$!

(Apparently another 1.2m watched pirated streams on Twitch and elsewhere)

To me this just embodied (albeit on a huge scale) the Power of building your own audience and interaction via Social Video and then charging for Premium Video!

Hint:...

So .. Vacation season is GO!

I will be heading to the Island of Mallorca, Spain - how about you?

Now you may think vacations are only for spending quality time with your friends and family & sipping your favorite beverage by the beach ..

But .. they are also handy for shooting at least ONE useful Video for your Business!

You see on vacation you usually have access to better locations, better shooting conditions and fresh inspiration.

So seize the chance, and the cool thing is ... you don't need to carry cumbersome cameras .. your iPhone / Smartphone will do nicely!

Make it feel personal and like a Vacation Video.

But how to link your Business niche with your Vacation?

Here's some examples (I came up with quickly) for Videos that Business folks could make ..

The Driving instructor

Why you should learn to Drive a Manual (stick shift) car?

You are outside the Car Hire shop on vacation and explain that they only stock 10% Automatic cars, all are usually booked well in advance but...

So time for a catch up ..

First ...YouTube

At the recent VidCon event, YouTube made some announcements .. I'll keep it brief:

1. Premieres - A landing page you can build in anticipation of a new Video release, then watch the video with your audience (the Premiere can be monetized via Superchat donations)

Is it useful? Is it mainly for Premieres of Music Videos, Film trailers or for famous Influencers? Good questions.

Maybe .. but how about using it for a peak at your new course or upcoming event or new behind the scenes of your business Video series? We'll wait and see.

Since the Video showcased is edited and polished .. there is none of the pressure of Live. You can focus on the interaction.

2. Channel memberships (100k subs required) - Eligible Creators can offer paid for ($4.99/mo) subscriptions right inside of YouTube for their tribe to access exclusive content, like posts, live streams, videos and emojis.

This comes hot on the heels of Facebook enabling select FB Groups to...

Ok, a few little Video titbits from this Week ...

This made me want to click!

If you have an email list (hint: you need one!) then your Video views can be kickstarted with a mail out.

You send an email and you ask your folks to clickthrough and go watch your Video.

So the best way to entice them is not boring text ... it's an image you embed in your email.

But what kind of image?

I received an email from Funnel expert Russell Brunson and this was the image embedded inside the mail - it just made me want to click it.

(No need to click - it's just an example)

Take away this:

• It has a play button (so it looks like a Video to play)
• He's animated and pointing at the button. It leads your eyes.
• There is a fat Red button to click (a smart chap like him must have figured that the color Red attracts more clicks)
• It has also has a text link below in case people don't want to click the button
• It emphasises the word LIVE .. so has urgency.

Nice job RB.

Snap your gear!

You can't deny it -...

I was just checking my Vimeo Pro Account.

I have made 1,095 Videos .. but I only have 6 followers!

"What is this madness? What a flop you are Jules!"

Not so!

The reason is .. 99.9% are set to Private - they are Online Course tutorials, or Sales Videos or Welcome Videos related to PAID FOR Online Courses.

What's my point here? Certainly it's not that you shouldn't be creating Free content and Free training and showing your awesomeness.

But what worries me is folks who are so obsessed with creating Free Videos and how many YouTube subcribers they have - they never actually put anything behind a paywall.

They are scared or paralysed by the notion of charging, or they keep waiting until they have 10000 YouTube Subscribers (insert names of other social networks here) before they create anything to sell - or dare mention they have something to buy.

Forget that - you can't truly profit from Educational Video (please don't rely on Adsense) if you don't have this ..

Clue: it isn't a fancy...

Here's some updates from this week ....

• Putting the Show into Business
• Vimeo - Publish to social
• I bought Live Reach

So I have no idea who first came up with this phrase "All Business is Show Business" ... but I agree!

It's a perfect message for Video Heroes .. because Online Video is the child of TV and before that the Movies ... where Entertainment is King.

You need to tap into the Emotion of your prospects and buyers not just provide the service. Video is the best way to do this.

Scott McKain has a book on this topic. To quote an article of his:

"The fact is, people rarely remember the details.
But they will remember how something made them feel.
And that’s why ALL business is “show business!"

So in your Videos:

• Have more fun - use relevant props to illustrate you message. $1/£1 stores are good places to find cheap props.
• Reveal more behind the scenes of your business. If you think you are dry - tap into the talent in your workforce, your family or even your...

I got an email this week from Product Launch Guru - Jeff Walker. He uses a lot of Video in his launches and Content Marketing.

The subject line caught my eye: 'six gurus get into a gondola'. He filmed it in a Gondola during his Mastermind. It says 'Bonding' to me - congruent to the notion of Masterminds.

You can watch it here.

The takeaway .. if you are worried your Business talking heads, interviews and chats are boring looking, then try and choose a congruent but unusual location to film in.

On your yacht :), about to bungee, on the ski slopes, or failing that just walking your dog. You get the drift.

This immediately adds some interest and originality to both the Video and the Email subject line - then deliver some wisdom too of course. WIN!

WINNING

Speaking of which .. as as you know I ran a Giveaway Mic Contest (closed). In case you missed it I announced the Winner via this Video.

The Winner was Canadian Correction Officer Shane Anderson.

Shane writes: "This is fantastic...

Ok I do NOT want to get all Political here! Let's step above .. and analyse.

So this week in Singapore .. President Donald Trump showed Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un a Video on his iPad to help him get the message ... it has caused quite a stir :)

It's here if you haven't seen it.

One Film Critic described the Video as like an 'iMovie App trailer!' Ouch! they should have used ScreenFlow :)

A Video Production Company called 'Destiny Pictures' in California had their InBox explode because the Video began with the caption .... 'A Destiny Pictures Production' But in fact - they had zero involvement in the Video!

Apparently if you believe this report, the Production Company name in the Video was made up by the actual Producers, The National Security Council, as a play on words to hint how the future could be. Shouldn't they have checked if it existed as a real company beforehand? 

Aside from that .. I wonder if the Video is quite clever in it's own odd way.

It actually IS made...