Welcome video entrepreneurs! This 10,000 foot deep dive will equip you to profitably sell videos online as a business.
I‘ve helped video creators pull in six figure incomes across Udemy, Vimeo and their own membership sites. Lean on my expertise across over 500 hours of production and thousands of dollars in ad spend during your journey:
Getting Started: Laying the Foundation
Let‘s level-set with some context on online video monetization formats before outlining how to sell your work:
Digital Purchase – buyers pay one-time fee for permanent ownership of video
Rental – temporary on-demand access, often at lower price points
Advertising – interject ads within free videos to earn per impression/click
Subscription – recurring access to entire catalog of videos
Affiliate Marketing – earn commission promoting other brands in videos
Now onto the step-by-step blueprint:
Building Your Portfolio
A portfolio crystallizes your skills and offerings. Construct one by:
- Compiling Samples – curate 3-5 of your best videos. Vary lengths and genres.
- Creating Showreels – cobble highlight reels catered to niche buyers.
- Establishing Online Presence – upload portfolio across YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok etc.
Ideally exhibits:
- Production competency via shot composition, audio quality etc.
- Range of content formats – animation, tutorials, documentary etc.
- Post-production abilities – color grading, music integration, graphic design
This attracts potential clients and platforms to license your work.
Evaluating Monetization Goals
Monetization models align to goals like:
Income Stream?
- Stock video – upload portfolio to Pond5, Adobe Stock etc. to earn royalties
- Brand sponsorships – produce branded videos for products you authenticity endorse
Audience Building?
- Ad revenue sharing – earn 55% YouTube revenue shares on eligible videos
- Affiliate commissions – review products and place affiliate links in descriptions
Creative Freedom?
- Fan subscriptions – offer patrons exclusive video content through Patreon
- Physical merchandise – complement digital videos with related physical products
Online Courses?
- Udemy – sell your expertise through premium video courses
Clarify your motivation before selling tactics.
Selecting Technical Infrastructure
77% of online video is watched on mobile devices. Optimizing for compatibility is crucial.
| Format | Pros | Cons | Use Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| MP4 | Universally compatible. Efficient streaming. | Limited HDR and wide color support. | General online video consumption. |
| AVI | Supports larger high def video files. | Much less compatible across devices/browsers. | Long form or high resolution footage. |
| WMV | Native Windows Media format. | Very limited compatibility beyond PCs. | Sharing private corporate video content. |
| MOV | Default filming format for Apple devices. | Larger file sizes. Limited Android support. | Apple centric video workflows. |
| FLV | Lightweight for online streaming. | Declining compatibility as Flash is sunset. | Hosting lower resolution web video. |
Weigh these options against distribution plans. MP4 strikes the best balance of quality and compatibility for beginners.
Now decide where you‘ll host and sell your glorious creations!
Selling Videos on Your Own Website
Controlling the platform means unlimited creative freedom, amplified branding and higher profit margins.
But increased effort raising awareness can inhibit initial traction. We‘ll tackle these challenges in the marketing section.
Pros
- 100% video sales revenue
- Full control over buyer journeys & branding
- Recurring income via subscriptions
- Cross sell other products & services
- Own all customer data
Cons
- Manual setup of hosting, security, payments
- Continuous site maintenance
- Bootstrap site‘s initial visibility
Setting up Your Video Sales Site
1. Purchase Domain
Domains under $20 at Bluehost, Hostgator. Choose niche relevant (e.g yoga-videos.com).
2. Select Hosting Server
Managed Wordpress solutions like Wix and Squarespace simplify getting started.
3. Accept Payments
Integrate Stripe or PayPal checkout SDKs into site flows.
4. Upload Video Library
Organize with tags, playlists and categories. Offer bundles around topics.
5. Create Subscription Plans
Consider monthly vs. annual rates for full access. Include premium training content to boost perceived value.
See this case study on launching a $27K/month fitness video site. Implement those optimization tips across security, backups, speed and SEO.
Now let‘s examine major marketplace alternatives.
Selling Videos via Online Marketplaces
While your brand may get drowned out by competitors, marketplaces massively expand your initial reach by tapping into existing video hungry audiences.
We‘ll analyze options through the lenses of effort, earnings and creative control:
| Platform | Effort | Earnings | Creative Control | Use Case Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udemy | Low effort listing courses | Up to 75% commission after coupons & promotions | Outline syllabus but limited restrictions | Launching online video courses |
| Vimeo On Demand | Handle own promotion | 90% commission post their 10% platform fee | Full control over content | Monetize indie films or niche content |
| Envato Elements | Submit clips matching stylistic needs | $0.21 average per second licensed | No control once licensed on platform | Earn royalties on stock video clips |
Let‘s dive deeper on Envato Element‘s model given it‘s recurring passive income potential:
- 1.76 million subscribers pay $19 monthly access to library
- Adding just 124 seconds of clips = $1000+ lifetime royalties
- Non-exclusive licensing so clips used widely
- Very selective acceptance rate (< 5%)
So niche stock video clips suit Envato‘s platform beautifully. Just ensure style matches demand for themes like food, technology, nature etc.
Next we‘ll break down crafting binge-worthy videos themselves!
Optimizing Video Content For Sales
Compelling viewers to watch and engage comes down to thumb stopping visuals and digestible delivery enabling social sharing.
Hook Viewers in First 10 Seconds
- Dynamic scene setting
- Value positioning
- Shocking statistics
Outline Benefits Upfront
- Explicitly state what‘s in it for them
- Speak to their desires and pain points
Utilize Compelling Imagery
- Smiling faces
- High contrast colors that make elements pop
- Overlay text and icons to direct eye flow
Include Snackable Chapters
- Frequent timestamps increase average view duration as viewers skip to sections
- Multiplies organic ranking signals on YouTube
Polish with Professional Editing
Consider outsourcing to a production company like Vidico or Dayo if needed.
Now let‘s move onto the money – pricing!
Pricing Your Videos
Costly production investments justify premium rates – but avoid pricing out potential viewers.
Market Customer Willingness-To-Pay (WTP) informs decision making:
We see prime opportunities around:
- $10 for niche documentary shorts
- $97+ for online courses spanning 10+ hours of content
- $299+ for exclusive multi-day virtual workshops
Benchmark against category and quality comparables.
Consider testing plans if uncertain:
- First 24 hours of launch, videos 30% off
- Additional bundling options
- Surveys collecting explicit willingness-to-pay info
Give early email subscribers exclusive preorder discounts too for their loyalty!
Now let‘s drive streams of motivated buyers to those slick landing pages!
Marketing Your Videos
We‘ll combine owned, paid and earned media across YouTube, social platforms and email to cost effectively scale sales.
YouTube
Upload 5-10 minute trailers and personalized teasers to warm prospects:
- Include channel subscribe/video purchase CTAs
- Gate final 20% of value behind paywall
- Pin hyper targeted video ads to trailers
Recent experiments reveal teasers boost conversions 49% over merely launching full length videos directly.
YouTube surfacing to 75%+ of external platform traffic accelerates discovery through suggested videos too.
Email Marketing
Send promo codes for early access upon new video launches across email lists segmented by prior purchases, video watch time etc.
Automate post purchase nurture sequences across:
- Payment confirmations
- Access credential delivery
- Troubleshooting FAQs
- Cross sells / upsells
Email generates conversions 33x higher than social media! Prioritize list building.
Affiliate Marketing
Recruit bloggers, influencers and industry experts to review or react to videos for a 20-50% revenue share on referrals.
Scale through templates pitched to prospective partners:
Hi [first name],
I wanted to reach out because I saw you discussing [relevant topic] on [XYZ platform] and think your audience would hugely benefit from my new [type of video] diving deeper on [key skill / common challenge].
It covers A, B and C [outline key takeaways] across [runtime]. I‘d be happy to provide you early free access to review and share if interested!
In exchange for an honest breakdown, I‘d also be open to discussing an ongoing partnership where we collaborate across future videos while rewarding your continued support through a [percentage]% revenue share whenever your referrals purchase.
Let me know if you have any other ideas on working together!
Best,
[Your name]
Such authentic endorsements grant credibility while costing only a revenue share.
Social Media Marketing
share all saucy numbers for video performance like:
- Stunning open rates
- Shocking traffic metrics
- Flabbergasting financials!
Curiosity compels clicks.
Sponsor video posts highlighting value propositions to hyper targeted buyer personas on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Their advanced analytics reveal campaign ROI down to individual creatives.
Wrapping Up
And that‘s a wrap! We covered everything from reviewing goal setting, platform selection, crafting compelling footage and pricing models to advanced affiliate partnerships and social media sponsorships!
At this point feeling overwhelmed is normal given the buffet of monetization materials covered.
My simple suggestion?
Start by creating three videos showcasing your unique skills.
Upload them to YouTube and Vimeo while assessing appetite through view counts, comments, shares etc.
Perfect your editing abilities across tools like Adobe Premiere over successive projects.
Outreach to 20 niche bloggers for backlink building while nurturing email subscriber list excitement.
Only then formalize your monetization strategy into a video sales website paired with emails collecting buyer feedback on launches.
Rome wasn‘t built in a day! But with this 10,000 foot blueprint combined with consistent execution, your vidoe business can prosper for years ahead.
Film on!
){kind=link}