Robert Plank

A week ago I made a very subtle change to my blog. You probably didn't even notice it, I bet. I moved the link on the right side for "Simple JavaScript" from the e-books to the video infoproducts category.

That wasn't a mistake.

I went back and recorded the videos for it. So, do you have any old e-books that you can update for the year 2008 and record some quick videos for?

They don't need to be super great. All I have is an out of date copy of Camtasia 4 and a USB headset. I open my PDF e-book to the beginning of the chapter, read the title and the first couple of paragraphs, then get to work, actually performing the steps the book tells me to, step by step.

I am very liberal with the pause button. I read part of the book and then do exactly as the book says, explaining what I'm doing as I'm doing it. Sometimes I'll ad-lib some comment, or go on a rant, or notice something I didn't notice when I wrote the instructions -- but did notice when I actually performed them. (Yet another reason why videos are such a valuable part of any infoproduct.)

People are lazy. If they can watch something instead of reading something, they'll be more interested in it.

My videos aren't award winning or clever. They really aren't that great. But they're good enough -- remember "it doesn't have to look good, just be good?"

I wasn't even decent in my earliest videos. In the winter of 2005 (I think) I recorded about 20 hours of PHP videos that just stunk. I don't even have them anymore. In retrospect I probably should have at least sold away the rights to them.

But I recorded the videos with the intention of selling them. You shouldn't record videos just for the purpose of wasting time and keeping yourself from building your business.

Video takes practice just the same as it takes practice to write well. It probably took an additional 3 or 4 video infoproducts to get it right. Now I don't mumble, I project my voice as well as I can and I speak slowly enough in the videos that I don't trip over my own words or click my mouse around too much like a babbling idiot.

My videos used to take 25 takes on average to get right, now I get through them in one take. Okay, I'll admit that every now and then I will screw up and have to record a second take.

• You can record videos for your old infoproducts and double their perceived value.
• You can avoid what Willie Crawford calls "The $20 E-Book Syndrome."
• You can create products that include audio, video, physical materials or DVDs that sell for $97 instead of $27... that require only 10% more work for you to make.

No one cares if you sound stupid as long as they understand you and you have something interesting to say. If you "get excited about your topic," that's no big deal.

I find that if I try to record a bunch of videos in a row, I get tired and just try to plow through them. They end up feeling substandard and rushed... not good. If you sound rushed and eager to finish the video, you don't sound like you're excited about your topic.

Instead, record a 10 minute video and then do something physical for 10 minutes (hey, let's not get dirty now).

You need to recharge your batteries.

• Record a 10 minute video then get in your car and drive around the block for 10 minutes.
• Record another 10 minute video then go have dinner.
• Record another 10 minute video, then mow the lawn.
• Record yet another 10 minute video, then buy groceries.

Even if you could only set aside time to record one video per day, you could convert your old boring e-books to exciting video information products. That's what I'm going to do this month.

I haven't blogged all week because I didn't want to talk myself out of doing this, but I have three more old e-books that are ready to be converted into video products. I have them all recorded and uploaded as of last night, I just have to work on the sales letters for them, one at a time.

I'll be re-launching Sales Page Tactics Volume 1 with video within the hour -- it's probably already out by the time you read this.

Do you have plans to record just one video per day to breathe new life into an old product? Comment on this entry below and tell me what you are working on.

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