Frequently Asked Questions About Selling Online Videos

I had a lead ask me several questions about the way I suggest to deliver their existing video seminars to more people in order to increase revenue. She had so many good questions, in fact, that I thought she might not be alone. So I have compiled these Frequently Asked Questions about Video Seminars.

When you shoot a video for a client, what are the options they can choose for delivery?

I believe physical media (DVDs and BluRays, etc.) are on their way out. More and more content “sellers” are moving to a membership site model, at least when it comes to videos in series or sets. When you purchase a training class, a system automatically generates an account for you with a unique password, much like any other site. The “seller” can then allow or block you from whatever content you have or have not paid for.

This is a great way to grow your passive income if you are producing content on a regular basis as you can set it up as a subscription model, where they continue to have access to past videos as well as new videos, as long as they continue to pay their monthly dues. The model you choose depends on the volume of content you produce and its value.

Hosting online also avoids (or at least reduces) problems with people being able to play the format. Nearly all web-based video playback automatically adjusts for the viewer’s device; Mac, PC, iPhone, etc. If you deliver a physical product, you need to provide it either in multiple formats, which can be confusing to the end user, or find the “one-size-fits-most” format. Tablets – and now many laptops – do not include a DVD drive, making that format less compatible than it was even a few years ago.

Either way, some form of electronic (non-physical) delivery is THE way to go. Most of my commercial clients get an electronic delivery from me via FTP or Dropbox, and then their web admin handles getting it on their website. Or I am put in direct contact with their web admin. I rarely have ANYONE ask for a physical copy anymore.

How you prevent piracy or theft? How would we prevent people from copying our work and sharing it?

Another advantage to hosting your files online is you can (more-or-less reliably) prevent unauthorized copying. Plus, can you connect a flash drive to a Tablet? An iPad? No, you can’t. Nor can you play a DVD in a tablet. DVDs can get misplaced, scratched, or “ripped” and re-published without your permission. It also can be tricky to clearly deliver multiple videos on a Flash drive in a way that allows for people to know the sequence or relationship between them.

Can you create movies that can be purchased through iTunes or other electronic stores?

Yes, I have contacts with third party providers who allow small companies to offer their videos through the iTunes store and other outlets. These services take a percentage of every sale, and pay you your portion.

If your customers buy your video online, not only can they watch it online, but they could watch it from ANY device or computer by simply logging in. There are even some really advanced premium services that can “resume” where the viewer left off. Again, if it is streaming online, it is more difficult to “steal” but not impossible. And any online account could theoretically share their login with someone else.

But, anything delivered via iTunes (iTunes movies or iBooks) is very, VERY difficult to “steal.”

Can I create a commercial for my product or video?

Yes. Any long form video can be very effectively edited into a “commercial” for the longer product. This has been shown to increase sales by as much as 600%! Each unique product you sell should have its own highlight video or commercial sales video on its’ sales page.

What if I really, really want it delivered in a physical form?

If you still want your product delivered in a physical form, we can delivery a CD, DVD or BluRay disc. We can also provide files via USB drives; thumb-drives or hard drives.

If you are creating a product to sell, we can help design the packaging and have retail-ready bar-coded and shrink wrapped packages produced for you.