Category:

  • Tips to Writing a Winning Script for Demo Videos and How to Video Tutorials

    Whoever said writing is an art forgot to mention that it’s one of the most of powerful ART of selling. Now lets focus on that part ‘selling‘.  When it comes to video production, it’s the same, your interpret the script into video.

    Now, before any idea is presented in form of a video, One has to put his/her concept in words. So, how do you write a simple yet easy to understand video demo/tutorial script that deeply connects with your customer/user?

    Look at the Product/Software/App from the Targeted Customers Eye

    Most software demos/tutorials serve two purposes; to either show the customer how to perform a task within a software or app or give them reasons why they should buy your software or app. Either way, the customer is in control. The best way to look at this is to base your script on the problem that the customer is having and tell them how your product solves it. You can use rhetoric questions to capture your customer attention. Tell them first why the problem costs them a lot of time or money. Then now show them step by step the software’s saves them a great deal.

    Introduce What You Are Going to do And End With a Thank You Note 

    Before you start your video tutorial, tell your viewers what you are going to show them. For instance, You can say …….in this video tutorial, I am going to show you how to download sales reports from your user dashboard.\’ From the onset, the viewer is prepared to learn what you are going to show them. Once you are done with the tutorial, thank your viewer and ask them for any favor. i.e Like our youtube channel and so on.

    Go Straight Forward to The Solution if Its a Video Tutorial 

    Most video tutorials are done for people who are already using the software/application/website. Such users already know about the product and are just looking for steps to troubleshoots issues arising from using the software. Try as much as possible to go straight to the point and cut the BS. Be as brief as possible and explain the steps they need to take using  simple language that is understood by anyone irrespective of level they are in. Users will love you for this.

    Write in a Conversational Tone 

    Any person viewing a video tutorial always assume that whoever is presenting it is a expert. And at the back of their mind, they know that experts are masters of any given product/service and thus they don\’t use any script when doing video tutorials. This is many cases, is not true. someone writes the script and  someone else voices it. Now, when writing your script, imagine you were the presenter recording the voice over for the script and write it in that tone.

    Use short sentences and cut the BS 

    If you are not aware, people like short video tutorials with no B.S. They like videos that go straight to the point and shows them exactly how to do it (whatever they wanted to do) in the shortest time possible. Always be that script writer who strives to achieve that.

    That is all from me here. As always, I am always here to help with anything regarding to video tutorials. Just message on the contact us page. If you have any additional advise that you think it will be beneficial to the me and the reader, don\’t hesitate to share in the comments are below.

    Till next time, bye bye and let’s lets utilize the art of writing in selling.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know here.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony

  • Five Best Websites to Download Free No Watermark HD Videos to Incorporate to Your Video Project

    Sometimes, your screencast demo video will not send a clear message until you splice it up with either an illustration or a real life video. Getting someone to do motion graphics or cartoon illustrations can either be costly(if you are a start up) or time consuming -if you are working on tight deadline.

    Video-Five Best Websites to Download Free No Watermark HD Videos to Incorporate to Your Video Project

    This applies mostly to short promo videos of 30-90 seconds that appear on the landing pages of a website or mobile app stores. In most cases, the number of videos you may need incorporated into your demo range from 5-10.

    It\’s worth noting that most of the sites listed here make regular updates and now upload free 4K videos as well.

    Here are 5 sites that I found useful and recommend.

    www.pexels.com

    All videos are licensed under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license. This means you can edit or change the videos and use them free for personal and even for commercial projects. All without asking for permission or setting a link to the source. So that means attribution is not required.

    www.videvo.net

    This is one of my favorites when it comes to getting free motion graphics videos. Though some Video clips here carry the Creative Commons 3.0 license which must be attributed the original author, it’s has a wide range of videos.

    The videos range from animals, industry, food and drink and more. Just click on the category you want and you will be presented with several videos that you can choose from. You can also easily switch between motion graphics and Footage on the site.

    www.pixabay.com

    Pixabay is a vibrant community of creatives, sharing copyright free images and videos. All content here is released under Creative Commons zero, which makes them safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist – even for commercial purposes. Unlike other free video sites, Pixabay offers vector graphics, photos and illustrations. Just type in the video you are searching for on the search button here. Most videos on Pixabay are hosted on Vimeo.

    www.vidsplay.com

    This site only has free unique videos that you can download in HD. Vidsplay is currently adding new video footage on a weekly basis. You are granted non-exclusive rights to use and download the video material without the need to pay royalties for each use. Make sure you read the Terms page for further information regarding usage.

    www.pikwizard.com

    So next time when planning to produce a promotional demo video for your software or application, take a moment to go through these sites and find the best fit footage to splice it up. Demo videos looks more professional and appealing when footages of real people is incorporated.

    If you need help with either scripting or sifting through thousands of these videos and adding them to your videos, let me know from the contacts us page and request a free quote here.

    Otherwise, if you know of other resourceful places to get royalty free videos, let me know from the comments below.

    Until next time, bye bye and take care.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptionymutai

  • 3 Steps to Creating a High Selling Course

    It\’s no doubt, online courses are on high demand at moment. But the fact is still remains, 80% of the total income generated from online courses are earned by top 20% percent course creators.

    It thus means that the bottom 20% are either barely selling anything or selling  a few courses not enough to sustain their marketing campaigns online. So, does this mean top earners content are special than the rest of the creators? or is it that they understand their customers well than the rest? the later may true.

    But there is much more to it than it sounds. Sadly, some powerful courses are gathering dust online because of poor planning and mediocre presentation. Here are  top three things you should have in mind when creating your first online course.

    Always, have in mind the end from the time when you start. Put yourself in the shoe of your student.

    Sound Quality

    This is very important. It involves YOU and the EQUIPMENT that you are are using to record your voice. Before using a cheap microphone, ask yourself, How much do I want to earn from this course? Be honest with answer that you give to yourself. If you want to earn $100k a year from your course, you will not mind investing in at least $100 microphone or lapel microphone for audio recording. It will tell your students that you not only value them, but you value the content that you are sharing with them.

    Video of your face introducing the course on each module

    This can be in form of talking head or you speaking and writing on whiteboard instead of Powerpoint presentation. You may splice the two to break the monotony. This is very important. It builds a personal connection with the student watching the video. It also the best way to become an authority in a set field. Besides, with this type of presentation, no one can plagiarize your work because if they do, they will be marketing you.

    Branding

    Now, don’t ever underestimate the power of branding your videos with a link to your website. Any person who takes your course and shares it with friends on social media, can connect you with with several other prospective students who might be interested in taking your course. Let’s say they share a video overview of your course. Someone who wants to know more about you will first visit your website (which they found on the video screen) and review more of your work. Branding also, makes your course value rise high.

    Personal Experience

    This is a bonus point. Teach something that you have tried yourself and got tangible results from it. In the first chapters of your course creation, it’s critical that you tell your own personal story that led you to achieve great results in the field you are teaching. Then continue to highlight what they expect from the course, and your availability to respond to their questions online. You can offer to have a free Skype call to answer all their  Q and A once a week. You should own your course. This way, you will not only earn more, but you will in turn be doing something you enjoy doing most.

    If you consider these four things when working on your course, you will find it easy to market your course with confidence. Your friends will also be proud to recommend your work.

    Did you find this article helpful? Please leave a comment below. Till next time, offer value and quality.

    If you need professional help on screencast videos, request a free consultation or quote here.

    Don’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on social media @cheptionymutai

  • Top Client Tips to Hiring a Professional Video Editing Freelancer

    Before hiring a freelancer to help you edit your video, have this in mind – Effective and impactful videos are simple and clean. A bunch of animations and VFX will not help anything if the video content is not clearly structured. This requires that the producer or writer spends a lot of time working on the video idea before proceeding to produce the video.

    If you are a newbie client with no idea on the video production process- and intend to hire a professional video editor-hang on. With 7 years of experience in the video production industry, here are my top tips to help you identify the right video editor for your project.

    Have in Handy Video Assets

    Video assets is everything when it comes to  video editing. It will vary depending on the kind of video you want the freelancer to work on. It ranges from logo, videos, images, music and audio recordings. This will help the editor understand the kind of message you want to pass on. If it’s screen-cast videos, they will ask for access to the app or software.

    Prepare Video Script or Hire A scriptwriter to help

    Script is very important as it gives a clear direction on how the video will come out. Script can be in text or storyboard format with images/video screenshots added on it. This can be created on PowerPoint with text inserted on the notes section of the presentation. If it’s footage being edited, you will need to supply the instructions in writing of time-codes you want cut out as well as sections you want retained. This will not only save the editor time, but it will save you time that you could have spent in back a forth revision requests with the editor.

    Set Delivery Timelines

    When planning to hire a video editor, you obviously have a timeline in mind. Professional freelance editors will advise you otherwise if your timeline request is not reasonable or is not fitting to their schedule. Anyone who is committed to delivering quality will rather forfeit the job than take it and deliver trash. It’s therefore important to check if the editor is requesting to know delivery expectation before accepting to proceed and edit.

    Pay in Milestones

    Don’t be scared if the freelancer asks that you make a milestone deposit before he/she starts working. Milestones motivates them to focus on your project besides strengthening the trust that they have for you as a client. Once you are happy to go with a particular freelancer, hire them and deposit funds on escrow. You can  release them when you are happy with the final video delivery.

    A professional video editor is someone who has produced videos similar to what you are looking for in the past. If you are looking for a particular style of videos, he will be in a position to provide links to related videos he/she has done in the past. This will not only speed up your hiring process as a client, but you will know how much you can ask for from the editor.

    Leave a Positive Review For The Good Job

    And finally, he will ask for a review when job is completed and your are happy:-).

    Don\’t hesitate to give him/her 5 stars for the good job. This way, you will help him attract more awesome clients just like you! Let’s continue making internet safe haven to do business.

    If you need professional help on video, you can chat and request a free quote here.

    Don’t forget to give this post a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptionymutai

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

  • Top 5 Professional Screencast Softwares

    Screen-casting is an art. To be able to deliver great videos that communicates your message in a clear manner without B.S demands a lot of dedication and commitment in ideation stage. The first requirement is having the right tools for your project execution.

    Screen-casting software is the first among the list of other requirements like microphone, computer specs and script. Any newbie will find himself torn between several consumer software in the market. Having worked on more than 2000 screen video tutorials in the past 7 years, here are my top 5 recommendation.

    1. Camtasia studio

    This is one of my favorite software for recording and editing screen recorded videos. I use it across the board on windows and Mac. Unlike other screen recording software\’s, it has an easy to use screen video editor. You can add call outs, zoom in and out, blur information, crop, add music and voice over and render in any file format that you need in UHD 4k.  You can create subtitles using the software as well.

    Pros 

    • You can edit files across platform e.g you can open a file created on windows with Mac.
    • Easy to use editor
    • Has 30 day free trial
    • You can use it for commercial projects
    • Can create educational content
    • You can use it to create subtitles and render it in .SRT

    Cons 

    • Sometimes it crashes without saving your project
    • It takes long time to render long videos of 30 Minutes long and consumes large space based on the bitrate you chose

    2. Screenflow 

    Screen-flow is another professional screen casting software designed for Mac users only. It has several features and effects to make your final out put appealing to the eye. Recording quality is excellent, and thanks to a high frame-rate (which you can set), your videos look as if everything was actually happening on your screen. What\’s also surprising is that ScreenFlow is very lightweight for what is effectively a video editor, consuming relatively few CPU and RAM resources.

    Pros 

    • High quality recording
    • More advances transitions and effects on videos

    Cons 

    • Can\’t add text  to your video
    • Only works on Mac

    3. Screencast-o-matic 

    Like Camtasia studio, Screencast-o-matic is easy-to-use, free screen recorder for Windows, Mac, and Chromebook you can capture any area of your screen with the option to add narration from your microphone and video from your webcam. You can record lectures, webinars, demos, games, Skype calls, etc. and share free on Screencast-O-Matic.com, YouTube, or save directly to a video file.

    Pros 

    • Its online. You can access the recorder online
    • Affordable. Costs $1.50 a month

    Cons 

    • Recorder limited only by local hard disk space available. Uploads to Screencast-O-Matic.com are still limited to 15-min per upload unless you also have Pro Hosting.
    • Recording computer audio requires PC with Windows Vista or later

    4. Quicktime 

    Quick time is app that comes with most of the Mac computers. With Quicktime, you can record audio, video and screen. You can choose section of your computer screen to record and start recording it together with your voice. Once done, you can save your recording in .mov inside your local computer.

    Pros 

    • Free – it comes with your Mac.
    • Records clean and sharp video and is good for starters

    Cons 

    • You need to find another video editing software to edit your recording
    • It does not record clicks and keystrokes

    5. OBS Studio 

    OBS studio is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming.It\’s simple program, with simple interface and big flexibility. It\’s perfect program to capture webcam and screen simultaneously and even more.

    Pros 

    • It\’s free
    • High performance real time video/audio capturing and mixing.
    • Create scenes made up of multiple sources including window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams, capture cards and more.

    Cons 

    • Do not have a video editor
    • No any effects or text adding features

    And these are  my top 5 screen casting softwares that  I  have used and outputs great quality videos. If you are starting up, you can try these free softwares and work with them alongside other video editing softwares if you have them installed in your computer  like Adobe premiere or Adobe After Effects.

    If you need professional help with screencast videos, you can request a free quote on www.techtubestudio.com

    Don\’t forget to give this post a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptiony

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

  • 4 things Every Client Should Know Before Hiring a Screencast Video Tutorial Producer or Editor

    Every client would love to work with an expert  in wherever field they need help. The catch is; it comes with a price, and not everyone  willing to pay it. The same case applies to finding a professional screen-cast video editor or producer. If you are scouting for one, please read the following article to the end before you decide on who to go with.

    Here are 3 main things a professional screen-cast video producer should request from you(client) before  starting.

    Note: Most these items can be provided by the editor or producer based on  agreement.

    Script

    A professional screencast video producer uses a written script or an outline provided by the client to produce the video. There are many reasons as to why I recommend this. One is because, video scripting cuts the presentation time by half. One is able to save time by focusing on the most important features or sections of a software or a website and probably break down the presentation into sections where viewer can choose to watch a section they would want only.

    Professional Voice Over

    Voice over is very crucial as it explains what’s is happening on the screen. Some video editors are native English speakers and can do the presentations easily in a flawless manner. But this will not be appealing if professional quality equipment is not used in recording the voice over thus its important to consider hiring a professional voice over to record your script. Professional screencast video producers can source this on your behalf on freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr.

    Delivery Timelines

    Any professional screencast video producer is able to advise you on how long it will take to deliver your video. This will be based on if you provide the script, the expected video duration and whether the script you have needs a professional voice or not. Usually a 2-5 Minutes video tutorial takes 1-3 days to complete and deliver.

    Video Quality You Need

    As a client, you must know from the onset the quality of video you expect from the video producer you hire. This way, you will know if the editor is able to delivering the same. Video quality ranges from HD, FHD(Full HD) and UHD 2k,4k (Ultra HD).

    And that’s it. If you are able to get answers to these things upfront from the editor/producer, you are good to proceed to the next stage of hiring him/her to produce your video tutorial(s). Of-course, you must understand each other clearly when communicating in order to save time and speed up the process of production. Since business is all about building relationships, it is important to work with someone you can freely contact in times of need without a second thought.

    If you need professional help on video, let me know on here.

    Don’t forget to leave a comment below.

    Also, follow me on twitter @cheptionymutai

    Till next time, bye bye and take care.

  • Five Areas in Business that Instructional Video Guides are Used

    With every business embracing technology in all aspects, there is a growing demand for software applications and apps to meet these needs. But lets admit, not everyone is a tech savvy.

    Some customers, if not all of them, will need user guides or instructional videos to help them understand how the app/software/programs works.

    Therefore, it has become imperative to consider developing professional instructional guides both in writing and video formats to accompany the application or software  you are selling. Here are five areas in technology that instructional video guides are used;

    Demonstrate How Software’s And Programs Work

    All softwares and programs created to be used by business people require instructional guides (both in written and in video) to help new users understand how to carry out some crucial tasks in order achieve results in  business.

    Such videos will save the company a lot of time that could have been spent teaching new recruits how to use the software. Also, it will save the developers and support team a lot of time.

    Demo Mobile Apps

    With thousands of mobile apps being published daily on  Google Playstore and Apple Appstore, users are keen on which app they download.

    They first scroll through the screenshots, and watch the video (if there is one) before deciding to install it on their phones. It\’s therefore important to have a demo video on the apps preview page to show them how it works.

    That\’s what we offer at here at Techtube Videostudio. We develop demo videos for mobile apps which gives users  a sneak peak on how to the app solves their problems in 30-90 seconds.

    Demo Web-Hosted Apps

    Software developers who use to sell their software applications offline (for download) are now making their software available online to anyone anywhere across the globe to capture the new market of online users.

    Take for example Microsoft office 365; if you subscribe to it, you can use the software anywhere in the world without the need of having to worry about carrying your saved document in a USB Flash disk.

    It’s therefore important to train all of your new customers, on how to go about the software through video.

    Website Tutorials

    Thousands of websites go live everyday. If your website is providing a service to customers remotely, it’s crucial to have a demo video showing users how sign up and make the best use of their website.

    You may dismiss this but some customers love watch video on how your website works rather than reading an long article.

    Hardware-Software Guides

    Some companies have hardware’s they sell  which do not function without a software. The process of setting this up is sometimes technical to a raving customer.

    They will need a video to showing them how to use it both physically and configuring the hardware using the software that comes along with it.

    That\’s where how to’ video tutorials comes in to guide users and thus support time by half.

    These among others are some common places where instructional video guides are required. Of-course there are several sectors in business where instructional video guides are needed which require visiting the location an filming the step by step process.

    If you need someone to develop an instruction video guide, let me know here because I can help you out.

    Don\’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    You can also follow me on twitter @cheptionymutai

  • Five things to Improve in your Screencast Instructional Video tutorials

    If you own a software, application, website, program then at some point you have used a screencast video tutorial to demonstrate to your users how your product works.

    But over time, the style of presenting these screencast instructional videos have evolved. Marketers are now using more sophisticated presentation styles to win the confidence of their customers.

    But this without proper preparation is a total waste of time and resources. At the end of the presentation, your target needs to be able to understand how your product works. The message has to be conveyed in the shortest time possible.

    Over the years, I have found out that most instructional video tutorials fail to retain viewer attention because of the following reasons;

    Sound Quality

    The presenter may have an accent that is not clearly understood by everyone.

    On the other had, most presenters lack proper equipment to use in recording the videos thus the voice is distorted with lots of background noise.

    This thus lead to boredom and may make your customer loose interest in watching the video besides not taking you serious.

    Video Length

    Some presenters repeat themselves without knowing and end up with a long tutorial which if proper planning or scripting was done, the information could have been presented in half the time.

    This is costly if you are dealing with high end customers who have less time to watch the video clip.

    Screen Recording Settings

    Good understanding on best recording and rendering settings is the key to producing a high resolution video.

    Someone with no knowledge in video production may not know this and will end up producing low quality video.

    It will take a professional video producer to record a high resolution screencast video.

    More Videos Means Good SEO

    Everything you do must be duplicable especially if the tutorial being produced is to be published on YouTube.

    It starts with scripting. If you take time to segment your software videos into sections, it will help you reach out to more new customers because you will have several videos posted online.

    For instance \’how to add a product to your site on (your website)\’ may get you ranking on YouTube or google.

    Branding

    Besides using the tutorial to support your existing customers, its crucial to consider branding it in order to market you company to new customers. Branding displays professionalism and will make new prospects to take you seriously.

    There are many other things that if you consider when planning to produce a screencast video, will help you archive your expected results besides ranking high on the search engines.

    Of-course I have mastered the art of producing screen-cast video tutorials. If you need professional help, you can request a quote for free here. 

    Don\’t forget to give me a thumbs up and leave a comment below.

    Follow me on X @cheptionymutai