I’m sure you’ve heard that you need to repurpose your content. And you’ve also heard that we need videos because they are more compelling, especially for people using mobile devices.
Here’s your chance to find out how to make your own animated videos from Julie Weishaar. There are many apps and solutions anyone can use. But they still require a learning curve, time, a fast internet connection, and creative thought.
Find out everything you want to know about creating videos and SlideShares in the BizSugar Mastermind Community.
If you are not already a member, first join the BizSugar Mastermind Community by clicking the button below.
Once you’re a member, click the button below to go directly to this event in our Mastermind Community Forum.
Read all the questions asked during this AMA and Julie’s responses to find out whether you would be better off learning to make videos yourself or hiring someone like Julie to make them for you.
Who Needs Videos?
Every type of business can benefit from having videos created. A B2B business will often use walk-through videos to show off their platform or offering. B2C businesses can use video to show products in use. Authors need video book trailers to promote their books.
Who is Julie Weishaar?
As a Marketing Manager for a software company, Julie Weishaar was responsible for creating marketing materials. After a stint as VP of Marketing, Julie went freelance to pursue her passion for doing creative work.
She has been a freelancer creating videos, SlideShares, custom images and presentations for over ten years. You may have seen her work on my own site, GrowMap, or my social channels. And she has created videos for our CEO and Founder Anita Campbell, too.
This is one type of animated video Julie makes:
To see more types of videos, you can check her video portfolio here. For examples of Julie’s videos, SlideShares and content, check out her Contently portfolio. (I recommend every writer and creative create their own free portfolio there.)
What Videos Have in Common with SlideShares
You might wonder why where covering both in the same video. The reason is that some animated videos and SlideShares start with PowerPoint slides. They also both require some kind of images.
Julie has subscriptions to multiple image sources that she uses in her videos, SlideShares and other presentations she creates. By taking a piece of content that already exists and creating a SlideShare and video from that content, you can reach a larger audience.
Here is an example of a SlideShare created from multiple existing posts that received 71,389 views:
35,705 of those views are from that SlideShare being embedded on my blog post and other blog posts published elsewhere, 35,684 of them are from having that content uploaded on SlideShare.
How Many Views Can a Video Get?
While most videos will never go viral, sometimes just having some uploaded to YouTube and other video platforms can surprise you. For example, Julie did not realize until tonight that this video has 109,686 views now:
Sometimes view counts can creep up gradually and other times, one might take off and go viral. But what really matters isn’t just view counts. It is whether you are reaching your ideal target audience or not.
You don’t need 100k+ views to generate sales for your business. It only takes the right people seeing them at the right time. So another topic to ask Julie about is where — besides YouTube — can you upload your videos?
Tools for Creating Animated Videos
Julie is a great person to share the pros and cons of using various tools for creating animated videos because she has used them herself. For a sample of what tools she recommends and why, you can read her Quora answer to What is the best tool to create animation videos?
Members are invited to read all the questions and answers now.
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If you are not already a member, first join the BizSugar Mastermind Community by clicking the button below.
Once you’re a member, click the button below to go directly to this event in our Mastermind Community Forum.
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Hi Julie.
I wonder if there are different types of videos that are better for different types of content. For instance, in what cases is me as a talking head best, and in what cases would an animated explainer be better?
Hi @David Leonhardt,
I think there are situations where both types can be effective.
Videoscribe discusses a study where they compared a talking head video against an animated one in Talking Head Video Vs. Animated Video.
They found:
A 15% increased retention from those who viewed the animated version.
33% of the viewers found the animated video more entertaining.
The animated one was 66% more likely to be shared than the talking head.
There is always a place and in my opinion, a need to do some talking head videos to show people who they are doing business with and to make an authentic connection with your target audience.
In addition, if you want to show a tour of your facility or conduct an interview, animated videos wouldn’t be as effective as live talking heads, obviously. 🙂
There are also occasions where you might want to use both in the same video. This way you can get get the best of both worlds.
Digital marketing these days has become the best way of business exposure and online conversion. Nice content by the author.
Why not also step out of the computer and actually make your brand exposure ? Use of promotional products with additional eco-friendly materials can be the best.
Videos can really do a lot when it comes to promoting our business. It is more cost effective than any other traditional marketing methods and it provides users valuable information and experience. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome blog with great ideas