Hey there,

You don’t want to just make a video. You want to make a difference. Here’s how to do that.

One thing you should know

It’s easy to make a video that no one wants to watch. Trust me: I’ve made tons of them.

But every video that “went somewhere” did it because it had the same three elements.

As I plan my videos, I ask these three questions:

Where’s the value?
A video should not serve the creator and make them look better. It has to serve the audience and make their lives better. We’ve all seen self-serving content that is thinly veiled with generic advice. Do you want to watch more or follow them? Yeah, me neither.

What’s the hook?
The hook is the first five seconds of the video. It promises the viewer what they can expect if they watch it.

The best hooks are clear and to the point. It has to pass the grunt test: even a caveman could grunt out what it is.

Is there visual interest?
Don’t forget that video is a visual medium. I’ve done plenty of talking heads where I’m at the same desk, but I try to mix it up a bit.

• change shirts between videos

• change locations

• change angles with your camera

• do something unexpected (like eat an apple)

• do something with your hands while you talk

• walk and talk

One thing you should do

Making a video that creates value for your viewer sounds great in theory, but here’s how to do it practically.

Grab paper and pen and write down who you’re talking to. The best avatars are real people you know personally, not fictitious characters.

Next, describe their problem and how it makes them feel. Only one. It doesn’t have to be something major. It could be:

• Confused about a particular concept

• Frustrated that they don’t have a solution to a specific problem

• Blissfully ignorant about a danger that faces a majority of people in their line of work

• Stuck with an issue and feeling like a failure

Now, leave a big blank spot. Lower on the page, describe their transformation after watching your video.

The blank spot between the problem and the result is the video. You’ve written all of the roadmap except for one thing: the bridge that gets them there. The bits in between get easier if you know where you’re going and where you’ve been.

And another thing

This has all been hypothetical. Here’s a real exercise with a video I created that helps people know what to do with their hands.

I thought about a real client who had been in the studio the day before and had this issue.

They lacked confidence because their movement in front of a camera didn’t feel natural.

Their transformation is the ability to comfortably create videos that flow like a natural, everyday conversation.

This video is one of the first things people mention whenever they meet me. It’s helped a lot of people.

Curious to see it? Here you go!

Oh, and remember the three questions?

Where’s the value? People learned how to be a little bit more confident on camera.

What’s the hook? I start with, “something people invariably ask me is ‘what do I do with my hands?’” The promise is clear, and the pain point is easily identified.

Is there visual interest? I mean, this was filmed in front of a million-dollar LED wall, so yeah…I would say there is a bit. But even if that wall wasn’t there, notice how I paced and moved back and forth in front of the camera to add variety.

What should I write about next? Just hit reply and let me know.

Until next time,

Will