Thursday, I promised that I would show you how to quickly create “How To” tutorials without spending a dime or wasting valuable time -- unless you get “carried away” like I do sometimes!

Today I’m going to deliver on that promise by showing you a simple way to film short “How To” video tutorials...

This video marketing “trick” is perfect for people who
are “camera shy” too!

The great news is that you don’t have to “be the star” to market yourself with videos. Instead of standing in the “spotlight” you simply point the camera at your desktop using screen capture software like: Camtasia, Screenflow, or CamStudio.

Today, I’m going to show you how to do just that.

Plus, I will point you to the video marketing technology, software, and resources that I have found to be invaluable too!

Here’s Quick And Dirty Video Marketing For People Who Are
Absolutely Terrified Of Cameras:

STEP #1: Download your screen capture software.

To get started fast I highly recommend CamStudio because it is “Open Source” software. (That means it won’t cost you a dime -- It’s totally free!)

With that said, you will probably want to upgrade to professional quality screen capture software like Camtasia or Screenflow as soon as you have the funds to do so. These programs can do a lot of things that CamStudio won’t even dream of doing.

Download CamStudio by visiting this website here...

STEP #2: Buy yourself a headset/microphone combo.

I have used everything from the built-in microphone on my laptop to a cheap “Walmart” microphone to record my screen capture videos. But I was amazed by how much better my sound quality came through with a headset. A high quality headset shouldn’t set you back more than a hundred bucks. (If this isn’t in the budget then stick to whatever headset or microphone you can afford for the time being.)

STEP #3: Plug-In Your Microphone And Hit The “Record” Button.

Hey, I wish I could say this was “rocket science” or “brain surgery” and that only a genius like me could figure this stuff out but it’s really that easy!

Simply press the record button and “horse around” for your first 2-3 videos. If you see a button that you don’t understand then you have my permission to push it.

This is how teenagers learn technology so fast. Teenagers aren’t afraid to break things. When teenagers get stuck on something they “Google it” -- you should do the same.

NOTE: Some video software is more sophisticated. (Read that as more difficult to use!) If you are having trouble then I highly recommend that you start your video marketing with CamStudio because it is incredibly easy to use and it's completely free. In CamStudio you can select the size of your recording area under the "Region" tab. The "Record" button is a giant red dot that is impossible to miss. Who knows what half of the other buttons do? All I know is that if I can record screen capture videos then almost anybody can. ;-)

Here's Some Quick Recording Tips:

• Pretend that you are talking to your buddy on the phone or showing your not-so-tech-savvy husband or wife how to do something on his or her computer.
• Speak slowly, clearly, and confidently into your microphone.
• Simply take your viewer through the necessary steps, one step at a time.
• Remember that this isn’t about “selling” to people. This is about helping.
• If you stutter on a word or two, who cares? Slow down, and repeat yourself.
• Before you finish recording your video, tell your audience what you would like them do. This is your “call-to-action”. Your “call-to-action” can be as simple as asking your viewer to Vote, Share, Tweet, or Comment on your video.

STEP #4: Upload Your New “How To” Tutorial Video

Now all you have to do is upload your video to BetterNetworker, YouTube, Veoh, Viddler, or your own personal webhost or Internet service provider.  

If you are just getting started with videos then I would get familiar with YouTube first. Because you can embed YouTube videos on almost any website or blog - including this one. ;-)

However, YouTube does have strict rules about what you can upload to their website. This means that eventually you will want to look into hosting your own videos.

The step-by-step process will vary for every website you use because there are literally dozens of ways and places that you can upload your video tutorials.

Uploading Videos On Better Networker:

1. On Better Networker you can get started by clicking the "Add Content" button.
2. This will open up the "Add Content" window.
3. When the "Add Content" window is open click the "Post A Video" link. This will bring up the "Submit Videos" page. It is very similar to the "Submit Articles" page.
4. You can Embed A 3rd Party Video from a website like YouTube by copying and pasting your video embed code from that respective site. (This process will vary depending on which websites you are hosting your video on.)
5. Or Upload Your Own Video by clicking the "Browse" button to upload videos from your own personal computer or desktop.

STEP #5: 3 Simple Steps to Get More Web Traffic From Your Video

#1 - Write a descriptive headline for your video. It’s not unusual for a video to hit the front page of Google within a couple of hours if you pick your keywords carefully. (“How to pick keywords” is definitely a topic for a whole other tutorial!)

#2 - Write a descriptive summary under your video. Why? Because “Google Bots” need text to index and classify your videos. They can’t read videos.

#3 - Finally, share your video on Twitter, Facebook, BetterNetworker, and your own personal website or blog. This attracts “Google Bots” to your video.

If you don’t know what “Google Bots” and “keywords” are then don’t worry. Focus on making your headlines helpful and descriptive for the time being.

What do I mean by “helpful” or “descriptive”?

I simply mean that you should never try to trick people into watching your videos.

For example, if you have a video that shows people how to make turtle soup without turtles then your headline should be “How To Make Turtle Soup Without Turtles”. Instead of: “Watery Sustenance Without Four Legged Hard Shelled Reptilians”.

When in doubt, ask yourself “Which Headline Is The Most Helpful?”

If your headline is clever then it probably isn’t helpful.

How To Win Free Advertising And Web Traffic With The Jason Better Video Marketing Challenge!

I want to challenge you to improve your video marketing skills by creating your own “How To” screen capture video using this article as your inspiration.

The title of your video should be something like:

“[Your Name]’s Simple Guide To Video Marketing”.

If you are up for the challenge then I will ask you to upload your video in the Better Networker community and post a link to your video in a comment below this article. Please, don't send me any links through Private Messages. Because I get so many messages some weeks it's almost impossible to reply to them all.

NOTE: This is one of the very few times when it is perfectly okay to share links to your content in your comments on Better Networker.

“Okay, What’s the prize?”

The winning video tutorial will get shared with the ENTIRE Better Networker community. There are literally TENS OF THOUSANDS of members in our community -- like a football stadium packed with Network Marketers and home business owners -- so this is no small prize.

While we sometimes sell banner space on the Better Networker website the fact is you can't buy a spot in the "Best of Better Emails" -- it is literally priceless!

Imagine having your “How To” video tutorial shared with that many people and waking up one morning to a tsunami of Views, Votes, “Shares”, “Tweets”, comments and connection requests -- not to mention more “opt-ins” or targeted traffic for your website or blog.

While there is absolutely no guarantee that your “How To” video will spread faster than a flash flood. This certainly would not be the first time that a single piece of content went “viral” in the Better Networker community and beyond.

The FINAL DEADLINE for ALL video submissions will be next Wednesday, December 1^st, 2010

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

REMEMBER TO VOTE, TWEET, SHARE, AND COMMENT:

Hey, if you enjoyed this “How To” tutorial on video marketing then please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Better Networker by pushing the social media buttons above this article.

-- Don't Forget To Leave Your Comments Below--

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recommended Tools and Resources Directory:

Camtasia

This video software allows you to capture and record your screen or desktop in real time. It's really popular with PC users but there is also a cheaper version for Mac users.

http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia/

Screenflow

If you have a Mac then this video software allows you to capture and record your screen or desktop in real time.

http://www.telestream.net/screen-flow/overview.htm

CamStudio

http://camstudio.org/

Is free "open source" software that allows you to capture and record your screen or desktop in real time.

Open Office

http://www.openoffice.org/

Open Office is a collection of open-source office software for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, and more.