Breaking Your Comfort Zone: My Crash Course Journey Into Video Posts

by1973stacief

1.3K followers

7 months ago

Hello Wealthy Affiliate family! It has been a while since I have posted here. I apologize for my absence, but I have been on quite a journey over the past couple of months.

When I started my path with affiliate marketing, I never in a million years thought I would be creating videos, that's for pros, is what I told myself. Turns out that I was super wrong and only held myself back. DON'T BE LIKE ME! not in that aspect anyhow.

My journey started with TikTok, I was so nervous! Before I made one single video, I scrolled through to check out what people were posting about, and what the level of video quality was expected to be. I found a mix of content that blew my mind, I did not expect what I found.

I saw posts of people in their beds wearing bonnets, in the yard BBQing, singing (good and bad), tutorials, in the day in the life of, cooking tips, and so much more. I found that not everyone is an affiliate; some get paid to just create videos (more on that later).

There were so many different genres of videos, I was truly astounded. See, I had not used TikTok, and the Facebook scene for video posts is nothing compared to TikTok, and YouTube is vastly different as well. I was educated rapidly, and am happy to share what I have learned so far.

Getting Started Is The Hardest Part

Making videos can feel intimidating to start with; there are very few people who can jump in front of a camera and feel right at home. My advice is to practice first; you can do this with a mirror to start with, and get used to 'talking to yourself'.

Once you're comfortable talking to your reflection, you're ready to grab the device of choice for filming, be it your phone/tablet/computer. I am going to suggest using your phone/tablet, as they are more portable. Make sure you have good lighting and that you speak clearly.

Practice, but not too much. You can discourage yourself from going further. This is a delicate part of your journey.

Make your first video an introduction video, introduce yourself and your brand. Even if you have been on the platform for years, an introduction video is crucial, as you are changing content type, and this will reach new potential audience members; these people do not know you.

I already know what you're thinking, what about the filming equipment? Well, to start with, you can film with good lighting and sound, making your phone/tablet/computer all that you need. You can invest in your equipment, such as tripods, lights, and microphones, as you go.

This way, you only buy what you need, versus having a bunch of costly equipment not being utilized. For example, if your videos will be in a stationary location, you will not need any of the AI Tracking capabilities available. Your needs will be lighting and sound, which is a way cheaper investment than action videos. Waiting to buy your equipment is not bad advice; it is sound advice.

If you already know you're going to be doing a lot of moving around in your videos, you may want to invest in equipment. Shop around before you purchase, too. You don't want to spend $500 on something you turn around and find for $60, and I have seen it happen to people.

The AI trackers on Amazon are way more expensive than the ones I found on TikTok, and it is literally the same exact brand. So definitely, use your resources and shop around before you invest!

How To Monetize Your Social Media Videos

There are a few ways to make money with video content. You can make product reviews and have an affiliate link. With this method, you can get paid by the brand for the content (UGC), as well as commissions if the brand likes your content enough. And then there are the entertainment videos that are paid by views on a few choice platforms such as TikTok and Flip.

Let's dive into the UGC, this one really sparked my interest. This is like creating commercials for a brand and getting paid for it. Some brands pay top dollar; it all depends on the popularity of your video. It is not always top-quality videos that grab your audience's attention, sometimes, it is the realness of the situation. This is a great way to make money on top of the affiliate links you provide for the product.

Now let's talk about the entertainment-based videos that pay. Oh my, I am not even sure I know all the avenues to get paid from entertainment-based videos. Each platform is different as well. I will go through the 3 platforms I have been using so far: Facebook, TikTok, and Flip. My Instagram is linked to Facebook, but I do not use it enough and don't know much about Instagram, sadly.

All the platforms I mention, you can use affiliate links on, but make sure you follow each one's rules to avoid account issues.

Facebook

I do not believe Facebook has a system of paying content creators for just entertaining yet. You can earn stars from your audience, but as far as I know, they do not pay for viral videos that are just purely entertainment, and are paid by Facebook. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, a lot has changed in the past couple of months.

On Facebook, I share my website links mostly, I occasionally will post a direct link provided the affiliate network I am working with has a link that is shareable to social media. This link usually builds an acceptable social media post.

TikTok

TikTok, on the other hand, does pay for the entertainment value. They have rules and guidelines to qualify for monetizing your entertainment. You must have 10,000 followers, 100,000 hrs of video views in the past 30 days, and be at least 18 years old. Meet all of these requirements, and TikTok will pay you for any qualifying views.

Another way to earn from entertaining videos is by what TikTok calls 'working with artists'. This method involves creating a video using popular music that is trending on the app. You can earn extra if the video goes viral.

Flip

I just started using Flip about a month ago. I am still learning about the platform. I started my account because on Flip, you get paid for all views and engagement on your content, regardless of your following count. This blew me away! And was the main attraction to the platform.

I quickly discovered that Flip also has a store to sell things from, and to get into their affiliate program and be verified, you only need to purchase 3 items from their shop. I have not completed this part yet. I am one product away from verifying.

I was glad that I slowed down as well, as I discovered that, unlike TikTok, Flip is open to Industrial Hemp products and CBD as well. To be honest, I almost did a backflip when I discovered this!

Industrial Hemp was the very reason I got into affiliate marketing, and Flip is the first platform to fully support Industrial Hemp. I say FULLY support because they have Industrial Hemp products and CBD available for purchase in their shop, they are not just okay with the promotion of said items, they sell them.

How To Be Successful On A Video-Based Platform

The main way to be successful is through consistency, just like with any other form of media. If you are not consistent, you will not grow authority or a following. People want to see new content from you regularly.

Not every video is going to be selling something, you need to build rapport with your audience as well. Your audience wants to get to know you too, not just see what you have for sale. You're not just selling products, you are, in a sense, selling yourself as well.

One thing to avoid like the plague is what they call "follow trains or mass followings". This is growing your account via non-organic traffic. You are trading a follow for a follow and asking for comments, likes, and shares. This only benefits you if you are solely trying to grow followers.

If you are an affiliate marketer, these followers will not be interested in what you are offering and may never look at a single one of your videos aside from the video that you begged for followers.

Also, the platform you are on recognizes this activity and will "shadow ban" your account, meaning your content is not being pushed out to others. For an affiliate, that is pretty much the death of the account. It can be recovered over time, you just have to change your activities and never revert.

Organic growth may very well take longer, but you are getting a quality audience that is interested in what you are offering. And if your content only gets better, your audience will grow that much faster.

Hooks And How To Use Them

Being entertaining is very helpful, but you need a hook to grab and keep their attention these days. When video reviews first came out, a slow start was okay, but nowadays, you have to grab that attention in 3 seconds or they are scrolling on to the next video, and this is the hook. If your hook is weak, you will not retain as many or any viewers.

What are some great hooks I have learned for the intro of a video? (That is one...lol) There are verbal, visual, and written hooks that can be used, and should be used in conjunction as well.

There is another hook that often gets overlooked, and it's sound. There are a lot of people who are attracted to sounds, like tapping or the tinking sound of tapping on glass or metal. Overlook nothing!

Verbal Hooks

Verbal hooks are just what the title says, you are grabbing attention verbally with key words that intrigue your audience to view your entire video or most of it, and hopefully make a sale or gain authority. These words should evoke interest and provide valuable information, be shocking, intriguing, insulting, or leave the viewer curious.

These can be statements like, "If there's one thing I learned, it's...", "I don't know who needs to hear this...", or "I wish I knew this sooner...", "You need this...", "Your _ is/is not ugly (eplain why they need the product). Need is a very powerful word in a sales pitch. Hooks are fun to play with and can be so powerful. Another great verbal hook, "You won't believe the price of..."

Of course, you will want to tweak these to suit your situation to sound as normal as can be, like you are being helpful instead of salesman-ish.

Written Hooks

Written hooks can match what your verbal hook word for word, or they can be totally different. Like your verbal hook could be, "Your hair is not ugly..." the written hook could say, "Wait for it..." and in the next scene, you explain that they need to be using the product to resolve their hair issue/problem.

Remember, we are still helping in the long run, not selling. Even though a sale is the ultimate goal, you're building a community first.

Visual Hooks

For a great visual hook, the product could dramatically appear in the video, like being slammed onto a countertop, or you could swing it into view. Depending on the product, you could open the video using it, and say something like, "Don't miss this sale, it won't last long! and follow up with why they need the product.

Bright flashes of light, drastic movements, and the background shaking are all great visual hooks as well. These are great for grabbing the attention of the scrollers; they usually stop for a second, and that is the goal.

These are just a dip in the bucket of hooks to use. There are too many to list in one post, I would need to write you guys a book.

Video Platforms Are Not Scary

I used to be very scared of making videos. Kyle actually made me face my fear, not forcefully, but he mentioned how much it has benefited him and how nervous he was in the beginning too.

Once I made my first video and posted it, I saw how easy it can be. The next one was easier, and I learned from my first video. I have learned not only from making videos, but each platform has a handful of people who provide how-to videos specific to the platform.

There are videos teaching you how to make your videos better, showing you how to get the dynamic angles, how to effectively use your lighting, and what words to say. They teach you everything and take the fear out of the process.

I used to think, man, I don't want to mess up on camera, but I have learned that messing up can make you go viral, believe it or not. One girl sold more of this one juice because of a malfunction. Her whole pitcher of juice spilled everywhere. That video got over 2 million views and made that girl a pocket full of cash.

Another amazing and true story. One girl's car caught on fire during a collision. As a joke, she made a post with her Paris Hilton cup and said, "Paris, my car caught fire and only your cup survived, can you help me buy a new car." Paris Hilton actually flew to that ladies location, and delivered a brand new car to her that she purchased for her.

So post your content and post all of your content, no matter how silly you think it is. You just never know what will happen; it could be the video that changes your life. If you never try, you will never know. Kill that fear!

I hope this has been helpful, or at least entertaining. I am still learning for sure, and I will always share my successes and failures too.

Till my next post,

Stacie