How to Sell Videos Online: Tips to Monetize Your Video Creation Efforts

Do you wonder what it would be like to have a side gig in video creation?

In this article, we'll take you through how to sell videos online—the benefits, types of videos, best platforms, and how you can smoothly bring your videos together in Animoto.

As you read, you'll see you don't need to have everything perfectly in place to get started. In fact, it's best to start small.

Why is video good for business?

Video consumption is not slowing down. In fact, more than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day.

Video content marketing is an effective strategy because marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users.

What's more, is you don't need to partner with one of the streaming giants to get your videos out there. 47% of streaming distribution came from places that aren't big video-on-demand platforms.

The benefits of selling videos online

Many benefits come with creating and selling videos that are entertaining and educational:

• Helping your audience make purchasing decisions
• Informing your audience about products, events, or news
• Sharing your expertise and teaching your customers something new
• Helping you rank higher in search engine results pages
• Low or no cost to get started
• People are twice as likely to share videos over other content types
• People love video content—a recent survey shows participants watched an average of 2.5 hours of video a day

How to sell videos online in 2022

Selling videos online is more than just filming and sharing your content. Let's explore what goes into successful videos.

Determine your target market

First, figure out who your target market is. Doing this will help you determine the types of video you want to create. Take time to research if there's a demand for what you're offering.

If it turns out there's a high demand, consider the challenges you may face when trying to enter a crowded market. Take a look at your competitors' content and see what their popular videos are. Also, identify the missing pieces in their video strategy—perhaps you can fill those gaps.

Then, determine what types of videos you can make. Some examples of video types are educational courses, webinars, and entertainment videos—we'll get into those later.

Create a plan

Like anything else, you need a plan. Creating a content strategy will help you identify the types of videos you'd like to create and the topics you'd like to cover. Keep in mind, you want to add value to your target audience by teaching them something new, providing unique tips and tricks, and entertaining them.

Film your videos

You've identified the needs of your target audience and the types of videos you can make. Now it's time to put your plan into action.

Invest in lighting equipment and a quality camera. Depending on the type of video that you're filiming, take some time collect your materials and make sure your space is tidy.

Choose a video monetization platform

If you take some time to research your area of interest, you may find a video platform that's the perfect match for your topics—like Twitch is for gamers. We'll have more on the general platforms later, but, next, some tips about promoting.

Promote your videos

Avoid being disappointed when you post your first video and it doesn't get views or purchases right away. Developing a promotional strategy is a great way to get more engagement on your videos.

There are many ways to promote your videos online. Leverage an existing online presence that you already have by posting your videos on your social media channels. You can create a short teaser as a way to promote your full video and encourage your audience to purchase.

Engage with your audience

Build communication channels by creating social media pages for your audience to follow. Ensure that you answer questions in the comments section, thank your viewers for watching, and instruct them on what to do next with a strong call-to-action.

Types of videos to sell online

Video tutorials

Video tutorials are typically hands-on and allow your viewer to follow along as you go. Your tutorial video can be anything from cooking a dish to changing a flat tire. Make sure the pace of your video is appropriate so your audience can easily follow along. If you’re an expert in a specific field, share your knowledge through a tutorial video.

Online courses

Offer in-depth knowledge and add your unique experience to the mix. Online courses are typically a series of videos dedicated to a particular subject. You can offer demonstrations, tips and tricks, best practices, and more. Show your viewers why you’re a subject matter expert.

Entertainment videos

Entertainment videos may be for you if you're a comedian, gamer, storyteller, or traveler. Create these videos to entertain and captivate your audience. Share a gripping story, or discuss unique points with your audience to keep them engaged.

Product videos

Make a video that shows the value of your product. You can create unboxing videos, demonstrations, product comparisons, and more.

Webinars

Webinars are similar to online courses, except that they are typically live. Participants sign up or are invited to the event and watch a presentation on a specific topic. Engage with your webinar viewers by offering a Q&A session at the end. Use this webinar event promo template to announce your upcoming webinar and encourage your audience to sign up.

4 best platforms to sell videos online

There are a couple of different ways to monetize your online videos. Ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) is when third-party companies pay you to show their ads during your videos. A great example of this is a skippable ad that plays before a YouTube video. Subscription video on demand (SVOD) is when your audience pays a monthly or annual fee to access your content. Transactional video on demand (TVOD) is when your audience pays per video or series.

Here are 4 platforms to sell your videos online:

1. Patreon

Patreon is a subscription-based streaming service that allows your fans to support you directly, and in turn, you provide exclusive content. Memberships on Patreon are tiered, so your highest-tiered fans get the most valuable exclusive content.

2. Uscreen

Uscreen allows creators to sell their videos in three ways: a subscription basis, live-stream basis, or one-time purchase. Start by launching your own branded streaming service, then grow your audience using their marketing tools. You can also stay connected with your audience and offer coupons and promotions.

3. Thinkific

Thinkific is for those looking to sell online courses. This platform allows you to do everything in one place, with complete control over your content and branding. Along with your videos, you can also create and upload quizzes, assignments, and certificates for your students. Use their suite of tools to stay in touch with your students as they learn.

4. Wistia

Wistia is a great tool for brands, businesses, and marketers. Create a branded video and utilize a suite of tools that will help you deliver quality content to your audience. You can also create and embed galleries of your content for easy access.

Time to sell your video online

Animoto makes it fun and easy to create videos that you can sell online. Now that you know how to sell videos online, what are you waiting for? Sign up and get started today.