What is Promo Video ?
The promo video serves as a preview of your course for students who haven't enrolled. It should accurately reflect the course experience (the production values, the teaching style, and the course goals)Think of your promo video as the trailer for your course -- it should get your students so excited about taking your course that they purchase it then and there! So you'll have to think about ways to make your promo video as well-produced, engaging, and eye-catching as possible while also giving students a real sense of your teaching style and the content that you'll cover.
If that sounds like a lot to cover in a quick video, fear not! Here is our formula for Promo Video success.
Overview
- Your finished promo video should be no longer than 90-120 seconds.
- Show your face! Your promo video should be all “Talking Head" or show your presentation screen.
- Think about adding in some recitation or Arabic poem to make your video more engaging.
- For an example of an optimized promo video.
- Be true to your course content. If you are narrating your entire course, but have a different voiceover for your promo video, that's misleading for students. Similarly, if you say in your promo video that your course covers “x" but it actually covers “y", that's misleading. Make sure your promo video is a polished but accurate trailer for your teaching.
Formula for Promo Video Success
Follow these steps (feel free to tawk them, like the instructors in the examples below!) to ensure that your promo video is optimized for conversions.
Step 1.
[20-30 seconds]. Welcome your students to the course and introduce yourself. Give a 1 sentence intro to your course, and a 1-2 sentence overview of what makes you a credible instructor.
- Example: “Welcome to Pasta Making 101, where I'll take you through the entire process of creating your own pasta, from scratch. My name is Mario Batali and I'm an awarding winning chef, owner of 3 restaurants, and an enthusiast of everything Italian."
Step 2.
[20-30 seconds]. Course Introduction and Overview. At a high level, describe the benefits of the course, what is covered, and what skills the student will have upon completing the course.
- Example: “Pasta Making 101 is an introductory course for home chefs seeking to improve their Italian cooking and pasta-making skills. Throughout the course we will cover techniques used by executive chefs throughout the world, and walk you through a step-by-step process for creating these masterpieces at home, and we'll even include a few “secrets of the pros."
Step 3.
[10-30 seconds]. List (don't describe) the major components of the course. Think of this as a bullet list.
- Example: “Because our goal is to get you up to speed as quickly as possible, we'll cover the different kinds of pasta around the world, equipment basics, ingredient prep, shaping techniques, the ideal water-to-starch ratio, boiling methods, and some of my favorite family recipes. At the end of the course you'll be a past-making maestro, with enough confidence to open a pop-up restaurant, or just host a delicious dinner party."
Step 4.
[20-30 seconds]. Ideal Student description. Describe your target audience, and who youd ideal student is.
- Example: “This course is designed for enthusiastic home cooks who want to take their skills to the next level. You're a beginner cook, who's comfortable in the kitchen but wants to know more. You have an itch to host dinner parties, and a real love of pasta."
Step 5.
[10-20 seconds]. Thank you and Call to Action. Thank your potential students for watching your promo video, and let them know the next steps to purchase the course.
- Example: “Thanks for your interest in Pasta Making 101 -- I hope you're as excited as I am! If you're ready to learn more and sign up for the course, go ahead and hit that Enroll button, or take a test drive by using the Free Preview feature. See you in the course!"