Happy Saturday!
I am so honored that you are here reading my blog.
For the past 10 weeks, I have been attending a weekly class where Dean Holland, my mentor, teaches us how to use the new platform he created specifically for affiliate marketers: Affiliate Systems.
Time is flying, but we are not only learning how to use the platform, he is walking us through step by step how to set up a successful affiliate marketing business.
Just to recap the things we have done so far:
- Create an owned digital asset ( for me, that is this blog!)
- Weekly blog posts ( gotta be consistent)
- We learned how to create an email list, and created an opt-in funnel right in the affiliate system platform (check mine out here: https://rookietorichesride.com/optin)
- We learned how to send an email and the importance of checking your inbox AND replying.
- Blog hopping
- Leaving comments on and sharing other people’s blogs, networking, and sharing audiences to create organic traffic.)
- Posting on Social Media alerting people of blog post
- Sending a broadcast email weekly
- LinkTree – set up a linktree in the affiliate systems platform and added the linktree to social media (You can check mine out here: RookieToRichesRide.com/Links)
I am starting with organic traffic methods right now, following along with the course. My primary method of traffic is social media (Facebook, Instagram. TikTok) and this blog!
This week’s lesson was all about making videos!
To kick it off, Dean shared the very first video he ever made.
It was funny to see him make comments about it, poking fun at himself for his strange accents and the fact that he sounded like he needed some water.
As critical as we can be of ourselves, we can learn a lot from watching our videos, and although it might be an embarrassing start, we can improve. But as always, we need to get out of our head, fears, shut off the inner critic, and embrace this horrifying journey into creating and posting videos of ourselves. š
Dean has come a long way from his first video to his present videos, and so can we!
I get it. Posting videos of yourself can be scary.
In last week’s blog post, I brought up that I was a little scared when people I know started following or commenting that they saw my posts.
At first, I was embarrassed; I felt like I was back in high school.
Imagine being at an event and this person posting videos of me onĀ a big screen and everyone laughing.
But I snapped out of it.
This isn’t high school, and thankfully I’ve grown a lot, and as I get older, I care less and less about what other people think of me and realize it’s really none of my business how others view me, and a lot of time when people don’t like you, they see something about themselves, and are projecting.
Humans are complicated.
If you haven’t noticed by now, I’ll let you in on a secret. Being an affiliate marketer is all about getting outside of your comfort zone.
Being an affiliate marketer requires mass amounts of personal growth, and growth only happens when you get uncomfortable. So if you are feeling fear and resistance about making videos, your in the right place, it’s time to push through those feelings and put yourself out there.
Because social media, is an amazing opportunity for your business.
I am committed to 2024 being my year of success, so I got over the embarrassment. What I am doing and this journey to create the life of my dreams are more important than the possibility of someone laughing at me.
Besides the brutal honesty that we need to not self-sabotage, Dean gave us a lot of great tips when approaching social media content and videos.
Here is what I learned:
-
- Have a glass of water nearby
- People are going to judge you, but that is okay. We are not in high school anymore. Embrace the fear and get over it. It is better to regret something you have done than you havenāt done. It is better to get a little embarrassed and know you are putting in the effort and doing everything you can to make your affiliate marketing business a success instead of letting fear dictate your business growth. Donāt allow anybody to stop you from bettering your life- there will be haters – hurt people hurt peopleā¦just tell them I am so sorry that you are suffering. I hope things get better.
- We need to bring attention and ātrafficā to our owned assets ( blog). It’s great we are posting valuable content each week, but if no one sees it, it will not generate any income – we need to do the work to bring attention to it.
- In general, a video has the following structure:
- The Hook
- The Buildup
- The Delivery
- The Call To Action CTA
The Recipe For A Good Video:
The Hook:
The hook is what you say in the first few seconds of the video to grab the viewer’s attention.
Things to consider: some people watch with the sound off, so I recommend adding subtitles or text pop-ups to your videos.
How do you get people to stop scrolling and view your video?
Think of it when you are watching a TV series. Why do we binge an entire season in one weekend, or sometimes one night -they leave you wanting more.
Like a soap opera, each episode ends on a cliffhanger, making you want to see more. This is ultimately what the hook should do. It should cause intrigue and invoke curiosity. What you just showed them makes them need to watch more.
The hook is the most important part of your video – if you cannot get their attention, nothing else matters.
An example of a hook: This free tool is a game-changer!
The Buildup:Ā
Is an extra sentence or a short statement that makes the viewer believe if they stick around, you are going to give them something worthwhile. It reinforces the hook and amplifies the value; it provides an answer to the question – what’s in it for them? Why should they stick around and watch your video?Ā
If I used the hook: This free tool is a game-changer, then I can use the buildup: … and Iām sure it could help you, too.
The Delivery:Ā
This is the part of your video where you deliver what was promised at the start. This is the value, the story, the tip or trick, etc.Ā
The Call To Action:
End your video, when relevant, with a call to action, aka CTA.Ā
Examples of Calls to Action:
- If you enjoyed this video, click follow to stay connected
- If you want more lessons like this, go and click the link in my bio to visit my blog
- Drop a comment and let me know what you think
- Share this with anyone you think could benefit
- Share this video for future reference
Here is a video showcasing the following example: Hook (This free tool is a game-changer), Buildup (and Iām sure it could help you, too), hopefully, I delivered :), and the call to action (follow me on my social media, email me, follow me on my blog.)
Now, I feel I should mention one very important thing: this is just a guideline; not every video needs to have this structure. And ultimately, it will be trial and error figuring out what resonance with your audience.Ā
This Week’s Homework:Ā
Practiceā¦Practiceā¦Practice
Just like anything in affiliate marketing, practice makes perfect!
If you want to become great at your strategy, you need to do it, observe the results, make tweaks, and do it again!
So, I challenge you this week to post a video on your social media platform of choice, observe how it is received, make adjustments, and post another!
If you need ideas or inspiration, look at other affiliate markets’ social media and see which post got the most likes. Look at Google and YouTube; these are your best friends, use them to learn all you can.
Give yourself permission not to get that Emmy-winning performance on the first try; it’s okay if this is B-role footage.
This is practice; this is the way to develop your understanding of what resonates with your audience.
You are learning valuable knowledge, and with time, your ability to make attention-grabbing videos that people watch all the way through will grow, and so will your confidence!
Lastly, be consistent (thereās that word again š). Posting consistently will help you fail forward fast, will get better quicker, and consistent content will help you to generate traffic.
Please comment below: are you ready to take on this week’s homework? Are you planning on creating a video? Which social media platform have you chosen? Do you have any questions I can help you with?
Here to help you every step of the way as we ride from rookie to riches together!
To our success,
Alison Blaire
14 Responses
You are so confident on Video… your “follow alongĀ“s” are really well done and very helpful,
I need to work on my hooks, as I want use YouTube to drive traffic to my blog.
I know I will need to grab attention with both test and image, so will be coming back to this video to see how it might help me with my Video splash screens
Thanks, Tony. This was my first time using the hooks in a video; now that we have a list, we can just play and try them all, lol. I have been wanting to learn Youtube, please share your link. Maybe after I get the hang of TikTok, I’ll explore YouTube! Also, please let me know if you need any help, I love playing on Canva!
I can totally relate to the embracing of this horrifying journey into creating and posting videos of ourselves. š
Of note in this blog post is that the structure you have provided is for a short-form video(1 to 1.5 minutes). I should perhaps do a blog post on it but this is the structure that I learned about for a video that is typicaly 2 or more minutes:
1. Pattern Interrupt (the hook)
2. State what’s in it for them.
3. Aggravate their pain
4. Present a new opportunity and if possible provide social proof and stats
5. Establish Authority
6. Present a good value perception
7. Final call to action (CTA)
That was a nice recap of the things you have accomplished thus far.
Thank you so much for sharing your insights and personal experience with creating videos! I appreciate you bringing this up, it’s so spot on! This blog post is really focusing on the power of short videos, which are becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms. As someone who is deeply invested in creating social media content, I’ve been dedicating a lot of time to mastering the art of making different types of short videos and experimenting to see what resonates most with my audience. It’s all about adapting to the trends and finding what works best! It’s definitely a challenging journey, but so rewarding in the end. I love the structure you’ve outlined for longer-form videos, it’s comprehensive and really guides the viewer through a compelling narrative.
Exciting!! Such a thorough overview and in-depth coverage of all the steps you’ve learned to develop an affiliate marketing business.
I love that it also contains step-by-step videos. Thank you
Thanks, Eleanor, for the kind words appreciate it!
Excellent article. I especially love what you share about the recipe of a good video.
Indeed, hook is the most important part of the video.
One way to find great hooks is to look at popular videos in another niche and see whether you can adapt them to your own niche.
Alison, I Love following your post! The way your personality and determination spreads across your platforms and to your readers is awesome. I use Canva as well, and the more I use it, the more I like it! (I’m on the Free Version š) What software did you use to make your video? (Maybe, a future blog post idea…?) I have been looking at different ways and software to use, but most are site specific or so it seems. Keep up the Great work!
Hi Alison, From the moment I got the āowned assetā up and running, I was determined to start right away with video blogging with written content and graphic images designed in Canva. Most recently, I started a short podcast called āMindset Minuteā and figured out how to code it into the blog. As for the video, Iāve had a You Tube Channel for years (KateLovingShenk) and was posting on Vimeo first but recently decided to post directly from my You Tube Channel. This cut out a few steps plus will save me a few bucks.
The mindset idea came to me in a flash, recently, because without a determined and upbeat mindset, success is elusive. People who win the lottery, for instance with unresolved guilt and shame, etc, blow the lottery money in no time, with only material emptiness to show for it.
Anyway, I greatly admire your obvious brilliance and look forward to participating in your success!!
Alison, thanks for this. Itās a great summary of the video introduction. Before I go on, I just like to say that I think youāre very natural and very good on the video. Your voice is very clear you are passionate and excited about what youāre talking about, and it comes across really good on the video. Itās like youāre a professional already. I like the advice you give about having a glass of water and that you are going to get judged and to just get over it. This is probably where I am at the moment Iām going to be starting my first videos in the next week or two and I am petrified. I am scared how Iām going to come across and that people will judge me. Iāll get horrible comments or why people want to watch me. However, these are probably just internal fears and I donāt think people are that bothered if youāre adding value to them. So wish me luck and look out for the videos in a couple of weeks . Iād love to get your feedback on what you think. Thanks, Atif.
Hello – your post is great and the video is so value added! Great tips and great ideas on the tools you use. You look like an absolute pro on video! I am a little jealous. What system did you use to create this video? Thanks for sharing this blog post!
Great blog, and especially great video – it’s a great example of what you were talking about. I especially liked the hook. You did a great job on that video, keep it up.
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