How to Create Your First Content Upgrade
Now that you’ve identified your 3 most popular posts, you are going to create a content upgrade for each one.
The easiest type of content upgrade to create is a how-to video.
A how-to video shows your reader how to do what you taught them in the blog post.
Here is an example of a blog post with a how-to video as a content upgrade: How to create a high converting pop-up in 5 minutes.
Creating a video can sound intimidating, but it’s really simple and straightforward.
Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Set your expectations.
Don’t feel like the production quality has to be high: it doesn’t. This isn’t a paid product you are making; it’s a free giveaway.
The point is to be helpful, not to win an Emmy.
Step 2: Outline your content.
The key to creating a how-to video is your outline.
In the example from earlier, I quickly jotted down a 4-part outline before I started recording.
This was my outline:
- Intro Greg
- Examine site in BuzzSumo
- Choose a template
- Customize template
Step 3: Record the video.
I use Camtasia to record all my how-to videos. It allows you to record your screen and webcam at the same time.
Two things to keep in mind when recording:
- Do it all in one take.
Don’t psych yourself out with this part. Make your outline, know your content and just start recording.
People like raw. My most popular videos are ones that were off the cuff, with dead airtime and not edited at all.
Your readers are looking for actionable information. Focus on that.
- Use your iPhone headphones as a mic.
An easy way to immediately make your videos better is to use your iPhone headphones when recording. This makes your sound quality MUCH better than recording from your computer mic.
Again, don’t obsess over this, but it’s a really quick way to instantly improve your video.
Link: Buy a pair for $9 off of Amazon
Step 4: Trim and upload.
Up to this point you have outlined your video, put on your headphones and recorded the tutorial.
Now, trim off the beginning and end of the video. Usually I’ll have 10-15 seconds after the video starts recording where I’m fumbling around and getting everything set up.
Use Camtasia to trim this section off. Also, fast forward to the end of the video and trim off any dead space there too.
Then… upload it to YouTube.
Time: Start to finish, this should take no more than 15 minutes.
The KEY to this is to do it in ONE TAKE. Don’t obsess over it.
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To help you, I’ve workshopped out 3 different blog posts and how I would approach creating content upgrades for those posts.
Watch that workshop here:
Assignment
Your assignment for this lesson is to create a content upgrade for each of your 3 most popular blog posts. The fastest way to do this is to turn on your webcam or iPhone and demonstrate the material you taught in the blog post. In the next lesson, I'll walk you through the technical parts of installing your content upgrade into your blog post.
Module Three
Duration: 3-5 hours
Module Progress:
Action Items
- Read and watch this lesson.
- Create a content upgrade for your top three posts.
- Continue to the next lesson.
You must complete and submit the assignment in the previous lesson before starting this lesson.