How to Create a DVD without Spending a Dime

Several marketing studies have shown that the packaging of a product can have a dramatic impact on sales.  For example, margarine was a tough sell decades ago.  It’s been said that margarine was originally developed to feed chickens but even the chickens wouldn’t eat it so it was repackaged and marketed to humans.  Whether that’s really true or not, I’m not sure…but just stick with me here.

Butter was stiff competition for margarine so many things were done to make the packaging more attractive.  First, the margarine was colored yellow to look more like butter.  In the case of Imperial margarine, it was wrapped in aluminum which gave it a higher perceived quality than something wrapped in paper.  And finally a crown was used on the box to give it a royal or regal appearance.  With all these packaging changes, Imperial margarine went on to become a best seller.

So what does this have to do with DVDs?  Plenty.  You’ll have to test to be sure, but the packaging of your DVD information product can have the same dramatic impact on sales.  Personally I use Kunaki.  They provide a great service and they even provide hundreds of covers you can use for your CDs and DVDs.  But I find these covers lacking.  I’ve learned to create covers that look better to my eye.  I can also customize the covers with my name, website URL, testimonials, etc.

I’m no graphic designer but in only a few hours of messing around with a 10 year old Adobe product (Adobe PhotoDeluxe Business Edition 1.1) I was able to make attractive CD & DVD covers.  It’s really not very difficult.  You can use your own photos or you can use stock photos.  Some sites offer stock photos for free while others charge a nominal fee for the use of the photos.  I don’t recall paying more than $2 for a photo and usually only $1.

So if you’re an expert with photo editing software then I encourage you to use it to create DVD covers.  If you’re not an expert you could always hire someone to create a cover for you.  Another option is to purchase a DVD information product that shows you to do it step-by-step.  I doubt you’ll be surprised that I created just such a DVD using a screen-capture software to record me as I created attractive CD & DVD covers .

Some people mistakenly believe nobody will be interested in a DVD information product they could create because they have no credibility.  This is ridiculous.  It is a limiting belief that could prevent you from achieving the success and wealth you deserve.

You don’t have to be a world-renowned expert to create a profitable DVD product.  If you take a minute to think about it rationally, you’ll soon realize that even those who are considered “experts” today were not experts when they started.  The fact is that you only have to know more about the subject matter than the person buying the DVD and if you have developed some skill either through a job or through a hobby then you are in fact an expert whether you realize it or not.

Once you get over the initial hurdle of thinking you have no credibility, it’s easy to build momentum which will increase your credibility…and your sales too!  Testimonials are paramount.  You can say whatever you want about your product but there will always be skepticisim because you will be seen as having the ulterior motive to sell your product which is only natural.  On the other hand, it’s difficult to argue with the honest opinion of someone who has used your product and found it be beneficial.

One key is to get specific testimonials.  Let’s say you have a DVD information product on how to build birdhouses.  A testimonial that says:  “This DVD was great.” is better than nothing but practically useless because it doesn’t convey any benefits.  A much better testimonial would be someting like:  “After watching this DVD, I was able to build a beautiful bird house in one afternoon.  The detailed instructions made it so simple anybody could do it.  We love sipping tea on our back porch and watching the birds.  Our birdhouse will provide years of enjoyment.”  Can you see the enormous difference?  It should be obvious.

To take it a step further, you should use the full name, city & state in the testimonial.  A testimonial from Robert Smith in Knoxville, TN is much more credible than a testimonials from somebody named R. Smith or worse yet R.S.  Robert Smith from Knoxville, TN is a real person. Who the heck is R.S.?  Also try to get a photo of Robert Smith maybe even standing next to his birdhouse.  Combining the words with a full name and a photo creates a powerful testimonial that will go a long way towards creating credibility for your product.

The answer to that question might be movies and TV series.  I’m not certain but the Seinfeld DVDs roll off the shelfs at a rapid pace as to the DVDs from many other hit television shows as well as movies.  But unless you directed a blockbuster movie or created a hit sitcom those aren’t viable options for your DVD product.

Information of all types is great for DVDs.  People are constantly looking for information on everything imaginable from cooking to quilting, from aardvarks to zebras, and from Atlanta to Zurich.  Any hobby will do:  stamp collecting, bird watching, woodworking, etc.  The list goes on and on.  How about golfing, fishing, or hunting.  And there are even submarkets in those like chipping, putting, & driving for the golf market.

Most people have some expertise or passion that would make a great DVD information product.  It could be based on your profession.  Maybe you’re a certified computer security specialist and you can show people how to keep their computers safe from hackers and spam.  Or maybe you’re a world traveler and you know all the dirty little secrets to getting the lowest airfares, the best rooms at the best hotels, and the cheapest rental cars.  Do you think you could convince a few people to buy your $100 DVD if it will instantly save them $200, $300, or more.  I think so too.

There are several options for creating a DVD and you don’t need any expensive equipment or software.  Most home video camcorders will record videos and save them as .avi files.  That type of video would be ideal for a cooking DVD or a golf instructional DVD.  Billions of dollars of DVD information products are sold in those markets every year.  Isn’t it time for you to get your piece of the pie?

If the valuable information you have to share is computer based such as a DVD about computer security or finding the lowest airfares, you can use a screen capture video software like Camtasia Studio 3.  It won’t cost you an arm & a leg either.  As a matter of fact it’s absolutely free as of this writing.  Don’t fool yourself into thinking creating a DVD is too complicated or only for professionals.  You can create a DVD in one day without spending a nickel.

It’s common knowledge that information products have high margins.  Information in all forms (books, ebooks, CDs, DVDs, online videos, etc) commonly sells for multiples of 10, 50, 100 times the unit cost of manufacturing the product.  It’s no wonder there are so many information marketers.  Those healthy margins tend to attract a crowd.

DVDs are an excellent choice for the delivery of an information product.  And despite what many people seem to think, DVDs are not difficult to create, don’t require investing in expensive software, and don’t come with the requisite hassle of carrying inventory, manufacturing, and shipping.  Those are just convenient excuses for marketers who won’t put forth a little effort to discover the truth.

The fact is that DVDs are very simple to make and don’t require investing in expensive software.  In fact, I create DVDs without spending a nickel.  Yes it does require a few software programs but the ones I use are freely available on the Internet and they work incredibly well.  In fact, the software I use to convert avi files to DVD files comes with an incredible support forum that answered my questions within 24 hours.  That’s better service than a lot of products I’ve actually paid for.

As for manufacturing & shipping, there are several options.  The one I use (Kunaki)will create & ship the DVD on demand at their facilities and pass the costs on to the customer.  They charge less than $2 for the physical DVD (including DVD cover) and a nominal $3 handling charge.  And first class shipping via the US Postal Service to most US locations is less than $2 as well.  Customers have the option of paying more for speedier delivery if they so choose.  All you have to do is upload the files to the publisher and drive traffic to your order page.  It couldn’t be much simpler.

Several aspects of DVDs should be appealing to information publishers.  First, DVDs have a higher perceived value than an online video course or a book.  How much will you pay for a book?  You can march into almost any bookstore in America and buy a book on any topic for less than $20.  Good luck selling your book for more than that.  DVDs on the other hand are often sold for over $100…and remember it costs less than $2 for the physical DVD (including DVD cover).  The rest of it goes straight into your bank account.  And since you’re self-publishing you don’t have to share the profits with a middleman.

The service I use also provides the option of putting a UPC code on the product.  This may not seem like such a big deal but this makes it incredibly easy to sell your DVD on Amazon.  Talk about instant credibility.  While most information marketers are schlepping their DVDs on homemade websites, yours is available on Amazon so it must be better.

DVDs aren’t restricted to videos either.  There are data DVDs on which you can put software programs or many other types of data or information.  That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  There are too many reasons for creating DVD information products to be covered in a single article.