How Owen Video Uses the VideoPro Framework for Content Marketing

In this content marketing series, I am interviewing some of the most amazing bloggers and content creators, and digging into their preferences and processes so that we can all learn from their example.

Today’s interview is with the talented and energetic, Owen Video. Owen has built a career around creating brilliant videos for himself and others, and even teaches his approach to creating video and effective content at The Video Marketing School.

Owen is fun and personable, and I can’t wait to share his insights with you, so let’s dive in.

What’s your poison? Blog or Video or Podcast? Why?

Video – ever since I was a kid video had a hold on me. I remember the day my dad came home with a GIANT VHS video camera. This thing was like a ton of bricks on your shoulder and I loved it. While other kids played video games, I made videos with my brothers and sisters. From stop-motion Lego films to dramatic Barbie doll soap operas and even our own parody videos. From 8 years old to the present day VIDEO made a huge impact on my life and brought me joy in sadness. Relief in stress. I want to provide others with the same gift of video that has made my life so much richer.

What has been your most successful piece of content marketing, and why? (Include link please!)

This video was the first video that ever generated business for me. I made the video around 2am with no plan – just an idea. So I put my camera on a tripod, threw on a dirty Walmart shirt and put the video on YouTube. It was 3 months later when I got a phone call from a stranger who said, “I saw your video and I want to hire you.” Once I closed the deal and got a deposit I asked him what video he found and he told me to check my channel. When I pulled up the website I saw that it had 6,000 views and I had generated over 2,000 subscribers. That began my YouTube career. From that point forward I made more videos that each generated hundreds of leads over the years.

Follow-up Question From Mike: Can you hazard a guess why it was a success? Have you tried to replicate that?

Because it was highly tactical and no fluff. Plus the thumbnail clearly explained what the viewer was committing to with a click. We’ve duplicated this several times and whiteboard videos continue to do well in a variety of industries.

How do you streamline your content creation process for efficiency and excellence?

We follow a process called the VideoPro Framework; it’s a Henry Ford assembly-line style system for making video that removes me personally from any and all labor that would drain me of my energy or misuse my skillsets while similarly putting me into tasks that energize me and best use my talents.

The four steps are Programming, Production, Promotion, and Progress. With this process in place I’m able to move my video production forward with very clear starting and stopping points. I know exactly what needs to be done in Programming – I select my topic and what Im going to cover in that topic. I also make sure to note what content I should NOT say so as not to go into rabbit trails or distract the viewer.

That’s when I place the video into Production and close the door on Programming. You can learn more about this process and how it works at http://makeyoutubeeasy.com

Where do you get your ideas for content marketing?

I love to search Reddit for great content but I also use the tools at http://gettubebuddy.com to find SEO keywords that are trending on YouTube. Quora and Askthepublic.com are two other resources that we encourage our clients to leverage.

RELATED: Track & Generate Ideas with the Ultimate Blog Planner

How do you, how do we put it… make money off this stuff?

Monetization is my expertise. I was raised poor and my parents always told me that we “couldn’t afford it.” So I missed out on high school trips, having my own car (even borrowing the car was not allowed because we “couldn’t afford the gas.” So when I began making videos I attached them to money in a variety of ways. YouTube adsense and Amazon Associate links were small factors but I almost always ended a video with a call to hire me or enroll in a program. The YouTube viewer is a bit more sophisticated these days but in the beginning, this style of video grew my business to 6 figures.

What would you say has been a defining moment in your career as a content creator?

In 2015 I was diagnosed with Stage 3 cancer with a tumor the size of grapefruit growing in my chest. It was at that time that I made a video announcing my intentions to beat cancer (a decision that I continue to make every single day) and to grow my company despite the disease. That video acted as a rallying cry for every downtrodden or under-estimated person in my network and really grew my business exponentially.

When it comes to content creation over the next year, what are your plans and intentions?

I want to be more of a Jimmy Kimmel of the YouTube space and move away from how-to content. I’d really like to be writing more comedy and making my channel more of a show that CEO’s and Entrepreneurs want to login to.

Who is your favorite content creator and why?

Nick Nimmin. I’ve watched him grow from 0 to almost a million and he’s remained the same great friend and human every step of the way. His work is simple and sophisticated. It’s intriguing and transparent. He’s everything a content creator should be.

What’s the one takeaway you want to impart on someone who, let’s say, is a blogging or content marketing n00b. 🙂

Publish another video. That’s where your success is waiting. It’s always in the next video. So publish the one you’re working on now – the video that’s not yet perfect. Get it up and YouTube and start working on the next one because the breakthrough you’re waiting for is going to be found in the next video.

Publish another video. That’s where your success is waiting.

You can watch and subscribe to more of Owen’s fantastic content on his YouTube channel, and be sure to follow him on Twitter!