The explosion of Internet video proves one thing-you don’t have to be a professional producer of video content to reach a huge audience on the Worldwide Web. If you have expert knowledge about something that can benefit customers, you can be the star of your own how-to-do-it video product line.

Decide what kind of video product you want to create: educational, motivational, inspirational, “how-to-do-it” and comedy are popular genres of video products for sale on the Internet. Don’t pick a genre just because it sells for other people. Pick something you’re passionate about. Your passion-or lack of it-will always show in whatever you produce, and this is true whether you’re standing in front of the camera or behind it.

Suppose you build houses. You may want to create a promotional video to persuade companies and individuals to hire your services. This is the type of video product that you want potential customers to access freely at your web site or blog. Another type of product that can create a good revenue source is an educational video. As an independent contractor, you know all the ins and outs of the business. An educational video product aimed at teaching customers everything they need to know before choosing a contractor and beginning a construction project can give people valuable knowledge that they are willing to pay for. And of course the do-it-yourself home improvement market is one of the largest revenue producers in the United States.

Let’s take the example of an independent contractor one step farther. Every tip that you can present and package in a 15 to 30 minute “how-to” video can generate a significant revenue stream that makes money for you over a period of several years. Think of how the do-it-yourself home improvement market has exploded on television over the past few years. The Internet opens up this huge market to anyone with a camera, a computer, and expert knowledge of how to do something that adds value to consumers’ lives.

Always remember to talk about benefits
When you stress the benefits that come with successfully completing a project, you add value to your customers’ lives. And when that happens, you create a force of “customer evangelists”-people who are eager to tell others about how you created something of value for them. Whenever you make customers happy, always ask them to give you a testimonial to use for promoting your product or service. Businesses know the value of written testimonials, but think about the benefits of filming testimonials to put on your web site.

In fact, if you have no experience in the creation of video products, a video testimonial from a satisfied customer is a great way to start. You don’t have to go out and look for acting talent-the best talent is a real person who can be natural in front of a camera and just talk about the benefits of your product or service. Post this as free content on your site and watch your sales increase.