There are many ways to market online. For the Craft and Hobby Industry, YouTube video marketing is very popular. The first question that you will ask yourself is what type of video do I need?

After reading many articles and watching even more YouTube^R videos, I've learned that there is no one good answer to that question. There are many types of marketing videos. In this tutorial, I've tried to narrow the list to the ones that would be good for an independent designer with a very small budget, like me.

1. Slideshow Product Video - This is one of the easiest types of videos to create because it is a simple slideshow of still product images, sometimes including the Ken Burns effect. Many examples combine both still images with video footage. The background audio may be a narrative or simply music. A craft company may wish to show both the craft products they sell and finished projects created with their products.
   
   This type of video can be created from several still images using an online service such as animoto.com. To avoid "looking like everyone else", one can use software such as Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Apple Motion and iMovie. Although Adobe^R Premiere^R Pro and After Effects^R have a high price tag and steep learning curve, Apple^R iMovie^R and Motion^R are reasonable priced and easy to use.
   
   One example of a craft company which has had great success with this type of video is SVGCuts. For each new SVG Kit, they create a product trailer featuring finished projects created with their SVG cut files. Usually, this slideshow video is followed by a how-to type video, demonstrating how to assemble the sample projects. Besides putting these on YouTube, SVG Cuts also embed them into their product pages in their store, so the customer can click that Buy button.
   
   
2. How-to Product Video - These demonstration videos are a great way to show your product being used in various ways. I call this type of video "talking hands" because many times the viewer only sees the face of the demonstrator at the beginning and ending of the video. The rest is a closeup of the technique, reducing the demonstrator to just a voice over and a pair of hands. When it comes to the craft industry, these are very popular and can increase your company's credibility. Many of these videos on YouTube are shared videos created by customers or the company's design team members. Although most of these customer shared videos lack professional quality, many craft companies rely heavily on them because of the cost of a professionally created video vs. no cost for adding “fan vids” to your YouTube Favorite Video list.
   
   One company that is well known for their professional quality demonstration videos is Heartfelt Creations. Over just a few years, this company has refined their demo videos to include both professional quality demonstrations by Emma Lou Beechy, a polished studio background and a custom preview type introduction for each demonstration.
   
   
3. Testimonials - Sharing customer testimonials is still one of the best ways to get that potential customer to click that Buy button. One company that uses this type of marketing video is the Yankee Candle Company. Their "What's Your Favorite Fall Fragrance?" video features their customers answering that question at the Yankee Candle Village. Also, many craft companies post video from their CHA and other trade shows.