Use these techniques to find an almost unlimited list of profitable topics for special interest videos and DVDs you can produce.
Who would have thought a video about a year in the life of a sheep dog would sell 20,000 copies?
Who would have thought a video for cats would have made headlines in the Wall Street Journal and sold thousands of copies?
Who would have thought the video There goes a train would be the 12th fastest selling video on Amazon.com?
The truth is a lot of video topics that you would never imagine being profitable actually are quite profitable. And a number of topics that you might think would do well, probably are guaranteed losers.
Here are some tips to choosing profitable topics for your next video;
Seven Tips for Choosing Profitable Video Topics Check out the Movers and Shakers list - Often the best way to get ideas for your own video topics is to review the list of biggest gainers in Amazon.com video sales rank over the past 24 hours. Find it at Amazon Video Movers and Shakers.
Check out the Best Sellers list - You might think the best sellers list of videos would include primarily Hollywood blockbuster movies - but you'd be wrong. Often the video best sellers list includes videos that you could produce, with niche market topics on exercise, weight loss, animal training, baby videos, hobbies and travel.Check out the Best Seller List
Check out search trends - Knowing what people are looking for is a often an excellent source of potential video topics. One way to find out quickly what people are searching for this week is to view
Google Zeitgeist search trends.
Find problems needing solving - A friend was telling me about how he found his latest video topic. Seems he was browsing a discussion forum about digital cameras, and he found one camera had over 250,000 messages posted about it - most asking questions about how to do things with the camera.
He decided a video that answered most of the questions about the camera being asked on the forum would probably be of interest to those on the forum. And he could mention the availability of the video when he replied to some of the questions being asked.
You'll find forums exist for almost every product - and when you find a forum where a lot of people ask specific questions about a specific task or product (especially an expensive product they own), you have a found a potentially profitable video topic.
In his case, he is producing a how to video for a digital video camera that retails for over $1,000. For most people who own that camera, his video will be something they will definitely want.
Look in your own backyard - Regardless of where you live, there are probably a number of people who have skills or knowledge that would be the basis of a good video product.
Often these people would love to be the star of your video - if you give them something in return (either a flat payment, or the rights to sell copies of the videos.)
For example, in our local paper I read an article about a local fisherman who created a report about his secret technique for finding lobster. The article mentioned he had sold 450 copies of the report in just 30 days. Made me wonder whether this would be a good video topic.
Ride the coat tails of another product - An excellent source of video topics are 'how to use' videos that show how to use or get the most of a specific product.
Find any difficult to use expensive product, and you've got yourself a potential video topic showing others how to use that product.
Often, after you establish yourself as a source of training information about a specific product, you'll be able to develop a series of videos on the same product offering different levels of training (introductory, advanced, expert, etc.).
And each time the manufacturer updates or releases a new version of the product, you can produce new videos covering the updates. (In most cases, the manufacturers of these products appreciate the videos you produce - as it reduces the support and training they have to offer on their own.)
Find a workshop - Videos of experts speaking at workshops are often excellent products. And in many cases, you can get the rights to shoot and sell videos from these workshops for little or no investment.
For example, when I was just getting started in video production, I contacted the promoter of a one-day workshop and offered to videotape the event for him and provide him with edited video masters of the event for him to sell. The only payment I asked was to have the rights to sell the videos to my own market. He agreed.
You can find workshops on just about any topic, and many will make good video products. These kinds of videos are probably the easiest in the world to produce and market. And often they command premium prices.
Don't over-think it
Far too often, developers try to use 'brute brain force' to come up with a profitable target. They try to 'think of a topic', instead of simply opening their eyes a taking a good look around them.
DVD (and report) topics exist in almost every direction you look. And the simple ones are often the most successful and overlooked. Who would have thought a video about sheep dogs would sell 20,000 copies? Or a video about trains would be #7 on Amazon's movers and shakers list?
The point? You often overlook the things around you that others in the world might pay to see. Use the above tips to find out what you might be overlooking. And then produce the video!!!
7 Tips for Identifying Profitable Topics for 'How-To' DVD's. 
Video of the Month(s): 1
Linear Mode
