You’ve probably noticed video is “hot” right now.

Just look at the popularity and success of video sites like YouTube. And if you spend any time on these video uploading sites, you’ll notice they’re not all videos of cats and dogs doing funny things.

Tons of marketers are taking advantage of this medium to sell their products and grow their lists.

Can you get in on a piece of this action? You bet.

Note: Again, these tactics falls under the broader category of “article marketing.” While you can use create and distribute article videos to grow your list, you can also create videos without the use of articles. If you choose that route, follow the tips below while disregarding references to articles.

First off, however, you need to consider your market. Are they on high speed connections that can easily handle video?

Example: If you’re catering to a rural market, they simply may not be capable of a true broadband connection. Yes this happens even in today’s “modern” times.

There are a few different ways to use videos with respects to growing your list.

One way is to offer a free video or two as your freebie for anyone who signs up for your list.

Another way is to use your videos as “bait” to attract prospects to your site. This works much the same way as article marketing – you create impressive content with a call to action at the end that asks people to visit your site. People click through to your site and land on your compelling squeeze page.

Quick Tip: If people want to join your list after watching one of your videos, then offering “more of the same” is a good tactic to increase your subscriber opt-in rate. In other words, you can offer a video as your bonus freebie for joining your newsletter list.

Let’s talk about creating videos that get buzz… and new subscribers.

Here are the three steps to creating and launching a buzz-worthy video…

BUY good video and audio equipment.

Some people say – and it might be true – that prospects who are hungry for a particular piece of information wouldn’t care if you wrote it down on a piece of toilet paper.

Quick Tip: Let’s suppose I gave you the winning lottery numbers for tomorrow’s lottery. Would you care whether I scratched it on the back of a napkin or engraved it on a bar of gold? Probably not.

But of course we’re not all creating products that are the equivalent to a set of winning lottery numbers. So for the rest of us, presentation counts. That means you should buy the best video, audio and lighting equipment you can afford in order to create the most professional, polished videos you can muster.

I really like the Kodak Zi8 because it has an external mic connection.

BE creative… and controversial!

Prospects may appreciate plain, straightforward information – but they’ll rarely pass those sorts of videos along to their friends, post links to your video in forums, or blog about them.

If you want to create videos that get talked about, then they need to be centered around content that pushes the envelope. Be creative. Be controversial. Maybe even be a little offensive. After all, polarizing people and creating controversy results in plenty of niche buzz!

Quick Tip: Remember, your video has purpose. Namely, you’re using it to bring people to your site to join your newsletter. Always keep that over-riding purpose in mind as you produce your video.

Also, be sure to include your link multiple times throughout the video in both text and verbal form… especially at the end of the video. And as always, be sure to give those who view your video a compelling reason to go to your site!

BEGIN your video launch with a BANG!

Once you’ve completed your video, it’s time to get it in front of as many people as possible. If you can launch it with a “bang” – and if it truly is a viral video – then you can expect it to soon take on a life of it’s own.

For starters, post your video on the following sites and places:

• Upload your video to YouTube, Yahoo! Video, Viddler.com and as many other video sites as you can.

• Post links to your video on your Squidoo lens and HubPages.

• Post links to your video on your blog, website, and forum.

• Post links to your video on other niche forums. (If nothing else, post it in your sig line.)

• Announce your video to your list, and encourage them to pass it along to their friends.

• Ask your friends and colleagues to blog about your video as well as adding it to their Squidoo lenses, HubPages, forums, newsletter and similar.

• Submit articles to article directories and include a link to your video at the end of the article.

• And finally: If your video is considered controversial or even offensive, then be sure to get it into the hands of the people who will be the most offended by the content. These people WILL talk about it, post links on forums, and blog about it too!

Peace,

P