Video marketing is effective but only when you know how to use it. Unfortunately, this isn’t common knowledge for most people. Most businesses that employ video marketing don’t make much effort to understand its true purpose and end up misusing it. To make things worse, even successful video marketing campaigns encounter problems in implementation because the people involved don’t know how to use this strategy properly.
To help you avoid these common pitfalls while creating videos, we’ve put together a list of things that you should not do with video marketing.
Don’t make a video for the sake of having a video.
Video marketing mistakes are most commonly made by business owners when they first begin. They assume that making a video will automatically result in more sales or traffic, which is not true. You can’t just throw up any old video on your website and expect it to perform well; you need to create something that’s valuable for your audience and provides real value.
Don’t just have a video. You need to go beyond just having a video on your website and actually use it as part of your overall strategy. For example, if you’re selling an online course, create content around it and use the video as an introduction or preview of what people can expect from it.
Don’t jump straight into video marketing without proper planning.
Don’t just jump straight into video marketing without proper planning. It would be best if you had a strategy in place before you start creating videos; otherwise, knowing what direction you want to go in and what content is most important for your audience will be difficult.
You need first to create a video strategy, decide on your goals and then create the content that will help support those goals. It won’t be effective if you take the plunge and create a video without planning beforehand.
Don’t have poor production value.
Video quality is important. Viewers will notice if your video isn’t high-quality, and it could damage your brand’s reputation. You don’t have to spend a fortune on production costs, but you need to ensure that the quality of your videos is good enough so that people aren’t distracted by poor lighting or sound issues when watching them.
Video marketing is a visual medium, so you must ensure that your video content is visually appealing. Poor production value can quickly turn viewers off, so creating videos with high-quality production values is important.
Failed to focus your video on the right things.
You need to be able to tell a story with your video, and this will make it more engaging for viewers. The best way to do this is by using an interesting narrative that captures people’s attention immediately. You can also include some tips or advice in your YouTube video to give viewers something valuable to take away after watching it.
Additionally, consider using video intros and outros that explain who you are and why people should watch your content. Let viewers know from the start what they can expect from your channel, so they’ll be more likely to stick around and watch future videos.
Don’t make videos that are too long.
The possibility of watching a shorter video is higher than that of watching a longer video. The ideal length for a video is between two and three minutes since this is about how long people are willing to spend watching something on their phones. You can get away with longer videos as long as they’re engaging enough to keep people watching until the end.
Don’t make videos that are too short. Videos under a minute long are rarely watched, and they can be hard to find if you don’t include some kind of call to action at the end. If you want people to subscribe or comment on your content, be sure your video has enough information for them to do so before the end.
Avoid using messages that are too sales-y.
People don’t like being sold to, and they will often avoid the video if the message is too sales-y. Don’t use phrases like “buy now” or “click here for more information” because these are clear calls to action that most people won’t follow. Instead, try including a link to your website at the end of your video so people can learn more about your offer.
If you want to use a call to action, try something more subtle like “subscribe” or “comment below.” You can also ask questions at the end of your video and let people know that they can leave comments if they have any questions about what you said in the video.
Avoid content that is too scripted and boring.
Try to keep your videos authentic and conversational. Don’t worry about making every line of dialogue sound like a commercial speech; instead, focus on delivering information in an interesting way that makes people want to keep watching. It also helps if you include some humor or use props in your videos, so they don’t seem too stiff.
Takeaway: Video marketing is not “one-size-fits-all.”
You can’t just create one video and expect it to work for every type of business. When creating videos, you must consider your target audience, product or service, and overall brand image. Make sure your videos are relevant, valuable, and entertaining to attract viewers.
