Video marketing is a great way to position your brand, attract attention to your product, service or business, show prospects the benefits, and maybe even get a laugh or two! Bad video on the other hand, can be embarrassing, confuse the viewer, or worst case, damage your brand or reputation.
So what's the difference between a solid, effective video, and one that wasn't worth the cost of shooting it? Like any art, producing a video requires an understanding of the medium being used. When you're planning video content for your business for the first time (or even if you've already produced some content) it can be difficult to know why it's not working. Think about it, you know your business better than anyone, but chances are you're not a pro when it comes to creating video content.
Even without an Emmy on your office shelf, it's possible to create effective video marketing content with just a little planning and an awareness of the common pitfalls of bad video production. Let's take a look at some of the worst video mistakes, and how you can avoid them!
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Video marketing is an excellent way to effectively reach a variety of markets and engage with prospects. However, oftentimes startups and small businesses may not have the budget to hire a professional video content creator and end up taking a DIY approach. This can result in less than effective content that can end up doing more harm than good. (If done incorrectly!)
In the eyes of consumers, your video is a reflection of your brand and business. To make the proper first (or second, or third) impression requires producing high-quality content that educates, informs or entertains the viewer while building trust, and increasing brand awareness.
When we were kids, our mothers had the best teaching method. They told us what NOT to do...remember these pearls of wisdom....”don't hit your brother,” “don't put that in your mouth,” “don't lie”...it was and still is the most effective that way many of us learn!
When it comes to creating video content, there's no single “right” way to do it. What works for some businesses, might not be effective for yours. But there are certain common mistakes that you can avoid.
So on that note, don't do these things when producing your next business video!
When it comes to creating a business video, once you know what NOT to do, all it takes is a little forethought to sidestep these common mistakes. Here are the five most common mistakes businesses make when creating video marketing content!
Don't:
This is probably the biggest mistake you can make. It probably sounds obvious, but before you can create an effective video, you need to know exactly what you're trying to achieve! Do you have a goal in mind? Does your video have a strategic purpose? Is it a branding tool? An explainer video demonstrating your product or a video introducing your team?
Video can be such an exciting medium that often businesses will jump in simply because they want a video on their homepage. Like any other marketing effort, you need to consider video as a tool to achieve a larger goal, and use it in a strategic way to reach that goal.
The bottom line, don't make a video just for the sake of making a video. Start by identifying a problem you need to fix or a goal you'd like to achieve. Then set an objective like, getting 50% more visitors to sign up for a free trial to test your product, or having a killer training video that your team will WANT to watch.
Once you have an objective, the rest becomes clear!
Don't:
Ok, now you have an objective and a goal. Another common mistake is creating a video that you'd like to watch instead of one your prospects would like to watch. Always remember who you're shooting for. Your video should address the needs, interests and pain points of your audience and how you can provide solutions. This applies whether your content is being created for an internal (i.e. training videos etc) or external audience.
The best solution to this problem is to clearly and concisely identify and define your buyer personas. Try to understand where they get their video content, what they are seeking in terms of information and what their common problems are that may need addressing, then make THAT video!
Don't:
The best videos have a single focus. Too many messages can make your video seem overly complex and confusing. If it's unavoidable, you can have another message, but try to keep it to no more than two. Your video will be shorter, easier to follow and more enjoyable for the viewer.
Consider what you want to say to your target market and boil it down to one or at most two messages that are vital. One video can't get every problem solved. If you have multiple messages, consider shooting multiple videos, not only will this help the viewer, it'll improve your site's SEO!
Don't:
You've set a goal, targeted your audience and clarified your message, but you're not quite ready to start shooting just yet! First you need to develop your creative concept. Pro videographers will often “storyboard” or illustrate their shoot before they turn on a camera. Your creative concept will drive the script, filming style, editing , music and more. This is the central theme or idea your video supports and it should be tailored to deliver your message to your target audience.
Based your concept on your audience and core message. Make sure every aspect of your video, from dialog to music aligns with your vision.
Don't:
Remember your objective? If you want your audience to do something, like sign-up for a webinar, or subscribe to receive your catalog, don't forget to ask!
Many businesses forget this most vital step. Just like written content, or PPC ads, your video marketing should include a CTA. Unless you tell viewers what you want them to do, they won't know what the next step is. A CTA can be anything from a simple voiceover asking viewers to subscribe to your YouTube channel, or click on a link to be taken to a landing page for more information.
The bottom line, always include a CTA. Remember, make it relevant to the content, make it clear, persuasive and actionable!
Notice the pattern? Each of the “mistakes” can affect every other aspect of your video. No goal? Then how can you measure results. No CTA? Then even if you have an Oscar winning video you won't achieve your objective.
To create an effective video comes down to these five steps. Forgetting any one of them will effect your results. In a nutshell when creating video marketing content, have a goal, know your audience, define your message, make it interesting and ask! If you do these five things consistently, you have a great shot at achieving success!