Biggest Mistakes to Avoid in Video Marketing Part 1
At first glance, video marketing can seem very easy and straightforward. You simply craft a message, play a catchy tune, and bam, instant video success! The truth is it can be a very difficult task to keep your audience engaged and focused. If you’re venturing into the jungle that is video marketing in search of new audiences, be warned there are a few unforeseen challenges to overcome.
Making a video just to make a video (without a plan or purpose)
Producing a video without having a broader marketing plan and distribution strategy is the one of the biggest mistake in video marketing. We have all heard the saying, “when you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” It is especially true for video. Video should be a part of a larger marketing/branding strategy – keep in mind why you are making the video, who it is intended for, and what the desired action is after the video is complete. To avoid making this mistake in video marketing, and before creating your video, think about why are you making this video, who the intended audience is, the action you want viewers to take after watching, where you are going to post and share this video, and what tools are you going to use to measure video success.
Failing to address a target audience
Creating a video with a message that does not address a specific audience is the #2 top biggest mistake in video marketing. Although you might have services or products that everyone can benefit from, any video you create should focus on only one target market (although your business might target multiple markets). Individuals from any target market have certain pain points and needs, and they are looking for answers to their particular questions. The goal of your video should be to address those concerns, and provide information that reaches this target audience. To avoid this mistake, research your target market, determine their demographic profile, their pain points (as they pertain to your service/industry), and what emotional pull will best draw them in. You should strive to make your video relatable to your audience on multiple levels. This goes for the content and message of your video, but also the visuals and people you use!
Not focusing on a single message
Producing a video that does not have one clearly defined message, and that jumps between multiple topics is a small business mistake we see far too often. It mostly happens because they didn’t define a strategy for the marketing campaign, or they didn’t properly budget for a video. It is very tempting to try and force a lot of information into your video. However, when you do not have a singular focus, your message can quickly become disjointed and difficult to follow. You only have a short amount of time to entice, engage, and educate your viewer. Spending time addressing all of your benefits is going to take more time than your viewer is willing to give, so focus your video on a single selling point! To avoid this mistake, develop a focused message, keep your video on target, and provide one main call to action. If you have separate topics or messages you want to cover, I would strongly suggest separate videos.
